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 ]
Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 14/09/2011 - 09:25 Hodder has bought a book by the comedian Miranda Hart, looking at "the unexpected pitfalls and horrors of growing up". Publisher Hannah Black bought world rights in a deal with Gordon Wise at Curtis Brown. Is it Just Me? will... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 09/09/2011 - 09:30 Waterstone's is to launch its own e-reader in 2012 inspired by Barnes & Noble's Nook device. Waterstone's m.d. James Daunt has spoken to BBC Radio 4's "You & Yours" programme, on the edition to be broadcast today at 12... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The bookstore chain landscape has undergone seismic shifts over the past 20 years and will enter the fall with approximately 1,100 fewer stores than dotted the country in 1991. Just as it is today, Barnes & Noble was the country's largest bookstore chain 20 years ago, closely trailed by... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Tue, 26/07/2011 - 09:14 Amazon has followed digital manufacturer Kobo and retailer Branes & Noble in complying with Apple's app purchasing rules. The retailer removed the "shop button that sent consumers to its site to buy ebooks on Monday... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In an attempt to be everywhere readers are, Barnes & Noble is updating its NOOK for iPad app to offer digital periodicals to consumers. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Wed, 22/06/2011 - 10:10 Publishers will play a bigger and more complicated role, but only if the link between the author and reader is "reconfigured", was among the conclusions from a panel of chief executives at Publishers Launch London. John... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble on Tuesday said it sold three times as many digital books through its website compared to physical books during the fourth fiscal quarter. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2011-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble's newest Nook has fewer features than its predecessor, as well as many other rivals. That's great, says Consumer Reports, which has crowned the new $139 device its favorite ebook reader. It's the first time the magazine has put an e-reader made by anyone other than Amazon at... Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble and Kobo are getting into the e-reader game with a new breed of touchscreen ebook readers, set for release in June Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2011-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 25/05/2011 - 09:23 Amazon.com has created a 3G version of its cheapest Kindle after it become the companys bestselling e-reader. The internet retailing giant announced that it was selling Kindle 3G with Special Offers in "response to customer... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Liberty Media Corp. executives laid out their rationale for their surprise bid for Barnes & Noble Inc., touting the potential of the bookseller's Nook e-reader and the vast network of retail stores it can use to promote it. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Inc. is expected to debut a new e-reader on Tuesday, marking the latest chapter in the bookseller's battle with Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. to dominate the fast-growing digital book sales business. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Fri, 20/05/2011 - 10:11 US bookseller Barnes & Noble has received an offer for the company from Liberty Media, a private investment group. The deal values the business at about $1bn, but Liberty said it expected to spend $500m on the acquisition... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Inc. said that Liberty Media Corp. has offered to buy the bookseller in a deal valuing it at about $1 billion. Barnes & Noble shares were up 20 percent in after-hours trading Thursday on the news, matching the $17-a-share offer price from John Malone's media empire. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Inc. said that Liberty Media Corp. has offered to buy the bookseller in a deal valuing it at about $1 billion. Barnes & Noble shares were up 20 percent in after-hours trading Thursday on the news, matching the $17-a-share offer price from John Malone's media empire. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Inc. is expected to debut a new e-reader on Tuesday, marking the latest chapter in the bookseller's battle with Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. to dominate the fast-growing digital book sales business. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble is giving publishers another option to distribute digital periodicals, announcing Friday that its 140 newsstand brands will be available to Android-powered tablet devices. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Tue, 10/05/2011 - 15:49 Waterstone's could soon bring e-reading front of store in its physical bookshops in a manner similar to Barnes & Noble with its Nook in the US, according to e-commerce manager Alex Ingrams. Speaking to delegates at the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Inc. will unveil a new electronic book reader later this month, the bookseller told analysts and investors on Wednesday, according to a federal filing released after the close of trading. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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All of those Amazon Kindle sales -- and, presumably, sales of competitive ebook readers from Barnes & Noble and Apple -- have made an impact at publisher Simon & Schuster. The CBS unit says Q1 digital sales doubled over the previous year, and now represent 18 percent of the company's the... Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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