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 ]
Jack Covert, founder of the business book bookseller and distributor Porchlight Book Company (originally known as 800-CEO READ), died on August 13. He was 77. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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David Whitaker, a former editor of The Bookseller, has died. Whitaker died peacefully in his sleep overnight on 4th August, his widow Maggie Van Reenan has confirmed. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-05 11:21:27 UTC ]
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UCLan Publishing has acquired the “funny and heart-warming” first teen novel from author and bookseller Katie Clapham. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-01 09:31:26 UTC ]
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The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) has appointed author Elly Griffiths to the role of booksellers champion, as National Crime Reading Month begins across the UK. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-06 06:52:44 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House and Waterstones say they have returned to “business as usual” following a dispute that saw the bookseller limit the visibility of PRH titles in its stores. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-04 12:14:36 UTC ]
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I have known plenty of failure in my writing life. Inspired partly by Henry David Thoreau, I set out to be a writer after college. Which effectively meant that I worked part-time as a carpenter and bookseller for the next dozen years without publishing a word. My current day job is as a teacher... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-06-04 08:49:40 UTC ]
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What is the International Literature Showcase?The International Literature Showcase is a partnership between the National Centre for Writing and British Council. It aims to showcase amazing writers based in the UK to programmers, publishers and teachers of literature in English around the world.... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2021-06-03 11:39:08 UTC ]
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Mya-Rose Craig is a Bristol-based ornithologist who has been blogging about birds as Birdgirl since she was 11. She first gained fame after being featured on the 2010 BBC Four documentary “Twitchers: A Very British Obsession”, and has appeared on “Springwatch”, “Countryfile” and “The One... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-28 04:43:18 UTC ]
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Cairo publisher and bookseller Ahmed Rashad on how the pandemic makes the digital transformation more urgent than ever. The post In Egypt, Publishers Are Moving to E-Commerce appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-27 14:54:26 UTC ]
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Finished before his death in December, le Carré gave his blessing to publish the novel, which follows a bookseller who becomes embroiled in a spy leakSilverview, a final full-length novel by John le Carré, in which the late author delves into “the soul of the modern Secret Intelligence Service”,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-05-19 13:00:09 UTC ]
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Shola von Reinhold wins the award for small publishing houses with their novel LOTE, but financial reward split among 10 publishersThe Scottish author Shola von Reinhold has won the Republic of Consciousness prize for small presses for their “dazzling” queer debut novel LOTE. But the £20,000... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-05-19 12:17:35 UTC ]
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Writer Kirstin Innes talks to The Bookseller about some of the most exciting and experimental Scottish female voices being published today. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-15 00:01:08 UTC ]
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Mark Chandler, previously senior reporter on The Bookseller, has been promoted to the position of news editor, effective from today (Friday 7th May). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-07 22:17:08 UTC ]
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Simon Heffer’s encyclopedic book about Victorian and Edwardian England offers a fascinating perspective on the present. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-05-05 06:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing director of Gallery UK, Holly Harris talks to The Bookseller about Simon and Schuster's new commercial non-fiction imprint. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-30 14:53:56 UTC ]
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A bookseller talks about the surprising rewards of discussing books virtually with kids. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-30 12:00:00 UTC ]
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The Ontario-based publisher and independent bookstore has soft-launched a series of chapbooks by booksellers, for booksellers, aimed at sparking discussion and debate about important issues in the trade. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The fledgling indie publisher organization, founded in 2016, has emerged from the crucible of the Covid-19 pandemic as an invaluable resource to small presses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales and marketing director Julie Atkins of outdoor sports publisher Vertebrate talks to The Bookseller about their first carbon negative book. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-15 22:42:47 UTC ]
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“The Bookseller of Florence,” by Ross King, tells the history of Renaissance bookmaking through the story of Vespasiano da Bisticci, who rose from humble roots to dominate the trade. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-04-13 09:00:07 UTC ]
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