Marvellous medicine

At some point back in 2013, I asked a senior publisher if they had a contingency plan for a world with fewer high street bookshops. It was a period when ebook sales were growing ever bigger, taking chunks out of print fiction’s market share; Amazon was revelling in its recent victory over those publishers who had pushed through agency terms for ebook sales; and Waterstones had not yet secured its future under m.d. James Daunt. It was the moment when Foyles’ then c.e.o., Sam Husain, wrote an open letter to publishers calling for a “complete rethink” of the bookselling model. Continue reading at 'The Bookseller'

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Marvellous medicine"


Stephen King among writers opposing Donald Trump

Stephen King is one of hundreds of resident authors in the US to have signed an open letter, addressed to "the American People", expressing their opposition to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ardagh pens open letter to Simon Cowell

Bestselling children’s author Philip Ardagh has penned an open letter to Simon Cowell recommending he enlist the services of a librarian in discovering good children’s books after he called them all “boring”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pullman, Rebuck and Daunt back 'Remain' campaign in joint letter

Leading publishing figures, including Waterstones m.d James Daunt, chair of Penguin Random House UK Gail Rebuck, author Philip Pullman and poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, have signed a letter to say they believe leaving the European Union would "severely weaken" the UK's creative industries. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Daunt: 'Amazon defines how Waterstones acts'

Amazon “defines” how Waterstones behaves, James Daunt, m.d. of Waterstones has said, but he added that a really good high street bookshop was "addictive" and could not be replicated online. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Header-bidding tech should be free. An open letter to publishers

by Andrew Rutledge, VP Sales, Publisher Technology Group, AppNexus Dear Readers: If you’re a digital publisher or app developer, chances are you’ve been approached by numerous ad tech sales teams in recent months, each extolling the virtues of header bidding. How do I know this? Well, I run... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones’ James Daunt: ‘Student of Bookshops’

From Brexit (no) to bookstore social space (yes) Waterstones' managing director James Daunt is certain about one thing: He wants 'to sell more books.' The post Waterstones’ James Daunt: ‘Student of Bookshops’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones three years from fiscal autonomy despite upturn, Daunt warns

Waterstones must sustain three years of consecutive profit-making before the company can “stand on its own two feet” and not rely on the “charity” of its owner, the chain’s m.d. James Daunt has said. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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EU exit could lead to 'catastrophic uncertainty'

The UK’s possible exit from the European Union, looking likely to be the subject of a summer referendum, would be a disaster for the book trade, according to industry figures such as Waterstones m.d. James Daunt, Bonnier Publishing c.e.o. Richard Johnson and Alma Books m.d. Alessandro Gallenzi. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Marvellous medicine

At some point back in 2013, I asked a senior publisher if they had a contingency plan for a world with fewer high street bookshops. It was a period when ebook sales were growing ever bigger, taking chunks out of print fiction’s market share; Amazon was revelling in its recent victory over those... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


SoA challenges publishers to 'serious contract reform'

The Society of Authors has issued an open letter, addressed to members of the Publishers Association and Independent Publishers Guild, asking publishers to address the issue of author earnings which it says are "falling fast". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Begins Letter-Writing Campaign to Meet with Publishers

As part of its ongoing effort to raise writers’ income, the Authors Guild is sending an open letter to members of the Association of American Publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Daunt: 'Christmas is all to play for'

Waterstones is on course to make a small profit this year but it is “all to play for” over the next few weeks, the chain’s m.d James Daunt has said. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-11-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK rights available for Charlie Hebdo editor's manifesto

UK and Commonwealth rights for the Charlie Hebdo editor’s posthumous manifesto, Open Letter: On Blasphemy, Islamophobia and the True Enemies of Free Expression, have yet to be sold, it has been confirmed. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones reveals 'richly diverse' Book of the Year shortlist

The shortlist for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2015 has been revealed, featuring a list that would  "not have been produced by an algorithm,” the chain's m.d. James Daunt has said. The eight-strong selection nominated by Waterstones booksellers across the UK encompasses four novels, three... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Thursday's child

In a week when The Bookseller reported that James Daunt was removing Kindle devices from most of Waterstones’ shelves, one wonders if the ever-pragmatic boss of the high street chain was simply making room for Super Thursday books. Last year the trade contrived to release 300 hardbacks... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Country Spotlight: Malaysia: Digital Segment on the Move

The Malaysian ebook industry is still in the low single digit in terms of market share and international ebook retailers have yet to show signs of setting up shop here. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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CILIP open letter urges Birmingham to reconsider library cuts

Nick Poole, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP), has written an open letter to Birmingham City Council, urging it to keep its libraries open and professionally staffed.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gibbons reissues call for head-to-head debate with Vaizey

Author and library campaigner Alan Gibbons has issued an open letter to culture minister Ed Vaizey, renewing his call for the politician to engage in a full public debate on the future of the public library service as the “situation is critical”. Gibbons first issued a challenge to Vaizey... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookshop footfall gets a 'Watchman' boost

Booksellers say they are enjoying a “bumper summer”, with the release of Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman encouraging people to “re-engage with books and bookshops again.” James Daunt, m.d of Waterstones, said the release of the William Heinnemann title last month had injected life into the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Global Publishing Leaders 2015: Shueisha

Shueisha is a major publisher in Japan and the largest manga publisher in the world with a market share in Japan of 30%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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