Man Booker prize judge Colin Thubron has complained this week that star endorsements bully readers into admiring books, but it’s long been standard practiceSetting cats among pigeons has long been an unofficial part of the contract for judges of the Booker prize. Remember Chris Mullin’s insistence on “zip–along” novels, or, way back in 1992, AN Wilson’s condemnation of the prize itself as “essentially trivial”? This year’s flurry of fur and feathers was provoked by a tirade from Colin Thubron on celebrity endorsements. Some blurbs, said the veteran travel writer, “almost blackmail” readers into feeling that “you’re either intellectually or morally incompetent if you don’t love this book or you’ve failed if you haven’t understood it”. Some people, he felt, “seem to earn their living … saying: ‘This is the most profound book of our generation.’”Starting our Iris Murdoch bookclub with this '69 @PenguinUKBooks edition - you don't find blurbs like this any more! pic.twitter.com/P2XUvgtKAM Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2017-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Shanghai Children's Book Fair opens this week with a global roster of speakers; Penguin Random House rolls out a plan to help employees pay off student loans. The post International Industry Notes: Young Readers in China; Young Publishers in the US appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Last month, Apple unveiled new MacBook Pro laptops. While the machines were undoubtedly great, their prices were very high -- even for Apple. Despite the cost, they are apparently flying off virtual shelves, as shipping dates are now in late December. In other words, price be damned, people will... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2016-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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"Designed by Apple in California" is a new book that commemorates 20 years of Apple design. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2016-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An algorithm has been built to predict a book’s genre by its cover. Sadly for online booksellers, it doesn’t do a very good jobBack in September, a report suggested that robots will have eliminated 6% of jobs in the US by 2021. Fortunately for book designers, it doesn’t look as if androids are... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Could software someday design book covers that could be judged—correctly—by human readers? Research in Japan says...it depends. The post Machine Learning: Can a Computer Judge a Book By Its Cover? appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's part of a collaboration between Emma Watson's feminist book group, Our Shared Shelf, and Books on the Underground, which leaves books all over the London subway system for riders to enjoy. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The UK will be the Country of Honour at Russia’s International Book Fair at the end of November. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Folio Society took home three British Book Design & Production Awards last night, including the ceremony’s top award, with a string of smaller and niche operations also lauded for their bold approaches to publishing. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Results in the July-September period improve after a disappointing start to 2016. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that lending of ebooks and physical books should be treated the same. Publishers immediately objected to the decision, fearing unrestricted ebook lending would cut into revenues. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The largest Spanish-language book fair in the world has become a place where thought leaders, artists, educators, and scientists gather to share information that impacts the publishing industry. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), which runs November 2-12, drew 1.35 million visitors in its first week, a record turnout according to fair officials. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Adrienne Sharp sells her latest to Ecco, Tor Teen preempts a debut fantasy series, Monica McCarty gets six figures from Berkley, and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'A significant book fair doesn't seem to have been able to come into being in Central and Eastern Europe" says Hungary's Zsuzsanna Szabó. The post Frankfurt, Krakow and Conrad: A Hungarian Perspective on Book Fairs appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On Bainbridge Island, located in Puget Sound just a short ferry ride from Seattle, Alison Webb is gearing up for the holiday season at Eagle Harbor Book Co., where she is children's book buyer and gift buyer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In its annual review of Germany’s entertainment media sector, PriceWaterhouseCooper predicts stable revenue from the German book market through 2020. The post PWC Sees Stable Future for German Book Market appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A children’s book about the National Theatre has been announced as the overall winner of the School Library Association (SLA)’s Information Book Award 2016. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 12.9% gain in the quarter at HBG USA excludes results from the Perseus publishing group, which Hachette bought in March. HBG CEO Michael Piestsch said the purchase had a "sizable" and "positive" impact on the house's top line. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After the Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series, local house Triumph Books went to work crashing two commemorative books on the victory. The house also has three more Cubs books releasing in spring 2017. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Publisher’s Publicity Circle (PPC) is launching its first mentorship scheme for junior publicists at the beginning of 2017. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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