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 ]
Writers of short stories have said a great deal about relationships of various kinds, and although the novel may be the preferred form for teasing out the complexities and conflicts of a long-term relationship, the short-story form can also provide writers with enough space to pinpoint a... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2022-07-29 14:00:30 UTC ]
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Noir has long been obsessed with books—books as objects, as evidence, as repositories of the past, and occasionally as glimpses into other worlds of possibility. It’s no wonder, then, that booksellers often turn up in fiction, and especially in mystery. There’s something intoxicating about the... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2022-07-29 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Many people may have forgotten that before it became a tech and ecommerce behemoth, Amazon started as an online bookseller in 1994. Nearly three decades later, Amazon is celebrating the roots of its business with a major campaign for its books division. The goal of the campaign, titled "That... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2022-07-25 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Gail See, a Minneapolis-area bookseller for many years and a leader in Minnesota's literary community, who served as president of the ABA board from 1984-1986, has died at age 94. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In his grouchy, funny memoir, “A Factotum in the Book Trade,” Marius Kociejowski writes about what a good bookstore should feel like, famous customers he’s served and more. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-07-18 18:02:04 UTC ]
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Four writers and one bookseller gathered over Zoom to make a list devoted to fiction in which the city is more than mere setting. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-06-22 09:08:54 UTC ]
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Executive directors at regional bookseller associations across the country believe that conditions are right for big turnouts at their in-person fall shows. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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This New York City Children’s Theater adaptation of Maya Angelou’s celebrated memoir faces the challenge of faithfully telling a story that encompasses a great deal of pain. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-05-25 20:59:11 UTC ]
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The American Booksellers Association is launching a Virtual Children’s Institute on July 13; the daylong digital event includes online education sessions, bookseller idea exchanges, and keynote speeches. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-05-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In 1995, I left the Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle to teach English in Vietnam. Around that time, my friend and fellow bookseller Janet Brown traveled to Thailand to teach as well. There was no email then, and overseas phone calls were a luxury. So we wrote to one another, meditating on the... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2022-04-28 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble finally has a direct answer to Amazon's purchase of Audible. The bookseller has launched a B&N Audiobooks service in the US that lets you either buy recordings or pay $15 per month for a subscription that offers one recurring monthly credit. You'll have access to more than... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-04-07 16:21:47 UTC ]
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In which a bookseller appreciates the return of old rhythms from a pre-pandemic past. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-02-17 13:30:00 UTC ]
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A brief but happy update: The Bookseller has reported that Samir Mansour Bookshop, the largest bookstore in Gaza, will reopen next week after being destroyed by an Israeli airstrike last May. The reopening was made possible by a GoFundMe campaign led by human rights lawyers Mahvish Rukhsana and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-02-07 16:07:29 UTC ]
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More than 100 writers, artists, comedians and musicians will voice James Joyce’s seminal novel in celebration of its publication a century agoOne hundred years ago, in February 1922, Sylvia Beach, owner of the Paris bookshop Shakespeare and Company, published James Joyce’s Ulysses, in full, for... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-01-20 09:30:55 UTC ]
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Whether you're talking to a bookseller or watching a TikTok, you may be getting a rec from someone who hasn't read the book. And that's okay. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-01-05 11:37:00 UTC ]
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He was the longest-tenured bookseller in the history of New York’s most storied bookstore, and he perpetuated its bohemian character. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-12-30 23:42:37 UTC ]
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An interesting dispatch from prize world: as The Bookseller reported, a new international survey conducted by Nielsen Book shows publishers, writers, booksellers and media consider the Booker Prize the “most important” literary prize. The Booker’s status isn’t completely out of left field, but... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-12-23 20:28:47 UTC ]
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Rob Moss has announced he will be stepping down from his role as m.d. at online bookseller Wordery. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-21 12:03:25 UTC ]
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The Bookseller is inviting independent bookshops across the UK and Ireland to complete its annual Christmas trading survey. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-20 17:57:32 UTC ]
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Four in 10 of this year’s list of the book trade’s big cheeses are either new entries or 2021 first-timers, reflecting how the pandemic has reshaped publishing leadership. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-17 00:28:55 UTC ]
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