Pay-back time for publishers: authors forced to return their advances

This week, it emerged that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies author Seth Grahame-Smith was being sued by his publisher to return his advance. From Julian Assange to Amy Schumer, he isn’t alone...Though he’s fallen out spectacularly with his publisher, Seth Grahame-Smith at least has the consolation of joining a stellar club of writers whose deals for much-anticipated books were terminated. It emerged this week that Grahame-Smith, the man behind Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, is being sued in the United States for breach of contract by Hachette, which wants half his $1m advance for a two-book deal returned. Hachette claims the second book’s typescript was eventually submitted “34 months” late, and was too short and substandard, “in large part an appropriation of a 120-year-old public domain work” (unnamed, but presumably 1897’s Dracula).Among Grahame-Smith’s new confrères are the 12 non-fiction authors including Elizabeth Wurtzel sued four years ago by Penguin USA, which sought to recoup the advances plus interest for books it said they had failed to deliver; Withnail And I writer-director Bruce Robinson, whose missed deadlines during his 15-year quest to identify Jack the Ripper meant his original publisher cancelled his contract and asked for its advance back (although he found a new one and They All Love Jack appeared in 2015); and the award-winning novelist and poet Vikram Seth, who was at loggerheads with Penguin after it... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-09-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #award-winning novelist #jane austen #$1m advance

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Debut author wins Waterstone's Children's Book Prize

Publication Date: Wed, 09/02/2011 - 20:05 Debut author Sita Brahmachari has won the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize for her coming-of-age novel about life, death, friendship and love. She was awarded the £5,000 prize this evening [9th February] for Artichoke Hearts, published by Macmillan... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book prize #macmillan children


Check Google Books data for errors, publishers warned

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 04/02/2011 - 09:01 Publishers are being warned to check their Google Books data online as thousands of titles have been mistakenly attributed to publisher BPR. Independent UK publisher Children’s Story Publishers spotted the mistake after its... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers warned #google books #early days


iPad is a devil's deal for publishers

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews Apple's approach to magazine and newspaper subscriptions and third-party ebook sales stink of the kind of practices that got Microsoft into trouble with trustbusters on two continents during the late 1990s and early 2000s. A year ago, publishers embraced iPad as the... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2011-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bad business #barnes noble #fight back #windows pcs #copyright betanews


Agency could be on hold for new publishers

Written By: Charlotte Williams and Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 04/02/2011 - 12:19 The transition to the agency model could be halted as publishers outside of the new terms could wait as much as a year for an Office of Fair Trading investigation into ebook pricing to be completed. The... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #agency model #charlotte williams #ebook pricing #significant number


Bloomsbury to publish ElBaradei memoir

Written By: Charlotte Williams Bloomsbury is to publish the memoir of Mohamed ElBaradei, the leading opponent to Egypt's President Mubarak, two months early as clashes continue between the president's supporters and those demanding regime change in Cairo. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Non-agency authors are Amazon UK’s bestselling ebooks

Written By: Lisa Campbell Amazon.co.uk has reiterated its opposition to agency pricing as it revealed its top-selling ebook authors are not governed by the model. Last week Amazon.com announced ebooks had begun to outsell paperbacks in the US for the first time, with 115 ebooks bought for every... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #agency pricing #follow suit


Trade backs library e-lending, claims Overdrive chief

Written By: Benedicte Page Overdrive c.e.o. Steve Potash has said there is “enthusiastic support” for library e-lending from “many” trade publishing houses, describing fears over remote downloading as “not a real issue”. Potash was visiting London this week for talks with the major publishers,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #library e-lending #remote downloading #real issue #major publishers #publishers association #booksellers association


Humphreys takes over from Ayrton as Serpent's Tail publisher

Written By: Benedicte Page Picador senior editor Sam Humphreys is to join Profile as publisher for imprint Serpent's Tail, leaving Pan Macmillan after nine years. Former publisher Pete Ayrton now takes the role of editor-at-large. Humphreys, the editor who acquired Emma Donoghue's hit novel... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tail publisher #graham robb


Open Road to Publish Virginia Hamilton E-books

On February 15, Open Road Integrated Media will publish the first children’s titles in its “author branded program”: seven ebooks by Newbery Medal and National Book Award winner Virginia Hamilton, who died in 2002. Among the ebooks on the list are Newbery and NBA winner M.C. Higgins, the Great. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #newbery medal #open road


Jamie back on top as Costa winner shows mutability

Written By: Philip stone Jamie Oliver's Jamie's 30-minute Meals (Michael Joseph) has returned to the summit of the Official UK Top 50 after a three-week hiatus. The bestselling hardback non-fiction book since records began sold 37,407 copies in the seven days to 29th January, up 77%... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #29th january #total sales


Hearst pays €651m for Lagardère magazine business

Hearst Corporation has made a "binding offer" of €651m (£559m) for Lagardère's international magazine business, which includes a licensing agreement for fashion magazine Elle. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2011-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hearst corporation #binding offer #licensing agreement


Man Booker to accept digital submissions for first time

Written By: Katie Allen E-books are to be accepted for entry for the Man Booker prize for the first time in 2011 as a number of changes are made to the rules. Publishers are being asked to submit a digital version of their submissions as judges are to be supplied with e-readers for the first... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #man booker #digital version


Fry Communications Builds Out Suite of Publisher Services

In two acquisitions this month, Fry Communications, a leading publication printer, has added to the array of services it offers customers. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publisher services #fry communications #offers customers


Paste Returns? Music Mag Acquired, Set to Relaunch as Digital Edition

The assets of music magazine Paste—which folded in print last fall but kept Pastemagazine.com alive—have been sold to Wolfgang's Vault, owner of a variety of music sites including Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital edition


NYT Pay Wall Could Debut Next Month

The New York Times will roll out its much-anticipated digital subscription package, probably next month, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Small Bookstores Struggle for Niche in Shifting Times

Morgan Entrekin, holding book, publisher at Grove/Atlantic, met with booksellers at the Winter Institute book fair last week. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #morgan entrekin


Publishers Come Out of Bankruptcy Eager To Buy

That might be the best news yet, as long as publishers remember why they went into bankruptcy in the first place. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For Publishers, Who Are the Gatekeepers of Social Media?

Ten years ago, as the prospect of monetizing Web sites started becoming a reality for publishers, different departments butted heads over prime real estate: editorial wanted it for content; sales wanted it for advertising; marketing wanted it for promotion. Today, as the emphasis shifts away... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How One Small Publisher Cracked the App Store Top 25

Publishers are launching iPhone and iPad apps on a daily basis (unless you're Bonnier, then it seems almost hourly). Many are coming from the usual suspects with deep pockets--Hearst, Conde Nast, Time Inc. etc. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ipad apps #daily basis #usual suspects #conde nast


Writers Are Asked Not to Talk About Author of ‘O’

Simon & Schuster requested that journalists and other writers not comment if asked whether they were responsible for the novel “O,” about a fictional 2012 presidential campaign. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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