'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 ]

Other news stories related to: "'It’s been a rollercoaster': how indie publishers survived - and thrived - in 2020"


Profile turnover exceeds £10m

Profile has seen a “breakthrough financial year” with turnover exceeding £10m for the first time in the company’s history, the publisher has said.  Turnover was up 26% year-on-year to £10.4m with operating profit at just over £1m for the year 2014-2015. The company was named as the Independent... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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And Other Stories accepts Shamsie challenge

Independent publisher And Other Stories will only publish books by female writers in 2018, in response to a call for a Year of Publishing Women by the author Kamila Shamsie. The initiative, to be held in 2018 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote in the UK, would help... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SAGE acquires Pion

SAGE has purchased Pion Limited, an independent publisher of academic journals. The sale, which was brokered by Bertoli Mitchell LLP, was announced jointly by chairman for Pion, David Cohen and Ziyad Marar, SAGE’s global publishing director. The acquisition results in Pion’s entire publishing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Printing and Publishing at Black Classic Press

After running Black Classic Press for nearly 40 years, founder W. Paul Coates said he is proud of his work as an independent publisher. But he said his work running BCD Digital Printing, a short-run printing operation, may be more significant: “I don’t know of any other full-time... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Repeat Winners In April

Jussi Adler-Olsen’s The Boundless, the sixth volume in the Danish author’s Department Q crime thriller series, held on to its top spot on Germany’s fiction list last month. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Industry seconds Franklin’s fears for further cuts to libraries

Libraries, publishers and bookshops will suffer under a Conservative government, a leading independent publisher has warned. When collecting the Independent Publisher of the Year trophy at the Bookseller Industry Awards on Monday (11th May), Profile Books m.d. Andrew Franklin gave a strong... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘It was a classic case of naive creatives, not protecting what they’d got’

Shindig!’s Jon Mills and Andy Morten on the perils of striking a magazine publishing deal without the proper paperworkJust before Easter, Jon Mills and Andy Morten signed off the 47th issue of Shindig!, the music magazine the two of them have been producing for around 20 years. Although... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Halt sales of Jonasson bestseller, court tells UK publisher

High court backs Hachette against Hesperus Press, British publisher of Jonas Jonasson’s The 100-Year-Old Man, after claims of missing royalty paymentsThe high court has ordered the British publisher of Jonas Jonasson’s smash-hit novel The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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O/R Teams with 'Evergreen Review'

Independent publisher O/R Books has partnered with the literary magazine 'Evergreen Review,' in a deal which will see O/R distributing content from the magazine via the press's direct-to-consumer model. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indie Book Day backed by bookshops and publishers

Indie Book Day is set to make a mark on the UK this year after starting in Germany two years ago and quickly spreading across Europe. The campaign – which hopes to become comparable to the American Record Store Day event, but for books – wants readers to flock to independent bookshops on 21st... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Books Rule In November

David Foenkinos’s "Charlotte," the story of a German painter who died at Auschwitz at the age of 26, rose six spots to hit #1 on France’s fiction list in November. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mark Smith to join Bonnier Publishing

Mark Smith, the founder and former c.e.o. of Quercus, is to join Bonnier Publishing as c.e.o. of its fiction department. Smith left Quercus after the formerly independent publisher was bought by Hachette UK’s Hodder & Stoughton earlier this year. He will now become c.e.o. of Bonnier... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Same-day delivery from SelfMadeHero

Graphic novel publisher SelfMadeHero is attempting to beat Amazon's delivery promises by offering free same-day delivery across central London. The independent publisher will offer the service for two weeks from 1st December, with orders placed before 2p.m. on Monday to Friday delivered the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Half of C&R staff have now left Little, Brown

More than half of staff at Constable & Robinson have left the publisher since Little, Brown Book Group bought the company, it has emerged. The formerly independent publisher was purchased by the Hachette division in February, with the Constable & Robinson team moving into Little,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Four-unit restructure for The History Press

The History Press has restructured following a company-wide review, creating four distinct business units, and putting "a small number" of people into consultation over their jobs. The independent publisher, specialising in local history as well as military history titles, underwent a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Novels and John Green Ruled Overseas in August

The top three bestselling novels in France last month were new to the country’s fiction list, with Emmanuel Carrère’s "The Kingdom" coming in first. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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U.S. Authors Star Overseas

American titles hit the top of the bestseller charts across European markets in July. Diana Gabaldon’s "Written in My Own Heart’s Blood" came in at #1 on Germany’s fiction list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Green Tops In Spain in June

In the run up to the July 4 release of the film adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars in Spain, John Green’s novel jumped four places on the country’s fiction list, landing in the top spot for June. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publisher Opening Classics Pop-Up

The Press at Toad Hall, an independent publisher of classics based out of Philadelphia, will be opening its first retail location, a pop-up store that will feature new editions of classic works, later this summer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Over 20' roles under consultation at C&R

Consultation has begun on over 20 roles at Constable & Robinson as the independent publisher... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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