Mike Stoner couldn’t find a publisher for his story of an expat’s dark days in Indonesia – until he looked eastAs soon as I read Mike Stoner’s self-published novel, Jalan Jalan, I had a feeling that it ought to be able to find a commercial publisher. The book was the last winner of the Guardian’s self-published book of the month, which picked seven books from open submissions between June and December 2014 and reviewed them on the site. I followed the series from the start, but Jalan Jalan was the first entry to really catch my attention. The tale follows a heartbroken young Brit through Indonesia, where he finds himself embroiled in a murky world at the bottom of the expat barrel after accepting a teaching job at a dodgy language school after a five-minute telephone interview.Josh Lacey called it an “involving tale of self-transformation, and a welcome blast of heat and spice”. It’s all that and more; a curious blend of Alex Garland and Nick Hornby with a ghost thrown in for good measure. It has some memorable drug- and alcohol-fuelled set pieces, lots of very funny dialogue, and lashings of tropical atmosphere. But it also has a more complex, moving and rather magical core. The protagonist – whose name is not revealed until the final chapter – is haunted by memories of his dead girlfriend, and as the book progresses it becomes clear that there is more going on here than mere misadventure in a foreign land. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2016-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Collaboration between libraries and publishers in the only way forwards, panellists argued at The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook has sent unprecedented levels of traffic to publishers across the internet in recent months, a dramatic and unexpected increase affecting a large range of sites serving a wide variety of content. According to data from the BuzzFeed Networ ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tribune Co. chief executive officer Peter Liguori tells employees that “we have decided to unify the non-editorial functions of our publishing businesses,” but “creating these critical efficiencies and ensuring the ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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No one expected publishing companies’ digital revenue to catch up to print overnight, but what does it say when that revenue stream at The New York Times Co., Tribune Co. and Time Inc. is already declining? All said so in their most rec ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Macmillan Children’s Books is creating two new publishing divisions—Macmillan Under... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Germany, where fixed price laws demand a level playing field, Amazon's KDP gave its self-published authors an edge when it came to ebooks. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With one of Slovenia's two major publishing conglomerates up for auction, the industry fears the worst; readers, meanwhile, have rallied around a surprise bestseller. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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He hates making mistakes, but he's made an awful lot in his memoir. Luckily it's a venerable customIs there a special bad elf that creeps out in the pre-Christmas period to wreak havoc with would-be bestsellers? Novelist Helen Fielding and actor David Jason might be forgiven for thinking so,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2013-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A judge on Thursday rejected a request to remove Robert J. Hall from his post as publisher of the company that owns the (Philadelphia) Daily News, Inquirer and Philly.com. Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Patricia McInerney is still consideri ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For the past few years, newspaper publishers have prowled their buildings, asking why, and getting some amazing answers. Institutional knowledge is wonderful, but institutional resistance is intolerable. We must invoke a brilliant strategy to conquer ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The print book business in Latin America remains dominant, but digital is rising. Are there lessons to be learned from the music business? Several Argentine music pros weigh in. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New York Yankees superstar shortstop Derek Jeter is joining with S&S to launch Jeter Publishing, an elaborate co-publishing partnership that will release picture books, middle-grade fiction, adult nonfiction, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon and Schuster Children’s Books is to publish a book based on internet sensation The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers have defended their record as employers after claims that book industry employees are... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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By using images in tweets, publications like The Atlantic, Grantland, Slate and Wired are turning tweets into the kind of story previews readers already see on Facebook, the front page of a newspaper or in the contents section of a magazine.The post Publishers Get Traffic Boost From Twitter... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2013-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Macmillan has acquired five self-published and two unpublished novels by bestselling ebook... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At Berlin's E:PUBLISH conference last week, one felt German publishing had finally fully embraced digital as a means of helping the industry and literature thrive. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lesley Martin chats with WIRED about the busy fall season of photobook fairs and events, jurying, desert island photobooks, self-publishing, presages, Rob Hornstra, Japanese design, and her favorite paper. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2013-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Like mapmakers, we tend to put where we reside at the center of the world. It's natural: for most publishers it's the trade closer to home that's the lifeblood of your business. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Daphne Durham, who is stepping into the role of publisher for Amazon’s adult trade and children’s imprints as Larry Kirshbaum departs, said the company is “delighted” with the sales performance of the unit’s titles to date. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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