A keen business mind and real commitment to the publishing industry are vital for a job that is all about selling – shy and retiring types need not apply Gordon Wise has been a literary agent at Curtis Brown for 10 years, and has a wide range of clients, from celebrities like Miranda Hart to novelists such as Armistead Maupin. He is also vice-president of the Association of Authors’ Agents. But becoming an agent wasn’t part of his original career plan and he reached this point via a varied and winding path through the world of books.Wise studied History and English at Edinburgh university, both, he says, “heavy reading” subjects. But his real introduction to books as business came when, as an undergraduate, he won a place on a scholarship programme at the University of Pennsylvania. “I was allowed to work under my visa and I got a part-time job as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble, which had a big downtown bookstore,” he says. The job gave him an insight into publishing and sparked a vocation that would lead him to his current career. “What I enjoyed about publishing was that it is the place where business and creativity meet; you would be working with these wonderfully creative people – the writers – but trying to turn what they have created into something of commercial value.”If you are made an offer straight away, ask for a better offer. If you don't ask, you will never know Related: Small publishers are benefiting from changes in the industry Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2015-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
Barnes & Noble may have saved most of the limelight today for in-app purchasing on Nook hardware, but it's not leaving other platforms by the wayside. Its Nook 3.4 update for iOS focuses heavily on visuals, with new support for both Nook Comics as well as "HD" magazines on Retina... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble is facing its most tumultuous period since Len Riggio began building the retailer some 40 years ago. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble isn¿t near dead, but a lot of writers are lining up to lament its passing. Barnes & Noble isn’t near dead, but a lot of writers are lining up to lament its passing. They say the chain’s demise would be a blow to books, especially in suburban America. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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America's last major book store chain is shuttering locations as it tries to evolve for a digital future. Is this simply a tough transition, or the beginning of the end? Continue reading at The Atlantic
[ The Atlantic | 2013-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble has said it is "fully committed to the retail concept" and has made... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hodder & Stoughton has acquired a new book by comedian Miranda Hart, following the success of... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers often want to work closely with ebook outlets -- possibly a little too closely -- but it's rare that they involve themselves directly. Pearson is taking that uncommon step by making a 5 percent, $89.5 million investment in Nook Media, the joint venture between Barnes & Noble and... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-12-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing and education company Pearson PLC agreed to invest $89.5 million for a 5 percent stake in Barnes & Noble Inc.'s digital-business unit, Nook Media LLC. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2012-12-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookstore chain Barnes & Noble said Friday its holiday sales look disappointing and that publisher Pearson Plc took a 5% stake in its Nook e-reader business. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-12-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sure, it's probably not going to convince you to pick up a new device if you weren't already in the market for one, but that's not really the point, right? Barnes & Noble's kicking off the season of giving with its "Buy a Nook, We'll Give a Book" promotion, which finds the company donating a... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble’s second-quarter financial performance had both good news and bad news. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-12-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Welcome to the Engadget holiday gift guide! Picking presents for friends and loved ones is never a simple task, and with thousands of options for each category, buying technology can be an especially frustrating experience. We're here to help. Below you'll find today's bevy of curated picks, and... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble has grown Nook digital content sales by 38% year-on-year in its second quarter... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a move that could provide a boost to the small but growing digital comic book business, DC Comics has signed deals to sell comics through online stores owned by Apple, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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First Barnes & Noble, then Indigo Books and Music and Books-A-Million – now some indie bookstores are choosing not to add Amazon-published titles to their bookshelves. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble has launched its Nook advertising push with the slogan “Amazing in bed... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New York-based startup Tinypass, which helps small publishers and content creators charge for content online through existing platforms like Google, is rolling out metered content options to all of its clients. Tinypass, which signed up its first f ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble's arrival in the UK has been so well-telegraphed, you might be surprised to learn that today's the day the units actually launch. You'll be able to pick up a Nook Simple Touch or awkwardly-titled Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight from retailers such as John Lewis, Sainsbury's... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble's Nook e-readers, the Nook Simple Touch and Nook Simple Touch GlowLight,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At the Frankfurt Book Fair this year, representatives from a number of indie publishers demonstrated the impact they are having on the industry as a whole. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-10-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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