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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Amazon Publishing Aims at Christian Market with New Imprint

Amazon Publishing adds Waterfall Press to its growing family of publishing imprints. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Canongate to publish Slingerland

Canongate has acquired Edward Slingerland’s book Trying Not To Try: The Anicent Art of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does digital publishing mean the death of the author? | Richard Lea

We used to know what it took to be a writer – you had to publish a book. But electronic publishing is piling pressure on myths of the author's lifeWhat's the difference between making money out of books and writing books that people want to buy? Turns out it's about 40% – if, that is, you... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Myrmidon buys self-published historical novel

Myrmidon has acquired the rights to Queen of Bedlam, a self-published debut novel by Laura... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #self-published debut


How HarperCollins's Chief Digital Officer Uses Big Data To Make Publishing More Profitable

As more readers favor Kindles and iPads over pulp-based books, Chantal Restivo-Alessi of HarperCollins is mining digital data to determine how publishers can maximize profits.Having worked at EMI records for over a decade, Chantal Restivo-Alessi knows what it's like to have the digitization of... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tennessee Public Library to Publish Books with IngramSpark

A public library in Franklin, Tennessee has launched its own publishing imprint, Academy Park Press, using the IngramSpark platform for distribution and print-on-demand. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is Anglo-American Literature “Massively Overrated?”

At the Jaipur Literature Festival, UK-based Chinese writer Xiaolu Guo attacked English literature as overrated, while Jhumpa Lahiri praised translation. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stieg Larsson publisher Quercus driven to seek buyer

Independent which brought the Millennium trilogy to millions of English-language readers puts company up for saleThe publisher behind The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, independent press Quercus, has put itself up for sale in what it has described as a "challenging" and "increasingly competitive"... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook to Brands: Post More Images

Brands have spent the past couple of years complaining the content they publish is rarely actually seen by users that like their pages. That's party because Facebook wants those brands to pay for ads, but also because it doesn't want them alienating users with annoying updates asking people to... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Launches AdSense Direct with Small Publishers in Mind

On Tuesday, Jan. 21 Google introduced AdSense Direct, an ad solution for publishers looking to initiate their own direct ad sales. Publishers will need to establish their own deals with advertisers, but once they do the transaction is as simple as sharing a link. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2014-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BiblioBoard Adds New Publishers

BiblioBoard, an app and e-publishing platform focused on libraries that gives them the ability to loan a wide variety of ebook content to patrons, has added more than 370 publishers to its content pool. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Issues on the Ether: Is Self-Publishing a Flying Leap?

Porter Anderson sets up Wednesday's #EtherIssue live Twitter discussion with a look at perceptions of self-publishing: Hard? Easy? What does it take to do well? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Literal: America’s Newest Bilingual and Spanish Book Publisher

Literal magazine, the well-regarded English and Spanish literature magazine literature, has expanded into bilingual and Spanish-language books by Latin American writers. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mistry wins DSC Prize for South Asian Literature

The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2014 has been given to Cyrus Mistry for his novel... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writers attack 'overrated' Anglo-American literature at Jaipur festival

Xiaolu Guo warns that English-language mainstream has warped a broader 'reading habit', on panel with Jhumpa Lahiri and Jonathan FranzenAmerican literature is "massively overrated", the award-winning author and film-maker Xiaolu Guo told the Jaipur literature festival – and fellow panellist and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On Becoming a (Self) Publisher

Nick Ruffilo transitioned from technologist to a self-published author, and shares tips and lessons learned from experiments with various platforms. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Campaigners brand DCMS library stats 'bonkers'

A new Department of Culture, Media and Sport library report estimating that only 90 static... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sports Illustrated Gets New Publisher in Brendan Ripp

Time Inc. has named Brendan Ripp publisher of Sports Illustrated and its website SI.com, the company said Thursday. He succeeds Frank Wall, who is leaving Time Inc. for a job with Turner Sports.A 14-year veteran of Time Inc., Mr. Ripp was most recently VP-sales and marketing at Fortune magazine.... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Southern Newspaper Publishers Association Launches Mentorship Program

The SNPA Foundation is launching a new "two-way" mentorship program called Nex Gen this month that will pair young newspaper professionals with experienced industry experts in a structured mentorship program. "It is billed as a 't ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gollancz to publish second Game of Thrones tie-in

Gollancz will publish a sequel to Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones, covering the making of the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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