A charming French novel about an old-school publisher trying to get to grips with the digital ageAt more than one point in this novel I found myself asking: could this be any more French? Early on we meet a character described thus: “She used to be incredibly good-looking and now at thirtysomething she is creditably handsome.” Sorry? What the narrator, an ageing male publisher, looks like, or how creditably or uncreditably good-looking he is, we don’t find out. Another woman leaves the room “in a wiggle of buttock” – I dropped my annotating pencil when I read that line. “Artichokes require a degree of elegance” – there’s another drop of essence of Gallic for you.But there is more to Dear Reader, and what kept me going was that one of the subjects exercising our narrator is the issue of electronic readers – Kindles or, as our hero Robert Dubois has it, the “dear reader” of the title. This book is an elegy for a dying world: that of the printed book and, that death’s darker corollary, the reader who is still interested in, or has the attention span for, the long-form narrative. (I always thought these things were arranged better in France, with no Net Book Agreement and tax breaks for bookshops, but apparently not.) In the world of Dear Reader, there has been a general collapse of cultural understanding: the interns point out to Dubois the remarkable coincidence that the publishing house they have landed in has the same name as him. Meanwhile, Dubois cannot quite get to... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The British Sports Book Awards will have a headline sponsor for the first time this year, following a deal with luxury pen-maker Cross. Held on 3rd June at Lord's Cricket Ground, this year's awards will give out prizes for categories including autobiography of the year, biography of the year,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The upcoming book by Pratchett, who died recently, will reportedly be titled 'The Shepherd's Crown' and center on a familiar character. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Emily Morrow discusses how Scholastic's This is Teen online community has helped the company connect with a passionate community of YA readers online. The post Scholastic’s Emily Morrow on Community Building for YA Readers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michael Joseph has pulled a recipe book by health blogger and author Belle Gibson after she failed to give sufficient information in response to a series of claims levelled at her. Gibson’s The Whole Pantry, based on an app she created following a diagnosis of terminal brain cancer, was due to... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-books are being included in the Sainsbury’s Nectar Rewards Double Up promotion for the first time. The popular promotion sees customers able to double points on their Nectar reward cards at the same time as get “massive” discounts on ebooks from Wednesday (18th March) for a period of two... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Veteran comics creators including Paul Tobi and Steve Niles are on board for the debut of the new American Gothic Press line of comics this summer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sheila Barry of Canada's Groundwood Books, discusses the challenges of consistently publishing an engaging variety of books to children of all ages. The post Sheila Barry on Publishing Children’s Books That Matter appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With the abundance of comic book movies being made there’s bound to be backlash, but will it be Marvel or DC that pushes us over the edge? The post Who Will Make You Sick of Comic Book Movies, DC or Marvel? appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2015-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Booksellers Association has welcomed the launch of a “radical” review of the business rates system in the UK. The government revealed today (16th March) that the review had begun and would report back in time for the 2016 budget. "The time has come for a radical review of this important... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new award aims to honor children's books that feature "events and people that shaped the history of the U.S." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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#american history
Livres Canada Books facilitates networking and connections to help the international publishing community to discover the latest from the vibrant Canadian publishing market. The post Livres Canada Books: Your Convenient Connection to Canadian Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's a fact: even though printed books are not yet dead, there's an increasing number of people who are turning to ebooks to read their favorite book. Trajectory, a Marblehead-based company launched three years ago by two technology veterans, seeks to not only help publishers distribute their... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal
[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2015-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The UK Literacy Association (UKLA) is launching an award for digital ebooks and apps for children aged 6-8. The Digital Book Award, created in association with Booktrust and sponsored by the Open University, is open todigital products that use sounds and visuals to make a children’s experience... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new Scholastic report found that a whopping 91 percent of children ages 6 to 17 said, 'My favorite books are the ones that I have picked out myself.' The books children liked the most were those that made them laugh, that let them use their imagination, and that tell made-up stories. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week: Ayn Rand's connection to the 2008 financial collapse, America's youngest serial killer, and a modern retelling of "Madame Bovary." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Irish Arts Center in New York City will be handing out thousands of books by Irish writers to NYC residents on the holiday. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Book People is undergoing a company-wide restructure, with its Coventry site slated for possible closure. The mail order and e-commerce company has been undergoing an "intensive period of analysis" since venture capital company Endless LLP invested £10-20m in the business, and co-founder... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, set this year for March 13-15 at the St. Petersburg Coliseum, is already the oldest and largest event of its kind in the southeastern United States. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When it comes to catering to Millennials, Total BooX believes that eliminating the the friction in the traditional ebook purchasing process is key. The post Total BooX: Ebooks for the Way the 21st-Century Reader Reads appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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