Inspirational passion or paid-for promotion: can BookTok be taken on face value?

TikTok’s book reviewing community is here to stay, having even received publishing awards for innovation, but issues of authenticity and safety aboundBookTok, the nickname for TikTok videos in which books are discussed, analysed, cried about and turned into “aesthetic” moodboards, began as a small group of the app’s users who wanted a place to talk about books. It has since grown into a hugely influential community that has the power to pluck authors out of relative obscurity and propel them into the bestsellers charts.Earlier this month it was named FutureBook Person of the Year, an accolade which recognises digital innovation and excellence across the book trade. According to James Stafford, Head of Partnerships and Community at TikTok, BookTok is a community of “creative people around the world with a shared passion for literature”. Publishers, creators and writers have generally agreed that this corner of the platform has had an overwhelmingly positive effect, having led to huge increases in book sales and the discovery of new writers. The Bookseller even recently called it “the last safe place on the internet”. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2022-11-15 17:10:25 UTC ]

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‘No reader is too young to start’: anti-racist books for all children and teens

It’s never too early to learn that racism is wrong and we should be doing something about it. These books will help show our kids how, writes publisher and bookseller Aimée FeloneDo the work: Layla F Saad’s anti-racist reading list The weight of the world seems heavier than ever right now. The... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-06-04 07:00:00 UTC ]
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Blackwell’s staff have lost our shops - but we leave with heads held high

On the 1st of June, the day thousands of pupils returned to school as part of the government’s plan to end lockdown, I received a call from my manager. As a bookseller with Blackwell’s, I had been glad when we shut our doors in March to protect the health of our staff and customers. I imagined... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-04 02:42:56 UTC ]
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In Mexico, One Bookstore per 120,000 Inhabitants, by Elena Poniatowska

Pandemic Dispatches Elena Poniatowska In this column that originally appeared in La Jornada, Elena Poniatowska considers the role of editors and talks with Diego Rabasa, founder of publisher Sexto Piso. Already precarious, the pandemic lockdown has made... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2020-06-03 21:05:48 UTC ]
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In Mexico, One Bookstore per 120,000 Inhabitants, by Elena Poniatowska

Cultural Cross Sections Elena Poniatowska In this column that originally appeared in La Jornada, Elena Poniatowska considers the role of editors and talks with Diego Rabasa, founder of publisher Sexto Piso. Already precarious, the pandemic lockdown has... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2020-06-03 21:05:48 UTC ]
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Hachette donates £20k as trade supports Black Lives Matter

The book trade has been showing its support of the Black Lives Matter movement, speaking out across social media and making donations to relevant organisations, following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed by police in the US. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-01 06:44:29 UTC ]
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The Book Industry Charitable Foundation Has Never Been Busier Helping Bookstores

Last August, I wrote about the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, or “Binc,” a Michigan-based non-profit created to support booksellers who have fallen on hard times. If a bookseller winds up in the hospital or a bookstore has a flood, Binc can step in and pay their bills, no questions asked... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-29 08:48:18 UTC ]
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Trade 'baffled' by exclusion from Cultural Renewal Taskforce

The government has announced a Cultural Renewal Taskforce to help the creative sector bounce back from the coronavirus crisis—but book trade leaders have said they are "baffled" that no current representative of the industry has been appointed. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-21 02:08:11 UTC ]
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Confirmed: Audiobooks are the brightest place in publishing right now.

Remember March? You know, a million years ago? During the month in which most places in the US began to shut down and enforce social distancing, book sales, unsurprisingly, suffered, with one notable exception: audiobooks. The Association of American Publishers released its sales numbers for... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-19 17:45:32 UTC ]
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Andrew Sharp launches publishing consultancy

Andrew Sharp, former rights director at Hachette Children’s Group, is launching a new publishing consultancy, drawing on his 24 years' experience in the book trade. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-18 22:23:52 UTC ]
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Coronavirus has left small publishers desperately fighting for survival

A survey of indie presses shows that 60% fear they could be out of business by the autumn, writes Galley Beggar Press cofounder Sam JordisonOver the past few years, the success of independent publishers such as Fitzcarraldo, And Other Stories, Bluemooose and Influx Press has been something to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-15 06:00:32 UTC ]
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Majority of small publishers fear closure in wake of coronavirus

Survey shows 60% expect the impact of the pandemic may put them out of business, prompting calls for concerted helpMore than half of the UK’s small publishers fear they could be out of business by the autumn as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to research by the Bookseller, which... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-07 15:02:20 UTC ]
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The Bookseller to highlight books impacted by Covid-19

The Bookseller will begin this week to republish its May and June previews showcasing titles that have been rescheduled, as a result of the lockdown, as well as those that are still being published during those months.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-04 16:17:03 UTC ]
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The Bookseller and Spread the Word launch survey for small presses

The Bookseller and writer development charity Spread the Word have launched a survey of small independent presses to assess the financial pressures they are under as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-04 09:12:42 UTC ]
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5 Debut Novels to Listen To in Quarantine

With the coronavirus pandemic keeping us indoors, early numbers suggest a surge in book sales. Audio and eBooks in particular have seen a sudden rise. It has also been a tough time for bookstores. Independent bookstores have had to move online, many offering free shipping to compete with Amazon... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-28 08:48:50 UTC ]
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IPA calls on global government stimulus to help book trade

The International Publishers Association (IPA) has called on world governments to help the global book trade using economic stimulus packages during the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-23 11:28:36 UTC ]
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Amazon revealed as £250k donor to bookseller coronavirus fund

Amazon has been revealed as the mystery donor which pledged £250,000 to a fundraising drive to help booksellers impacted by the coronavirus crisis. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-23 04:37:57 UTC ]
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British Book Award chats kick off with Rónán Hession

The Bookseller is to launch a series of weekly Twitter conversations with the authors shortlisted for this year's British Book Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-22 18:15:25 UTC ]
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This indie bookseller will send you personalized recommendations from her stock of used books.

An hour’s drive away from my sleepy college town, there is a magical place. It is the place my friends and I would run away to whenever we were having a rough go of it, or quite frankly, whenever we just didn’t feel like going to class. (If any of my professors are reading this… […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-17 19:16:30 UTC ]
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Coronavirus Concerns Prompt Cost Cuts

The steady erosion of book sales is impacting all parts of publishing as the Covid-19 pandemic tightens its grip of the U.S. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Powell's Rehires Some Employees to Handle Online Orders

A surge in online sales at Powell's Books in Portland, Ore., has allowed the bookseller to rehire 49 previously laid off union employees, ILWU Local 5 has confirmed. They are now working alongside more than 50 people in management to fulfill orders. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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