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 ]
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Apparently Apple isn't the only company thinking the US Department of Justice's recently imposed remedies against it were "draconian." US publishers HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin and others have also ganged up on the DOJ with a legal brief opposing the punitive restrictions. In... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The cost of ebooks has strained relations between libraries and publishers, forcing both to look for solutions. One answer is coming from distributors of self-published ebooks. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers have united to object to new Department of Justice constraints against Apple,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers who have settled an electronic book pricing dispute with the federal government say they object to penalties the government wants to impose on Apple Inc.A judge ruled in an antitrust case last month that Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple had joined a conspiracy to drive up the price of... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Five book publishers have objected to restrictions that would be placed on Apple's business after it was found guilty last month of conspiring to fix prices for ebooks.A New York federal judge ruled in July that Apple conspired with the publishers to fix prices for ebooks, snuffing out... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Five major U.S. publishers objected to the Justice Department's proposal to limit Apple's influence in the electronic books market, saying it would effectively alter their existing settlements with the U.S. government. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Apple returns to court on Friday to fight with government lawyers over proposed restrictions on its ebook business, the company is getting a little belated help from its alleged co-conspirators. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ZOO Digital surveys digital publishing executives about their ebook workflows and the comparative advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing and internal production. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers need to work more closely with academic libraries in developing countries, a report by... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a decisive move in the legal battle surrounding Apple's fishy ebook pricing practices, the US Department of Justice has issued a proposed remedy aimed at leveling the playing field. The terms of the proposal, which requires approval by the court, call for an end to Apple's deals with major... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hit by inflation and lower government purchases, Brazil's book market shrank by 2.64% last year, the worst decline in real value since 2002. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anything but a 'misery memoir,' the remarkable and moving, 'She Left Me the Gun' by Emma Brockes explores the power of resilience and humor. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An 11% increase in its manufacturing segment offset a 3% decline in its publishing group leading to an overall 9% revenue increase at Courier Corp. for the third quarter ended June 29 with sales hitting $64.1 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The newspaper industry was hit with more bad news mid-week, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer made deep cuts to its newsroom, and several newspaper publishers reported more revenue declines. The Plain Dealer, owned by Advance Publications, delivered ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The longlist for the 2013 Polari First Book Prize has been revealed, with two self-published... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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South Korea's Paju Bookcity is unique in the world: home to some 200 publishing companies and 10,000 publishing professionals, mere miles from the North Korea border. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hoping to strengthen its services for mobile users, Facebook has created a new program to encourage third-party developers to build games that will run on the company's mobile clients.The new pilot program, called Facebook Mobile Games Publishing, will assist selected game development shops in... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook has reportedly been toying around with the idea of launching a distribution platform for mobile games, boosting advertising revenue by also taking a cut of sales. As of today, the initiative is official: a new Mobile Games Publishing page is now live on Facebook's developers site. The... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Illiteracy remains a serious problem in the U.S., even though the issue has been overshadowed in recent years by the economy and the war on terror. Even data documenting changes in literacy in each state is hard to attain. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette has restructured its New Zealand business, closing its publishing unit and relocating... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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