How Fiction Doesn’t Work

It is no surprise to see aphorism alive and thriving in our current celebrity climate. The forgotten, it may be assumed, never said anything interesting, whereas choice words of the famous live forever at cocktail parties and in book reviews. To carry a portfolio of pithy quotations is to suggest you have a direct line to the minds of geniuses who came before. And it may even imply, whether or not you fulfill the promise, that you hold vast reserves of brilliance yourself. Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2013-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #choice words #cocktail parties #book reviews

Other Publishing stories related to: 'How Fiction Doesn’t Work'


S&S bags Lynda Bellingham in two-book fiction deal

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 28/10/2011 - 10:53 Actress and “Loose Women” co-presenter Lynda Bellingham has signed a two-book deal with Simon & Schuster to write commercial women's fiction. Publishing director Suzanne Baboneau signed the deal with Gordon Wise at Curtis... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #simon schuster #gordon wise #curtis brown


HC appoints Katrina Troy to head fiction

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 27/10/2011 - 08:15 HarperCollins has appointed Katrina Troy, currently head of commercial affairs for Vintage and Mainstream Publishing, as its commercial director for its fiction division. Troy will join in January 2012 and report to group... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #head fiction #mainstream publishing #commercial director #fiction division


Hearst Uses Marie Claire @Work to Grab Younger Audiences

Hearst Magazines is launching a supplement to Marie Claire magazine today in an attempt to drive interest and attract new and younger demographics of readers. The 72-page November supplement, entitled Marie Claire @Work, will roll out with 100,000 issues on newsstands. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hearst magazines


Publishers and booksellers to swap working days

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 20/10/2011 - 08:30 Publishers and booksellers will soon be able to swap a working day in the life of each other’s businesses in a new joint initiative soon to be launched by the Booksellers Association and the Publisher Association. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #booksellers association #joint initiative #publisher association


The Works plans major expansion

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 09/09/2011 - 08:45 Discount retailer The Works has said it hopes to expand its stores in the UK by nearly 150, as well as growing its e-commerce business with the sale of ebooks. The retailer has opened 43 new stores this year—bringing its total... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One in six children doesn't read a book a month

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 22/08/2011 - 15:18 One in six children do not read a single book per month, according to a new survey by the National Literacy Trust. The research suggested the United Kingdom is polarised between those who do not read and the one in 10 children... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rarely read #single book #research suggested #united kingdom


HarperPress to focus on non-fiction

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 28/07/2011 - 14:22 HarperPress will no longer publish fiction by the end of June 2012 with the publisher choosing to concentrate on non-fiction in the wake of Clare Smith's upcoming departure to Little, Brown. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #clare smith


Gollancz deal to put Encyclopedia of Science Fiction online

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 06/07/2011 - 09:19 The third edition of the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction is to be released online later this year by ESF Ltd, a new company set up by the contributors to the book, in association with Orion imprint Victor Gollancz. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #science fiction #company set


Dawn retains top spot but fiction sales slump on 2010

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 05/07/2011 - 16:04 Dawn French’s début novel, A Tiny Bit Marvellous (Penguin), retains its position at the summit of The Official UK Top 50 week-on-week, thanks to a promotional appearance on ITV’s “This Morning”, and a “£2.99 if you spend £10”... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wh smith


Writing young-adult fiction: Better than going to the prom.

Young-adult books are being sold to an audience that can't vote, yet they're being written by people commonly referred to on the Internet as "the olds." We should know. We're two of them. Both of us have made our living writing. One of us in journalism (Grady) and the other in literary fiction... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2011-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #young-adult books


Fiction Rules E-Books

Fiction is the leading sales driver of ebooks, and just how dominant that segment has been is clearly seen in a new market study just released by Bowker. According to "2010–2011 U.S. Book Consumer Demographics & Buying Behaviors Annual Review," fiction accounted for 61% of unit sales in 2010... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House dominates Fiction Uncovered list

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Thu, 19/05/2011 - 12:59 Three Random House Group titles have been picked for the first Fiction Uncovered promotion, which also includes two from indie Portobello. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC defends genre fiction coverage

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 20/04/2011 - 09:45 The BBC is broadcasting an item on “The Culture Show” about science fiction next month, in the wake of a row about the broadcaster’s approach to genre fiction. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #culture show #science fiction #genre fiction


Fiction Express seeks interaction from readers for digital series

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 15/04/2011 - 08:56 An e-fiction venture aimed at tweens and teenagers is being launched by packager Discovery Books in May. Called Fiction Express, it will invite teenagers to buy books in instalments and to vote to decide the direction of the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital series #buy books #released weekly


Angry Robot buys two fantasy fiction

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 07/04/2011 - 09:01 Angry Robot has made two fantasy fiction acquisitions, one a swashbuckling adventure and the other set in Elizabethan England. Both deals were signed by publishing director Marc Gascoigne for world English rights for physical,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fantasy fiction #swashbuckling adventure #elizabethan england #audio editions #zeno agency


Coronet to publish Tess Daly fiction

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 05/04/2011 - 16:11 Coronet will publish "Strictly Come Dancing" presenter Tess Daly's first sashay into fiction, having acquired The Camera Never Lies by the TV host. Editor Charlotte Haycock acquired British Commonwealth rights to the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tv host


Hothouse Fiction expands team

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Thu, 17/03/2011 - 15:51 Creative agency Hothouse Fiction is expanding its team to increase output and extend its international sales, especially into the US. Hothouse, which develops commercial series fiction for children aged five years and older,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #children aged #international sales #creative director #darley anderson #editorial consultant #managing editor


Hardback fiction added to UK's shopping basket

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 15/03/2011 - 14:47 Adult hardback fiction books have been added to the basket of goods that the government uses to calculate the cost of living in the UK. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jamie top, while Faulks boosts fiction

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 22/02/2011 - 16:01 Sales of Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s 30-minute Meals (Michael Joseph) fell 22% week-on-week, but its 39,118 sale in the seven days to 19th February is easily strong enough to ensure it spends another week (its 17th in total) at the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jamie scores double non-fiction number ones

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 15/02/2011 - 15:59 TV chef Jamie Oliver has achieved the rare feat of topping both the hardback and paperback non-fiction bestseller lists, helping publisher Penguin score number ones across all four of The Bookseller's main bestseller lists—the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #records began