Mari Hannah: 'I had to dig very deep to keep the faith'

The creator of lesbian detective Kate Daniels was downcast when publishers rejected her work. Now, she's won the Polari first book prize for The Murder WallSomething extraordinary happened to me last week. I was outed to the whole wide world, having won the Polari first book prize 2013 for my debut novel, The Murder Wall. It was an honour and a privilege to pick up such a prestigious award – and all the more pleasing because the prize was open to works of poetry, prose, fiction and non-fiction with LGBT content.As my agent, Oli Munson, said on Twitter afterwards: "Isn't it refreshing to see a crime writer win an award that's not genre-specific?"For someone more comfortable working away in a tiny office than appearing in public, taking the stage at the Polari Literary Salon on its sixth birthday at the Southbank Centre was as terrifying as it was exciting. My Twitter feed went ballistic as congratulations poured in before I'd managed to call my kids, who were waiting on the end of a phone for news. And suddenly I was thrust into the limelight: a go-to person on lesbian issues.I've been asked what challenges I faced writing crime fiction with a lesbian protagonist. The truth is, there weren't any. They came much later as I submitted my work to agents and publishers. At the time, I was just writing a crime novel about a clever detective who just happened to be gay, much like my real-life partner – a Northumbria police officer for 30 years, a murder detective for much of her... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]

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B&N Has Better Earnings Despite Sales Decline

Revenue fell in all three of Barnes & Noble’s operating groups for the second quarter ended October 26, 2013, but the retailer managed to post a 13.7% increase in EBITDA. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-11-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mari Hannah: 'I had to dig very deep to keep the faith'

The creator of lesbian detective Kate Daniels was downcast when publishers rejected her work. Now, she's won the Polari first book prize for The Murder WallSomething extraordinary happened to me last week. I was outed to the whole wide world, having won the Polari first book prize 2013 for my... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's top NY publishing exec to depart

Amazon Publishing, which launched a general-interest book publishing operation in New York two and a half years ago, is losing its top executive here.Seattle-based Amazon announced Friday that the head of its general-interest publishing division, Larry Kirshbaum, would leave the company Jan. 17... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2013-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo removes all self-published titles. Is this censorship, an overreaction, or just good sense?

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo removed self-published pornographic titles from their sites and Kobo stopped sales of self-published titles altogether. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scribd Founder Envisions Google Glass–like Wearables For E–Reading

The content on Scribd, the San–Francisco based startup that aims to create the digital library of the future, is available on a range of devices, from laptops to smartphones to tablets. But CEO Trip Adler tells Fast Company we won't be reading e–books in our hands in the future––they'll be... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight gets UK price cut, drops below £50

Bookworms in the UK tired of smuggling flashlights to bed might want to take another look at the Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight. After all, you can get one for £49 now that Barnes & Noble has slashed £20 off its retail price -- that's far, far lower than the amount people had to pay at... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Editor's Letter: Color commentary

In each issue of Distro, Executive Editor Marc Perton publishes a wrap-up of the week in news. There's a very good chance you're reading this on a tablet. Distro is, after all, first and foremost, a tablet magazine. There's also a reasonable chance you're reading this on a computer. Distro... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Condé Nast Inks Big Deal With Amazon

Condé Nast has announced a big deal with Amazon that will let people buy and renew print and digital subscriptions to its magazines on the e-commerce giant. The new service, which Amazon is billing as the first of its kind with a publisher, also enables customers to get immediate access to their... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N Nook sales drop continues

Nook sales at Barnes & Noble have continued to drop in the first quarter of its new financial... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reports of Barnes & Noble’s Death Are Greatly Exaggerated

B&N is being eulogized as a 'dead man walking,' but the company still has a firm foundation, including the Nook, and will be with us as long as we still have print. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A win for readers? DOJ's proposed measures for Apple would make price-shopping easier

One part of a proposal to enforce the verdict against Apple for allegedly fixing ebook prices would require Amazon and Barnes & Noble 'buy' buttons in the Apple store, allowing consumers to easily compare ebook costs. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble reports it overstated losses in past years

Barnes & Noble says it lost less money than it previously reported during the past two years. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Can Showrooming Actually Save Bookstores?

Writing for Bloomberg.com, Virginia Postrel has a counterintuitive suggestion for publishers, Barnes & Noble and tech-savvy retail entrepreneurs: embrace showrooming. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Committed' B&N hails Get London Reading festival

Jim Hilt, managing director of Barnes & Noble's European ebook business, said the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Decision Time for Barnes & Noble

Uncertainty has been hovering over Barnes & Noble ever since the retailer first reported that 2012 holiday sales— especially those of its Nook reading devices—were well below expectations. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Analysis: A Band-Aid for B&N's Gunshot Wound

It's been a rough week for Barnes & Noble. And month. And year. And it may get worse before (if) it gets better. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nook: Barnes & Noble will hand off tablet manufacturing to a third party

Following a shaky fourth-quarter report, B&N announced that it would be partnering with another company to release its Nook tablet line, although the bookstore chain will continue to manufacture its e-readers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N looks to reduce Nook losses

Barnes & Noble has announced it will partner with a third party to manufacture tablet devices... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Nook Snaps offer fresh literature in $2 bites

Barnes & Noble's Nook Store has offered short-form works much like those we've seen from Amazon's Kindle Shorts section, but they haven't really been a highlight. The company's new Nook Snaps program may give those quick reads their time to shine, however. The effort will see Barnes &... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N's Hilt: Nook can compete

Barnes & Noble has vowed to fight for digital market share in the UK following a recent leap... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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