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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The Evolution of Fulfillment

When you dive into the way the digital edition and app economy works for publishers, you can’t avoid the irony of the big digital newsstand and storefronts of Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Zinio, Next Issue Media, et al. The brand power of those operations is simply too good to refuse, and... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2012-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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States reach $69 million settlement with three publishers in ebook price fixing case

When the US Department of Justice sued Apple and five major book publishers over alleged ebook price rigging, it immediately became clear that a few of these companies would do just about anything to avoid trial. That same day, three of the publishers -- HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N to launch My Little Pony Nook ebooks

Barnes & Noble has formed its first partnership with Hasbro to create My Little Pony ebooks... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N Will Rise or Fall with Content

While Barnes & Noble has created lots of buzz and headlines with its Nook e-reading devices, its future profitability lies in the sale of content. That was the message CEO William Lynch delivered to analysts last week in a conference call discussing first-quarter results. Improved gross... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nook headed for UK as Barnes & Noble goes international, dabbles in the Queen's English

Well, our English friends, today is a good day. Your choice in e-readers is about to get that much better as Barnes & Noble has decided to make your homeland the first stop on its highly-anticipated international tour. The Nook and its associated store will be making their big debut in the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Nook E-Reader Goes International

Barnes & Noble has finally scheduled the long-awaited international debut of its Nook e-reader. The company said Monday that it will begin selling its Nook Simple Touch and Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight in the U.K. in mid-October. The devices will be sold online through a new digital... Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2012-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nook out! Barnes & Noble's ebook readers come to the UK in October

US bookseller Barnes & Noble has confirmed that it will be bringing its Nook digital eBook readers and bookstore to the UK in the autumn. Initially the devices, which include Nook Simple Touch and the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, will only be available through the company’s online... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2012-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Picks Up Market Share

Amazon appears to have been the big winner in picking up former Borders customers. According to new figures from Bowker Market Research, Amazon’s share of book spending in the first quarter of 2012 was 29%, up from 23% in the comparable period in 2011. Barnes & Noble’s share of spending, in... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Selling ‘The Night Circus'

When Erin Morgenstern’s first novel, The Night Circus, debuted last September, PW predicted in a starred review that this magical tale was destined for bestsellerdom. The hardcover went on to sell 167,000 copies through the outlets tracked by Nielsen BookScan, and the paperback, which was... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble brings out Nook for Web, comes full circle with e-reading (update: not on iOS)

We'd say it's about time. Although it's almost two years late to the party, Barnes & Noble is responding to Amazon's Kindle for the Web with Nook for Web. Much like its counterpart across the virtual aisle, the Nook web edition lets readers browse free samples and whole books entirely from a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Another Mixed Bag For Barnes & Noble

Even in the digital age, Barnes & Noble can’t avoid the headache of returns. Although the company posted lots of positive results for the year-end and fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, the number most analysts seem to focus on was Nook segment sales for the fourth quarter, which fell 10.5%, to... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N Nook digital business up 45%

Barnes & Noble has reported revenues for its Nook digital business for $933m for the full... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble loss narrows

Barnes & Noble said Tuesday that its fiscal fourth-quarter loss narrowed as the company continues to invest in its Nook e-reader business.Barnes & Noble said Tuesday that its fiscal fourth-quarter loss narrowed as the company continues to invest in its Nook e-reader business. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Other E-book Retailers

The ebook store market may be dominated by Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple, but a few independent online ebookstores, patterned after bricks-and-mortar retailers, have carved out a lucrative niche. Some were emboldened as far back as 2003, when Barnes & Noble.com initially exited the... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N settles with Riggio

Barnes & Noble has reached a $29m settlement with its founder and chairman Leonard Riggio,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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DoJ settlement 'would injure booksellers', says B&N

Barnes & Noble has said the Department of Justice's proposed settlement with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble and Microsoft: A Win-Win?

The deal between Barnes & Noble and Microsoft gives both companies things they need—B&N receives a much-needed infusion of cash, while Microsoft gets another chance to participate in the consumer digital marketplace. In addition to the $300 million investment Microsoft has made to give... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nook and HMH partner in school deal

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) has teamed up with Barnes & Noble’s Nook to deliver e-... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N to embed NFC chips into Nooks

Barnes & Noble c.e.o. William Lynch has said that the company plans to embed NFC (near field... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble's Nook e-readers getting NFC, says CEO

Now that all of that Microsoft-related news is out in the open, Barnes & Noble's CEO William Lynch is ready to talk about the future. Fortune sat down with him to discuss the deal and what's next for the Nook. The answer to the latter is, at least in part, near-field communication. The exec... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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