A survey of indie presses shows that 60% fear they could be out of business by the autumn, writes Galley Beggar Press cofounder Sam JordisonOver the past few years, the success of independent publishers such as Fitzcarraldo, And Other Stories, Bluemooose and Influx Press has been something to behold. They have won prizes, engaged readers and published innovative and important books. Now that wonderful literary flowering is in danger. A survey on the impact of Covid-19 on small presses, carried out by the Bookseller and writer development charity Spread the Word, reveals that 60% of the small presses polled fear they could be out of business by the autumn, 75% don’t know if they will make it beyond March next year, while 85% of the publishers have seen sales drop by more than half.Small presses have been hit especially hard because they are more dependent on physical sales in bookstores, rather than online retailers or ebook sales. I know, because my publisher, Galley Beggar Press, has also seen a big chunk of its income disappear. One of the great strengths of our kind of publishing is that we have a real connection with dedicated readers who love books as physical objects, readers who have an equally strong connection with booksellers. A great deal of what we do relies on the enthusiasm and personal recommendations of those heroes of our trade whose shops Covid-19 has closed. We have lost many of our best advocates, not to mention the most practical way of getting books... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-05-15 06:00:32 UTC ]
News tagged with:
#small presses
#sales drop
#physical sales
#online retailers
#ebook sales
#real connection
#physical objects
#great deal
#bookseller
A visit to the Gwanghwamun branch of Kyobo, Korea’s largest bookstore chain, provides many clues to the country’s present book market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#digital publishing
Nothing gets the work done faster, or makes the word travel further, than having the might of the government behind it or the united action of a group of individuals with shared interests. In the Korean publishing industry, such synergy is evident and has been very effective. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#digital publishing
#shared interests
Consider these figures: This is the country with the fastest Internet speed in the world at 13.3 Mbps (against 8.7 Mbps in the U.S.), and 98% of its households have access to broadband Internet. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#digital publishing
For global publisher Oxford University Press (OUP), close connections with the markets that it operates in have afforded plenty of opportunities to establish partnerships with different technology companies for its products and services. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#digital publishing
#close connections
#establish partnerships
#technology companies
Top executives from the Guardian, Time, USA Today, Atlantic Media's Quartz, the Onion and others took part in panel discussions with Digiday editors on a range of topics, such as applying established journalism techniques to the Web, embracing mobile, the rise of online video, and making... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2014-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#digiday editors
#top executives
#usa today
#atlantic media
#panel discussions
#embracing mobile
#online video
We asked attendees at this week’s Digiday Publishing Summit to discuss the challenge of mobile campaigns. Here’s what they thought about closing the mobile revenue gap, multi-screen campaigns, and more. Sponsored by CheckM8.The post Infographic: Publishers on closing the mobile gap appeared... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2014-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#post infographic
#mobile gap
#asked attendees
#mobile campaigns
Germany's small press scene is thriving, with an eclectic mix of ambitious publishers seeking out new authors, experimenting with formats and finding audiences. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#small presses
#eclectic mix
Amazon Publishing plans to release more than 500 titles in the UK this year, the company's... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
On the heels of last week's announcement about its new German-language publishing program, Amazon has said, in an internal memo from Jeff Belle, that the company plans to hire 70 more staffers for its publishing programs. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#amazon publishing
#internal memo
#company plans
#publishing programs
Mark Driscoll, who recently weathered plagiarism charges, has made headlines once again, this time for hiring a company that manipulates bestsellers lists. Now the Seattle pastor is stepping back from his writing career to focus on his church. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#driscoll drama
#mark driscoll
#made headlines
#seattle pastor
#stepping back
#writing career
The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings author's version of epic Anglo-Saxon poem fleshes out heroes' past, says son who edited manuscriptHwæt! Almost 90 years after JRR Tolkien translated the 11th-century poem Beowulf, The Lord of the Rings author's version of the epic story is to be published for the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#huge bestseller
We asked a handful of Digiday Publishing Summit attendees at legacy media outlets one simple question: What has been the hardest -- or most surprising -- part of transitioning from a print to digital model? Here's what they told us.The post What’s the hardest part of digital for legacy... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#digital model
#hardest part
#legacy publishers
#simple question
The move to acquire Santillana Ediciones Generales, according to PRH, will "significantly" increase its presence in Spain and Latin America. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#latin america
Two weeks after George Lossius stepped down as CEO of Publishing Technology, plc, the U.K. company, which has offices in North America, has named digital publishing veteran Michael Cairns as CEO. Cairns, the company's online division chief operating officer, will assume his new responsibilities... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#publishing technology
Mark Driscoll, who recently weathered plagiarism charges, has made headlines once again, this time for hiring a company that manipulates bestseller lists. Now the Seattle pastor is stepping back from his writing career to focus on his church. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#driscoll drama
#mark driscoll
#made headlines
#seattle pastor
#stepping back
#writing career
According to a report from BookNet Canada, "Canadian publishers have adapted to the appetite for digital reading and embraced ebook publishing as a new norm." Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#booknet canada
#digital publishing
#canadian publishers
#digital reading
Does your agent constantly reject your manuscript about a teen wizard who falls in love with a vampire and has to fight for their life in a televised death zone? Barnes & Noble feels your pain, and is opening up the Nook Press self-publishing... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2014-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
A new report from BookNet Canada released on Monday, tracking the digital publishing programs of the country's publishers, has found that 90% have ebook programs. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Two publishers, including one formed specifically to publish a book on the 2013 marathon, will release books in advance of the April 21 race. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#release books
Faber will publish the mass market paperback and ebook versions of Eimear McBride's... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#galley beggar
#ebook versions
#eimear mcbride