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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Why must writers from Africa always bear the burden of representing their continent? They should be granted artistic freedom, as other authors areAfrican literature, as it’s called, is enjoying a bit of a moment, with the western media regularly heralding splashes, rebirths, dawns. When I... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Our July 2015 selection from BlueInk Review, a service which reviews self-published books, focuses on a variety of nonfiction titles. The post July 2015: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With her prizewinning debut, Claire Fuller could be following in the footsteps of Ian Rankin and Hilary Mantel who found success with their later work – but only with the support of her publisherAs one of the judges for the Desmond Elliott prize for best debut novelist this year, I couldn’t help... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The president will get to appoint a new librarian of Congress, the first in the digital information age. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Profile m.d. Andrew Franklin has defended UK trade publishers against criticism that they are not producing good non-fiction books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Contrary to Sam Leith’s complaints last week, commercial publishers continue to take risks, and put out great and original workIn his article last week, Sam Leith deplored the state of mainstream trade publishing, saying it was “getting dumber by the day”, in contrast to the university presses... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Lucy Beresford is launching an initiative to create a library at one of the London shelters for domestic violence charity Refuge. Beresford said: “I'm launching an initiative called Refuge for Books, asking all my friends in the publishing world to send me a copy of a book for Refuge.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Police and prosecutors in New Jersey are asking people to please not buy a cellphone case that looks like a gun. "It's a terrible idea, and it's very dangerous," New Jersey state police said on Facebook. "We strongly recommend that you do not use this product. "Officers do not have the luxury of... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tony Uphoff, CEO of Business.com, has more than 20 years of experience leading and transforming b-to-b publishing companies.Before joining Business.com in 2013, he was CEO of tech publisher UBM TechWeb, where he led the company's transformation from a $125 million print-centric business to a... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2015-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pinterest is a visual discovery tool focused on the future, making it ideal for publishers, the company’s marketing manager Zoe Pearson told delegates at today's Bookseller Marketing and Publicity Conference. “There are a lot of common misconceptions about what Pinterest is. We’re not a social... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Josh Brody, CEO of Pronoun (ex-Vook), outlines his company's aims in refashioning itself as an author-first digital publishing and distribution platform. The post Changing the Perception of Self-Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors must “take up the challenge” to excel at social media, building communities around their work, while publishers must build “meaningful digital experiences powered by social media, data and technology”, Harkable co-founder Will Francis has told The Bookseller’s Marketing and Publicity... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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28 UK authors will be setting up shop at the the Guadalajara Book Fair, this November 28-December 6, as part of Britain's 'guest nation' literary program. The post UK Sends Young Authors to 2015 Guadalajara Book Fair appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors are not used enough in marketing and publicity by publishers, writer Liz Fenwick has claimed. Speaking at The Bookseller's Marketing and Publicity conference Fenwick, who is published by Orion, said that she thought in general publishers did not speak enough to authors, or on a regular... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing needs to start thinking like a start-up, Faber and Faber's consumer marketing director Matt Haslum has said. Speaking at The Bookseller's Marketing and Publicity Conference today (30th June) during a session on the consumer relationship, Haslum said that to create passionate fans... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orchard Books has acquired The Ethan I Was Before, the middle-grade debut about friendship and grief, from debut author Ali Standish. Jessica Clarke, editorial director at Orchard Books, brokered a five-figure two-book deal with Polly Nolan at the Greenhouse Literary Agency, acquiring UK... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The University of Texas Press is releasing in paperback Sean Wilsey's collection of essays ruminating upon regional peculiarities, 'More Curious.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The venerable Berkshire Eagle of Pittsfield, founded in the 1890s and winner of the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing, recently published a racist column by a “conservative activist” named Steven Nikitas. After outraged re ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The backlist of Patrick Süskind’s titles, the internationally acclaimed bestseller Perfume and its follow-up The Pigeon, have been made available in ebook for the first time from today by publisher Hamish Hamilton. Simon Prosser, publishing director of Hamish Hamilton said: "We could not be... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kyowon (Korean for “teacher group”) was founded in 1985 and is one of the biggest publishing companies in Korea. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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