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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The portal will provide self-service, updated information for agents on authors, including confidential sales data, for all titles published by HBG. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At the Frankfurt Book Fair's Weltempfang stage, publishers from Nigeria, Syria, and the Ukraine discussed their experiences publishing in the midst of conflict. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mary Rasenberger, a lawyer and six-year Copyright Office and Library of Congress veteran, will take over as executive director of the Authors Guild on November 3. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Although it comes with a number of caveats, Bowker's newest report on the number of self-published titles rose again in 2013, increasing 16.5%, to 458,564. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yochi Dreazen, author of 'The Invisible Front: Love and Loss in an Era of Endless War' (Crown, ISBN 9780385347839), will appear on NPR’s 'Diane Rehm Show' on Thursday, October 9. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Canadian authors say the Hachette-Amazon fight is hurting U.S. sales, particularly for writers looking to break into the American market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wanda Brunstetter tops 8 million; publishers partner to provide resources to churches. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Copyright is "more important than it has ever been," but has the copyright debate been hijacked by anti-copyright forces, including those in the tech sector? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amid a flurry of seven-figure deals igniting this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair—many for books by first-time American authors—a short Spanish novel has generated buzz, and some hefty advances. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Midwest is home to many religion specialty publishers, across the full spectrum of faiths. Often publishing houses spring up because of the migration of certain ethnic and religious groups to the center of the country, but sometimes the reasons are more serendipitous. Minnesota, for example,... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Malaysian literary agent Linda Tan Lingard has formed an alliance of a half-dozen publishers to show off what the region’s writers have to offer at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If you had $10 million to invest in a new publishing business today, with no limitations or obligations, where would you put your money? That's the question put to an opening panel at Frankfurt Book Fair's digital conference, ConTec. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On the eve of the 2014 Frankfurt Book Fair, Ed Nawotka wonders if publishers, booksellers, and authors need to closely examine their relationships with each other. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomberg may be building its digital footprint, but it's still taking some design cues from print. The post Should publishers take Web design cues from print? appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2014-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Katha Pollitt, author of 'Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights' (Picador, 9780312620547), will appear on NPR’s 'Diane Rehm Show' on Wednesday, October 8. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When Dan Roth left Fortune for LinkedIn, the publishing world thought he was crazy. Now he holds publishing's most powerful editorial position. The post How Dan Roth became the most powerful editor in business publishing appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2014-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hardback titles by the likes of John Cleese and Jacqueline Wilson go on sale in race for Christmas bestseller listsTim Walker is expecting queues outside his familys bookshops in Oakham and Stamford on Thursday. Other booksellers up and down the country will be hoping for a similar rush of eager... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Authors Guild met with Justice Department officials to ask the agency to launch an investigation into Amazon, expressing concern that the retail giant might be violating antitrust law in its fight with Hachette over ebook terms. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The shape of publishing continues to shift, but academic presses still face the perennial questions: audience, sales, course adoptions, a shrinking library market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Among the challenges technology poses for publishing is the issue of how to handle globalization. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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