Publish and be branded: the new threat to literature's laboratory

Increasingly fixated on the stars of today, such as Hilary Mantel and JK Rowling, publishers are neglecting the experimenters who could save their industry tomorrow: the mid-list writersThe tickets sold out months ago. Long before the admiring reviews of the stage adaptation of Hilary Mantel's novels Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies hit the press at the end of last week, theatre-goers were in no doubt they wanted to see six hours of blazing Tudor intrigue.A £7m BBC adaptation beckons, with the actor Mark Rylance teaming up with Peter Kosminsky, director of The Government Inspector.The runaway success of Mantel's story could be seen as a heartwarming tale for the book industry, but it comes at a time when many insiders worry such a tale will become increasingly rare as talented authors find it ever harder break through.Authors with middling sales – like Mantel, before she led Thomas Cromwell up the bestseller list – are getting less care and attention from large publishers, with readers ever-more fixated on fantasy blockbusters, it is said.For HarperCollins, the publishing giant behind 4th Estate, the imprint that publishes Mantel, bestselling authors have become more important than ever. Charlie Redmayne, chief executive of HarperCollins, recently described Mantel as one of several writers, along with Michael Morpurgo and JK Rowling, "who have transcended being an author and are brands in their own right".He added: "In a digital world, they are going to create a huge... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers plead with twitchy social visitors to stay

As publishers continue to see more and more of their traffic coming from social referrers like Facebook and Twitter, they are increasingly forced to get creative about getting those readers to stick around on their sites -- to say nothing of coming back again. The post Publishers plead with... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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College Newspaper Drops Print, First to Operate Primarily on Publishing Platform Medium

Medium now has Substance. The popular publishing platform recently started hosting Substance, a new student publication at Mt. San Antonio College that doubles as a totally reinvented version of The Mountaineer campus newspaper. It is the first ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amarillo Globe-News Publisher Puts TV, Radio in Crosshairs

Local TV and radio broadcasters in Amarillo, Texas, consider yourselves on notice: the Amarillo Globe-News smells blood in the water and is coming after your business. That’s because Les Simpson, publisher of the Morris Communications-own ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Johnson Steps Down as Red Wheel/Weiser Publisher

Jan Johnson, who has led the group since November 2000, will become publisher emerita. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What You Should Know About Finnish Literature

Journalist Anu Partanen offers a preview of Finnish literature today, ahead of Finland's Guest of Honor program at the 2014 Frankfurt Book Fair. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Big Brands Jump on Flipboard's New Video Ads

Personal magazine company Flipboard is rolling out a trial program incorporating video ads into its users’ news streams beginning today. The program launches with eight notable brands: Jack Daniels, Gucci, Chrysler, Lufthansa, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Principal Financial Group, Woodford... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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You’re using analytics wrong: five mistakes publishers make with their data

What do most people think of when they think of analytics? Metrics and measurement, mostly. Limiting analytics to just metrics and measurement limits what you can do. How does a publisher make the leap from metrics to action? Sponsor content by Parse.ly. The post You’re using analytics wrong:... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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2014 NBA Young People's Literature Longlist Announced

The National Book Foundation has announced the 2014 National Book Award longlist for Young People’s Literature. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Brick Lane focus for publishers

Brick Lane continues to be a home of creativity, with the launch of independent publisher Brick... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers' portals look to inform authors

More than 700 authors and 75 agencies have registered for Random House’s Author Portal... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Central American Publishers, Writers to Appear at Frankfurt Book Fair

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kim Kelleher Named Publisher of Conde Nast's Wired

Kim Kelleher, the former president of digital publisher Say Media, was named VP-publisher of Wired magazine, parent company Conde Nast said Tuesday.The appointment marks a return to magazines for Ms. Kelleher, who was VP-publisher of Conde Nast's Self for six years before heading to Time Inc. in... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Publishing Education of a Jersey Girl

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Short Takes: Religion Publishing News Briefs, Sept. 10, 2014

American Academy of Religion recognizes excellence in scholarship; another big hit for Lysa TerKeurst. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Don’t Publishers Fact Check Memoirs More Closely?

Writing for The Atlantic, Kate Newman wonders why memoirs aren't fact-checked more closely and questions whether a lack of resources is really to blame. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kenya’s Passionate Publishers Grow in Confidence, Influence

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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East African Writers Embrace Self-publishing and Promotion

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&H Kids Acquires 90 Titles from Standard Publishing

Children’s religion publisher B&H Kids has acquired 90 children’s titles from Standard Publishing, including works by such popular authors as Sally Lloyd Jones and Andy Holmes. The deal also covers series like My Goodnight Bible and The Young Reader’s Bible. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline to publish Our Zoo

Headline is to publish Our Zoo by June Mottershead, the true story of the creation of Chester Zoo... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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