'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"


'It could very well bankrupt us,' says bookseller suing over Texas school book ban

Valerie Koehler says that if her book shop is forced to comply with a new state law regulating public school literature, she might go out of business. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-07-26 21:13:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Yes, it can be very stressful to publish a book, and young writers need more support.

An April report by the UK-based publishing site, The Bookseller, showed that more than half of the debut authors they surveyed said the experience of publishing a book adversely affected their mental health. Further reporting from The Guardian reveals that (some) publishers have quickly... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-19 19:03:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Barnes & Noble reopening, new stores planned at The Avenue at White Marsh

Barnes & Noble will reopen its bookstore at The Avenue at White Marsh in a redesigned format on July 26, the bookseller announced Wednesday. It's one of several changes and new stores planned for the center. Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2023-07-19 17:11:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


‘There’s an industry-wide mental health crisis’: authors and publishers on why the books sector needs to change

After a survey revealed the stresses that authors face when placed in the spotlight for the first time, publishing houses and industry bodies have pledged extra training and pastoral careAuthor and publisher welfare has been a hot topic in the books industry of late. Publishing houses, trade... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-18 15:13:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Christine Baker obituary

Editor with the Paris-based publisher Gallimard Jeunesse who was determined to give British children’s books a presence in FranceChristine Baker, who has died aged 71 of cancer, did much to give British children’s books a presence in France, making them readily available to families and schools... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-10 16:54:07 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Want a Living Wage? You Won’t Find It Working at Most Indie Bookstores

You won't make a living wage working as a bookseller in an indie bookstore. Here's a look at wages across the country. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-06-12 10:37:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


This Week's Bestsellers: June 12, 2023

Tracy Wolff concludes her popular YA vampire series, Crave, with 'Cherish,' the #3 book in the country. Plus actor and musician Hayley Kiyoko takes the #5 spot on our children’s fiction list with her debut novel, 'Girls Like Girls,' and June's book club picks celebrate friendship. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Coalition Sues Over New Arkansas Library Obscenity Law

A coalition of 18 plaintiffs—including a powerful alliance of library, publishing, author, and bookseller groups—are suing to strike down a controversial new law that would expose librarians and booksellers to criminal liability for making allegedly inappropriate books accessible to minors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


U.S. Book Show 2023: Jacqueline Woodson Works from Memory and Empathy

At a lunch-hour keynote on May 24, National Book Award winner and former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jacqueline Woodson sat down with bookseller Miwa Messer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Definitive proof that publishing your novel won’t make you happy.

Hug an author today! Fifty-four percent of debut authors responding to Bookseller survey said the process had a negative impact on their mental health—equally likely to feel bummed out whether they pubbed with a Big Four or an indie publisher. One, quoted anonymously in The Bookseller’s report,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-24 15:32:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Barnes & Noble Revamps Loyalty Program with Premium Membership

The bookseller announced new benefits and discount perks in an effort to "revitalize" its membership ranks and unveiled an alternative free B&N Rewards loyalty program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Clint Smith’s Back-to-Back, Genre-Spanning Best Sellers

In 2021, “How the Word Is Passed” was on the hardcover nonfiction list for five weeks. Now Smith is back — with a book of poetry on the fiction list. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-04-13 09:00:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Amazon to close Book Depository online shop

Gloucester-based bookseller bought by the retail giant in 2011 will shut at the end of AprilThe online shop Book Depository is due to close at the end of April, vendors and publishing partners have been told. This comes after the bookseller’s parent company Amazon announced it had decided to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-04 11:07:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Children’s books publisher Peter Usborne dies at 85

Publisher pays tribute to ‘genius’ who was an ‘inspirational leader’Peter Usborne, the founder of the children’s books publisher Usborne and the co-founder of Private Eye magazine, has died aged 85, the publisher has announced.He died “unexpectedly but peacefully” surrounded by his family this... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-03-30 18:46:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this


U.K.'s Joffe Books Acquires Choc Lit

The romance and women’s fiction specialist, with a 250-book backlist, was purchased for and undisclosed sum by the largest independent publisher of e-books in the U.K. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Barnes & Noble is stealing the indie shop playbook, and it’s working

James Daunt launched his first indie bookshop in London 33 years ago. The Barnes & Noble CEO is now bringing the lessons he learned to the biggest bookseller in America. If you’re strolling down the Marylebone High Street in London, you’ll stumble across a popular bookstore called Daunt... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-02-28 04:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Poetic Golden Anniversary for Copper Canyon Press

In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Washington state–based independent publisher has assembled a celebratory poetry anthology, ‘A House Called Tomorrow: Fifty Years of Poetry,’ that reintroduces milestone works by the press's many beloved poets. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Haymarket Book Publisher Offering Free eBooks on Black History

A Chicago-based independent publisher has responded to the recent attack on Black History by offering free books. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-02-08 16:46:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this


When my memoir came out, I got a brutal shock. Vulnerable writers need protection | Terri White

Nothing prepared me for revisiting the most painful times of my life – then being criticised for it. We need industry-wide guidelines to helpI called her Terri The World Gets. She was the outward-facing me, the woman I’d spent decades curating. And Terri The World Gets was about to be rocketed... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-02-08 08:00:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Joyce Meskis, Bookseller Who Defended Readers’ Rights, Dies at 80

Her Denver bookstore, the Tattered Cover, was among the country’s best, and she often found herself in the midst of First Amendment fights. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-01-07 20:10:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this