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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BEA 2014: A Love Letter to Literature: Azar Nafisi

Readers who were inspired by Azar Nafisi’s paean to literature in Reading Lolita in Tehran—there were enough to keep the book on the New York Times bestseller list for 117 weeks—can rejoice at the appearance of The Republic of Imagination (Viking, Oct.), an homage to American literature and a... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2014: Publishing with Élan

Providing cloud-based business management products is Media Services Group’s forte. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon steps up publisher spat

Amazon has said a bitter dispute with publisher Hachette, which has led to a block on pre-orders, will not be resolved soon. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2014-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publisher hachette


Obituary: Publisher Oscar Dystel, 101

Oscar Dystel, an early pioneer of mass market paperbacks and one-time CEO of Bantam Books, passed away at the age of 101. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #oscar dystel #bantam books


Amazon escalates standoff with publisher Hachette Book Group

If you're hoping to pre-order books by J.K. Rowling, Michael Connelly and other Hachette Book Group authors, you'll have to go somewhere besides Amazon.com. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2014-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pre-order books #michael connelly


Short Takes: Religion Publishing News Briefs, May 28, 2014

Image celebrates 60 years; Gary Chapman endows chair at Moody; Cambridge Bibles back to Cambridge; awards and honors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Virago Modern Classics to publish Joan Aiken

Virago Modern Classics has acquired three titles by Joan Aiken for its children’s list.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #joan aiken


Amazon halts sales of some Hachette books as publishing battle escalates

Hachette author Jeffery Deaver among those speaking out against Amazon's decision to stop selling certain Hachette titlesStray punches in a corporate slugfest knocked spectacles from authors noses and left readers with black eyes this week, after Amazon, the online retailer, stopped selling... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online retailer #titles published #put pressure


Christian Self-Publisher Adds PR Firm

A Christian self-publisher will acquire a PR firm to enhance its services to authors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Launches BookLife; Integrates Self-Published Reviews

PW will introduce BookLife, a new website for self-publishers, at this year’s BookExpo America. Simultaneously, we are integrating reviews of self-published books into our regular review coverage. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bookexpo america #self-published books


'Publishing 101,' a PW Original E-Book

So, you've written your book. Now what? Find out with 'Publishing 101,' a new ebook from 'Publishers Weekly' that offers a no-nonsense perspective on how publishing works, and what writers can do to make their own projects take off. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing Campaigns Grow On Kickstarter

Crowdfunding, and Kickstarter in particular, continue to make inroads in book publishing, providing financing for everything from one-off projects to support for entire lists. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Short Takes: Religion Publishing News Briefs, May 14, 2014

IPPY award-winners announced, a new kids' imprint at Barbour, a website for all things Amish, the popes in pictures and much more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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NHB to publish Palin on Python

Nick Hern Books will publish a book from Monty Python member Michael Palin, ahead of the comedy... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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French book publishers risk being lost in translation without global reach

France's literary market has great potential, yet big firms remain reluctant to learn the language of international rights tradingSix thousand languages are spoken worldwide, but few have a market for books. French is the fifth-largest language pool, coming after Chinese, English, Spanish and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #literary market #global reach #great potential #gained access


Quebec's publishing scene taking the written word back to France

The Canadian province has been a stealthy focus for French publishers, but its booksellers are also looking towards ParisThe Canadian province of Quebec has about 6 million French-speaking inhabitants. In comparison there are only 4.2 million French-speakers in Belgium. French publishers have... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #great divide #editorial policy


International publishers warn of 'severe' risk on copyright

The International Publishers’ Association (IPA) and the Federation of European Publishers (... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IDW To Publish Parker Hardcover Reprints

IDW Publishing announced plans to reprint the entire run of classic Parker prose novels, all of which will feature new painted illustrations by acclaimed comics artist Darwyn Cooke. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #entire run


Oyster Adds 500 Publishers

Subscription ebook service Oyster announced that it has added about 500 new publisher partners and its library of ebooks has increased to more than 500,000 titles, including an expanded partnership with HarperCollins. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harman: UK can 'pay its way in the world' through literature

People who create content need to be protected, Harriet Harman told The Publishers Association... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #create content #publishers association