Francophone African books are still very often published by French imprints, which can make them hard to get at home. But there is a growing push for changeWhen Cameroonian author Daniel Alain Nsegbe first saw his debut novel for sale in his home city of Douala, the price was so high “you would have to ask someone to stop eating for two days in order to buy the book”. It was around 16,000 CFA francs (£20); the average monthly salary in Douala is £150. The book, Ceux qui sortent dans la nuit (Those Who Go Out at Night) was published by Grasset, a French imprint.This is not uncommon: Francophone African authors, whether classic or contemporary, are often published by French, not African presses. This arrangement began in colonial times, but continues because of a number of factors that are particular to France. Publishers frequently push for world rights for all books written in French. Many African writers operate without agents, who would usually divide up rights territories on their behalf. Agents are still a new feature on the African literary landscape, meaning that many classics, such as 1953’s L’enfant noir (The African Child) by Guinean author Camara Laye, and Algerian writer Kateb Yacine’s 1956 novel Nedjma, are owned by publishers in France (Plon and Éditions du Seuil respectively). As French publishers continue to control distribution and pricing, classic authors go missing from bookshelves while contemporary authors struggle to get their books in the hands of... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-05-14 09:59:14 UTC ]
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Nicola Solomon, chief executive of the Society of Authors (pictured), and Orna Ross, founder of the Alliance of Independent Authors, are among more than 30 speakers lined up to speak to authors and publishers at The Bookseller’s first ever Author Day, launched as part of suite of events in the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fr. Michael Collins, author of 'Pope Francis: A Photographic Portrait of the People's Pope' (DK, 9781465439833), will appear on WNYW-TV FOX 5's 'Good Day, New York' on Friday, September 25. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michael Cairns has stepped down with immediate effect as c.e.o of Publishing Technology after news the company will make a loss in 2015. In a trading update, the company said Cairns has stepped down "after careful consideration", and has been replaced on an interim basis by chief technology... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The former publisher of Penguin India, Chiki Sarkar, has founded her own publishing company, Juggernaut. Sarkar left Penguin Random House India in April this year and Juggernaut’s first 25 titles will be released in April next year. The company will publish in physical and digital, but with an... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Helen Sun, CEO of Beijing Ingenta Digital Publishing Technology, shares her best practices for launching a joint venture publishing partnership in China. The post Best Practices for Launching a Publishing Joint Venture in China appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jackie Collins' Buddhist beliefs and Pope Francis's White House address are among the most-talked topics online today. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PageJump's Raymond Calbay explains step-by-step how the company applied new media UX design principles and research to develop its book, Abroad Me. The post Applying UX Principles in Traditional Book Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing Technology has announced that CEO Michael Cairns has stepped down, effective immediately after the Board projected a net loss for the year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lately, lots of traditional book authors have been writing comic books. What author do you wish would write a comic? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Here's our review of "Now That I'm a Ghost, I'm Gay," which---let's be real---is an amazing title. The post We Review the Self-Published ‘Now That I’m a Ghost, I’m Gay’ appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2015-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A sunny, blustery day gave Brooklyn a chance to show off its literary chops, with A-list panelists and celebs discussing the writing life and craft. The post At 10th Brooklyn Book Festival, Authors and Fans Share Literary Love appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Literary agent Carmen Balcells was a ground-breaking entrepreneur and much admired. Now the question is, after her death, where will her authors turn? The post Publishing Colleagues Share Their Admiration for Carmen Balcells appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mexico's publishing industry has great potential, but the lack of organized government is a persistent problem, argues Déborah Holtz of Trilce Ediciones. The post Mexico Needs a Government Policy to Promote Publishing, Reading appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent publisher Clairview Books is releasing a new booklet by Ben Okri based on a lecture he gave at the International School of Storytelling in Sussex. The Mystery Feast: Thoughts on Storytelling will be published on 14th October as a £3.99 paperback original and £2.99 ebook (available... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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"One of the reasons many of the greatest novels ever published are so long," writes Len Epp, "is that they were already hits while they were being written." Serials, writes Leanpub co-founder Epp, are the true approach to traditional publishing. Only in the last century, he contends, did we come... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple’s new iPhone tweak empowers users and marks an advertising watershedLast Wednesday Apple rolled out the latest version of its iOS operating system, and it came with a very nasty sting in the tail for newspapers, magazines and online publishers everywhere. A relatively small tweak means... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has a fledgling creative writing M.F.A., launched in summer 2013, that focuses exclusively on nonfiction and is the only program of its kind in Canada Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Black and Asian writers are “not allowed to be average”, author Sathnam Sanghera has said. Sanghera, author of the memoir The Boy with the Topknot (Penguin) and the novel Marriage Material (William Heinemann), was taking part in a debate hosted by Spread the Word, the writer development agency... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two Montreal companies—English-language publisher Baraka Books and French-language publisher Éditions de l’Homme—are launching new imprints to showcase Quebec’s writers in translation for the English-language market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This summer, two years after the merger of Penguin Canada and Random House of Canada was finalized in July 2013, more than 200 employees left the publishers’ longtime separate headquarters and moved into a new Front Street office in downtown Toronto. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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