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 ]
A new plan by the iconic Denver bookseller sees a streamlined company emerging from bankruptcy as early as June and returning to profitability next year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Bookseller Oral History Project, a program intended to document and preserve the history of bookselling in the U.S., has found a permanent home at the University of Iowa Libraries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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An independent publisher considers the challenges and opportunities for small presses in her home market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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An independent publisher considers the challenges and opportunities for small presses in her home market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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I always imagined, that, given the choice, I would read my own audiobook. I had heard memoirs often sounded best in the author’s throat—something about the familiar tang of the hardship unspooled. But had I written a memoir? A bookseller acquaintance asked me that a year before the publication... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-02-22 09:54:39 UTC ]
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The Bookseller Oral History Project aims to preserve the often-hidden history of bookselling in America. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Womb House Books owner Jessica Ferri's carefully curated listings have turned her online storefront into the favorite bookseller of Emma Roberts, Natalie Portman, and thousands of Etsy customers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Tamara Megrelishvili, founder of Georgian bookstore Prospero's talks about the impact of diminished tourism, war, and political unease. The post In Tbilisi: Bookseller Tamara Megrelishvili on Sales Trends appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-01-10 17:45:34 UTC ]
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In addition to announcing changes to its executive committee, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation this week named three new board members: Christian publisher Chriscynethia Floyd, former Abrams CEO Michael Jacobs, and Vermont bookseller Emma Kaas. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble followed up sales increases in 2022 with more gains in 2023 and CEO James Daunt said the bookseller is "entering a period of significant growth." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
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My longtime girlfriend is a longtime bookseller. Her relationship with bookselling predates ours three times over. It is a surprisingly taxing career path—one that asks of the body, and of the mind. There are the bad days, where she brings home the classic bookseller gripes: failed hand-sells,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-01-05 09:56:55 UTC ]
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Bookseller Katherine Morgan has founded her own online bookstore—all while working two gigs at Bookshop.org and Powell's City of Books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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If there’s a book lover on your holiday list, consider yourself lucky. There’s a huge range of gifts you can give them — and you don’t even need to know what’s next up on their to-be-read list. I’m a former bookseller with an abiding fiction habit who now tests... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-16 16:00:47 UTC ]
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I first heard of Willa Cather as a teenage bookseller in North Denver, at a new, used, rare, and antiquarian bookshop that had once been a mechanic’s garage. At the bookstore, there was an entire section of Cather’s famous works, which I had labeled meticulously with colored markers on scraps of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-14 10:00:45 UTC ]
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The round-table workshops that proved highly successful in the Sharjah Bookseller Conference now are part of the Sharjah Publishers Conference. The post Sharjah Publishers Conference Introduces New Format appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-28 02:14:24 UTC ]
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This year’s regional bookseller shows were upbeat and exciting gatherings, where both traditional and nontraditional booksellers networked, met authors, and discovered the hottest new releases. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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WordsWorth Books founder Stavis, a leader in computerized inventory and online selling and cofounder of the WordStock inventory and POS system, died on October 20. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Almost 300 booksellers from the Midwest Indie Bookseller and Great Lakes Indie Bookseller associations gathered together at Heartland Fall Forum in Detroit last week to network, meet authors, and discover great books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
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No Book Left Behind, by Alice-Catherine Carls Essay [email protected] Mon, 10/09/2023 - 15:35 Photo by Alexander Grey / UnsplashWelcome news to those of us in the “Flyover Zone”: our reading habits are healthy and well served. The Jackson Madison... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2023-10-09 20:35:50 UTC ]
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As we move into the fall reading season, deeply imagined short stories and inventive linked essays are having a moment alongside novels. What’s thrilling about the books coming out from small presses is the breadth of range—there are intentional and accidental murders, family drama and... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-09-26 11:15:00 UTC ]
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