Diary of a small town sensation: how the Wimpy Kid author built his dream bookshop

Growing up, Jeff Kinney discovered Tolkien, comics and computers at his local bookshop. When it closed he was bereft – would opening his own as an adult help to right that wrong?Author Jacqueline Woodson recently spoke about books being either mirrors or windows. Mirrors for seeing ourselves, and windows for seeing into other worlds. Growing up, I enjoyed both types of books, from the realistic contemporary fiction of Judy Blume to the epic fantasy of JRR Tolkien. I had access to books by these and every author in between courtesy of a bookstore a short drive from my house. I didn’t understand my privilege then, but I’ve come to understand it better over time.In the short time that it was open, I developed interests that would shape my career. I grew up at the advent of personal computing, and the books I read helped me along a path to becoming a programmer. I also developed a deep appreciation for comics, thanks to an expansive humour section at the bookstore. Those comic collections helped to prepare me for my dream career as a cartoonist. Had we not had a bookstore nearby during my formative years, I would have grown up to be a completely different person.We’ve had several romances develop from first dates in the cafe, and one couple is getting married this autumn Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-10-05 09:00:40 UTC ]
News tagged with: #local bookshop #judy blume #epic fantasy #formative years #bookstore

Other news stories related to: "Diary of a small town sensation: how the Wimpy Kid author built his dream bookshop"

Bulk of Wesley Owen bookshops to close

Wesley Owen has announced it may close all but one of its chain of Christian bookshops, saying... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Gantos, Raschka, Whaley Take Home Top Kids’ Prizes

Last Monday, the American Library Association announced its annual Youth Media Awards at its Midwinter conference, held this year in Dallas. The 2012 John Newbery Medal went to author Jack Gantos for Dead End in Norvelt (FSG), a semiautobiographical story set in the town of Norvelt, Pa. The... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #printz award #midwinter conference

Apple’s iBooks Author app attracts publishers

Independent publishers have welcomed the launch of Apple’s iBooks Author self-publishing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #independent publishers

App Development Strategies for Small to Medium-Sized Publishers

Keeping pace with the dramatic changes on the smartphone and tablet front is no small feat for any publisher, but doing so presents a particular challenge for smaller companies without a safety net of funds for experimentation with platforms that are at once in their infancy and yet increasingly... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2012-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #safety net #keeping pace #medium-sized publishers #small feat

Waterstones to open Russian "bookshop"

Waterstones is to open a Russian-language "bookshop" within its flagship London... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Apple's iBooks Author EULA is more and less evil than you think

There's a strange concept in marketing that no publicity is really bad. If people talk about you, it broadly raises brand awareness. People eventually forget the bad news but not the brand. Who remembers last year's furor over Apple's onerous publisher subscription terms? That's the eventual... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2012-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #ibooks author #publish ebooks #people talk #bad news

Four Open Questions About iBooks Author

Apple can improve education and empower authors to create ever-better digital books without limiting customers. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #digital books #ibooks author #open questions

Ammo Books: Publishing in Small, Medium, and Large

For an indie publisher to launch its first line with a $300 art book takes guts and vision, but that’s what Ammo Books’ founders Paul Norton and Steve Crist did in 2006 when they published 3,000 copies of Gonzo by Hunter S. Thompson and sold out in less than a year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #steve crist #indie publisher

Quick Look: iBooks Author

Apple’s iPad has fairly quickly become a great tool for the workplace and in education and the company’s latest bid to revolutionize the market is with ebooks. Ebooks themselves are nothing new, but the existence of touchscreen devices such as the iPad means that the opportunities available to... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2012-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #photo galleries #touchscreen devices #latest bid #great tool #ibooks author

iBooks Author Offers Free E-Textbook Creation

iBooks Author is a free Mac app designed to let authors and publishers easily create multimedia-rich e-textbooks for the iBooks 2 app. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #ibooks author

Apple reveals education trifecta: iBooks 2, iBooks Author, and iTunes U

At a private event at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City on Thursday, Apple unveiled its multi-pronged approach for cracking the higher education market with iBooks 2, iBooks Author, and iTunes U. The result is an environment for creating, distributing, and consuming learning materials that... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2012-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #guggenheim museum #ibooks author #apple unveiled

BA asks local authorities for tax cuts

The Booksellers Association has pledged to write to the chief executives of all 390 local... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #chief executives #booksellers association

Short story 'newspaper' hits bookshops

The team behind the successful book Change the World for a Fiver has launched a free newspaper... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #short story

Turning Up the Volume on Author Podcasts

The emergence of author podcasts as a viable and entertaining marketing tool is apparent in the success of three such efforts originating from literary Web sites on the West Coast: Brad Listi’s the Nervous Breakdown, Tom Lutz’s Los Angeles Review of Books, and Tyson Cornell’s company Rare Bird... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #bring attention #west coast

Random House Group UK to tout authors as speakers

Random House is diversifying into author management with the launch of an international speakers... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #random house

Media Decoder: Author Found on Penguin's Web Site Signs Book Deal

An imprint of Penguin Group USA discovered Kerry Schafer after she posted samples on Bookcountry.com, a site that lets writers share their work. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #media decoder

Search for Britain's best indie bookshop begins

The first category of this year's Bookseller Industry Awards opens next week, with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Search for Britain's best independent bookshop begins

The first category of this year's Bookseller Industry Awards opens next week, with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

"Goodnight iPad" Is the Perfect Book for the Kid Who Has Everything That Beeps

The parody of the classic children's book "Goodnight Moon," which got a hilarious analog update for the digital generation is a holiday hit. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-12-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #goodnight moon #classic children #goodnight ipad #perfect book