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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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What Went Wrong for Canada’s D&M Publishers

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Local Newspaper Publisher Sale Approved

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[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Short Books + Fast Books (and Diet) = Indie Publishing Success

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookshop browsing vital for publishing, research finds

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Digital publishing first' for Stephen King

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One Year of Translating, Selling Swedish Literature Direct

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Exceptional Women in Publishing Event Enters Fifth Year

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[ Folio Magazine | 2013-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two publishing deals for Lambert

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Marcus Rich joins line-up for PPA's Publishing+ conference

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[ Media Week | 2013-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Distribution: IPG Signs Up New Publishers

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The New York Times | 2013-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The UK’s Literature Prize Becomes The Folio Prize, Valued at £40,000

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Exploring Accessible Publishing for the Print Disabled

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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