'It’s been a rollercoaster': how indie publishers survived - and thrived - in 2020

When lockdown came in March, many small presses feared they would go out of business. But then came an outpouring of support from the publicThe best books from indie publishers in 2020Six months ago, independent publishers Jacaranda and Knights Of were warning publicly that their income had fallen to almost zero. They weren’t the only small publishers struggling. With bookshops and distributors closing, a survey from the Bookseller at the time found that almost 60% of small publishers feared closure by the autumn. No bookshops meant no knowledgeable, passionate booksellers pressing new books they loved on to customers; no events and no travel meant that crucial avenues for introducing new writers had disappeared.The stars had been looking very happily aligned for Oneworld in March. The independent publisher had three of its biggest books scheduled for the month – a novel from Women’s prize winner Tayari Jones, Silver Sparrow; a new thriller from the bestselling crime author Will Dean, Black River; and Damien Love’s novel for older children, Monstrous Devices. It had printed point-of-sale materials, invested in marketing, advertising, printing.With the resurgence of Black Lives Matter came attention to our fiction list, with nearly every title selling out in June Related: The best books of 2020 to support indie publishers this Christmas Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-12-16 08:00:30 UTC ]

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On Capitol Hill, an anonymous bookseller called out Amazon.

If you tuned into yesterday’s historic House Judiciary Subcommittee antitrust hearing, during which the top executives of some of the world’s largest tech companies tried convincing politicians that they weren’t monopolies, you may have heard a bookseller chime in during Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-30 19:54:55 UTC ]
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Cape scoops 'exceptional' Hamya debut

Jonathan Cape has scooped an “exceptional” debut novel from journalist and former Waterstones bookseller Jo Hamya. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-21 17:27:41 UTC ]
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An author bought his own book to get higher on bestseller lists. Is that fair?

Author Mark Dawson has attracted criticism after bulk buying his own book gave him a high chart position. But that isn’t breaking any rulesFor any author, being able to describe yourself as a bona fide bestseller is key to conferring your career with a certain gravitas – and will often bring you... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-07-20 15:59:35 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: July 20, 2020

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s ‘Mexican Gothic’ lands on our fiction list, while her protagonist vies for a spot on the best dressed list. Plus Renée Abdieh enjoys her place in the sun with ‘The Damned,’ and the Disney Plus debut of ‘Hamilton’ gives related books another shot. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-07-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Regroups and Looks Ahead

After the shutdown, layoffs, and a major redesign, the bookseller is reopening its stores in an uncertain book market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-07-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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My Job in Five: Dhara Snowden

Dhara Snowden, senior commissioning editor at Rowman & Littlefield takes The Bookseller behind the scenes.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-14 01:03:02 UTC ]
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The Bookseller asks for trade views of social media

The Bookseller would like to capture the trade’s thoughts on social media and, in particular, "cancel culture" and its impacts on UK publishing, bookselling and writing. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-01 19:32:20 UTC ]
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One more week to book for Bookseller Marketing & Publicity Conference

Just one week remains until the Bookseller Marketing & Publicity Conference 2020, themed How We Work Now and tackling the challenges presented by our post-Covid world. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-26 00:05:47 UTC ]
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#AuthorFirst | Louise Candlish on The Other Passenger

This week, Louise Candlish is publishing her latest novel The Other Passenger, the first title in her latest two-book deal with Simon & Schuster UK. She spoke to The Bookseller on Twitter about her new book, her influences and her past successes. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-23 00:11:29 UTC ]
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Mark Wheeller's plays find new home at Salamander Street

Salamander Street, an independent publisher based in Bristol, has acquired the backlist of plays by Mark Wheeller.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-11 14:38:17 UTC ]
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Irish customers welcome reopened bookstores

"Eager" customers have "welcomed" the opening of bookstores in Ireland this week, The Bookseller has heard.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-10 05:57:23 UTC ]
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What It's Like to Be a Frontline Bookseller During a Pandemic

Frontline booksellers are the first people customers see when they set foot in bookstores across America, and are among the most vulnerable workers in the publishing industry. This is what their world looks like now. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-05 04:00:00 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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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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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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Stanley Johnson lands book deal to republish virus thriller

The Virus, first published in 1982, will be reissued this summer after the PM’s father shrugged off accusations of cashing in on the coronavirus crisisA long out-of-print novel about a deadly virus by Stanley Johnson, the father of UK prime minister Boris Johnson, is to be reissued this summer,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-11 14:45:10 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: May 11, 2020

Amid a global pandemic, thousands of people are reading... ‘The End of October,’ about a fictional pandemic. Plus ‘Good Morning America’ book club pick ‘Oona Out of Order’ cracks the fiction list, and the Hulu adaptation of ‘Normal People’ boosts paperback sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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