Coronavirus has left small publishers desperately fighting for survival

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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Coronavirus has left small publishers desperately fighting for survival'


What is Google Newsstand and How Can Publishers Make the Most of It?

Google’s Android is now the most popular smartphone operating system in the UK – so publishers can no longer just talk about iPhone and iPad apps. But despite its increasing market dominance (on mobile anyway) the Google propo ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers make #ipad apps


Premium Publishers Are Getting Victimized By Traffic Fraud, Too

In a past life, Michael Tiffany fought cyber crime for financial institutions. Then he notice the same techniques were being used to defraud the advertising industry.The problem was big enough to draw Mr. Tiffany into the battle against traffic fraud full-time and, in 2013, he started a company... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #premium publishers #financial institutions #advertising industry


Worthy Publishing Up 84% in 2013

Finishing a strong second year, Worthy Publishing Group sees an 84% increase in sales in 2013. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #worthy publishing


Largest indie ebook publisher buys oldest

Open Road, the largest independent ebook publisher, has purchased E-Reads, which is the oldest. The deal, announced Monday, adds 1,200 titles to Open Road's catalog of more than 4,000 ebooks at a... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2014-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #open road #announced monday


Worms Battlegrounds and Nutjitsu are the first self-published games on Xbox One

Microsoft caught everyone's attention back when it introduced ID@Xbox. Now, nearly six months after the indie developer program was revealed, we're finally seeing the first titles to come out of it: Worms Battlegrounds and Nutjitsu. At this point,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


When Publishers Pay for Video Ad Views

Quality video ad inventory is still scarce. That's why companies such as Conde Nast, Meredith, AOL, and Entrepreneur.com are eager to generate as many video views as they possible can, and why they buy traffic from platforms like Swagbucks to help.The post When Publishers Pay for Video Ad Views... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers pay #conde nast #video views #buy traffic


DreamWorks Takes Publishing In-House

DreamWorks Animation is launching DreamWorks Press as an internal umbrella for digital and print books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dreamworks animation #print books


LinkedIn Is Looking More Like a Publisher as It Grows Its Native Ad Business

LinkedIn is looking more and more like a publisher these days. The professional networking site eschews the term, but its recent moves suggest otherwise, from its Influencers blog network to its acquisition of news reader Pulse and the introduction of native advertising. (LinkedIn calls them... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #make money #thought leadership #user engagement #technology company


February’s Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review

February's notable reviews of self-published titles include stars for a 'startling' memoir about the Vietnam War and a 'fascinating' exploration of human rights. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #top reviews #self-published books #blueink review #vietnam war #human rights


Finding the Value in Digital Publishing

Digital—readers, advertising, revenue—is growing, but publishers are managing that growth in different ways depending on where their value propositions lie. For a news-driven operation, that could mean emphasizing speed and developing paid products in niche verticals. It could be offering... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2014-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital publishing


WEbook Relaunches as New Publishing Platform

Billing WEbook as a digital “slush pile,” Ardy Khazaei, its former president, told PW in 2009 that the Web site aimed to match agents with the kinds of manuscripts they were looking to represent. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing platform #told pw


Canadian Government Signs E-book Consent Agreements with Four Publishers

After what the government said was an 18-month investigation, Canada’s Competition Bureau has reached consent agreements with four multinational publishers regarding their ebook pricing policies. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #multinational publishers #competition bureau


Check It Out with Michael Kelley: Small Libraries Make a Big Impact

Big libraries get all the attention. But in late September of 2013, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) issued an interesting report on small and rural libraries in the United States. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #michael kelley #big impact #late september #interesting report


Ed Sheeran to publish book with childhood friend

Cassell Illustrated will publish a book with UK singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and his childhood... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publish book #childhood friend #ed sheeran #cassell illustrated


Should The Washington Post, The New York Times, and other Top Publishers Pool Their Video in a Consortium?

Interested in the business of high-quality web video? There’s a lot of good stuff from Washington Post video GM Steven Schiffman in this Beet.TV interview about the Post’s broad-strokes strategy for the business side of video. ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #business side #good stuff #tv interview


First self-publishing MA offers DIY education

University of Central Lancashire will coach students to make the most of their manuscriptsThe University of Central Lancashire has announced the launch of what it describes as the world's first degree in self-publishing.The MA will begin in September, and course leader Debbie Williams believes... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #established names


Time Inc. Ad Revenue Grows, but Only Because It Bought AmEx Publishing

Time Warner, the media company that owns HBO and the Warner Bros. film studio as well as Time Inc. for a few more months, surpassed analysts' estimates for both fourth-quarter revenue and profit in results reported on Wednesday.Excluding some items, earnings were $1.17 a share, the New... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #warner bros #film studio #york-based company #data compiled #pay-tv providers #fourth quarter


Charlie Chaplin's only novel published for the first time

Footlights, the screen legend's unseen prequel in prose to the film Limelight, reflects his sadness at declining stardomRead an extract from Footlights by Charlie ChaplinThe only work of prose fiction ever written by Charlie Chaplin, a dark, nostalgic novella which was the root of his great... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mental health


Issues on the Ether: How Is Self-Publishing Maturing?

This week's Publishing Perspective's #EtherIssue looks at the debate about quality and changing perceptions of the self-publishing community in the broader market. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing perspective ##etherissue #self-publishing community


Two Authors Launch Brown Girls Publishing

Bestselling Simon & Schuster authors Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley are now teaming up on the business side: the two writers are launching Brown Girls Publishing, a new digital publishing venture that debuts today. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #business side