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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[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books as Brands

Licensing is a growing focus for many publishers as they look to generate awareness and spur book sales for in-house developed and acquired properties, and bring in incremental revenue. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Times Publishing Company Selects Brainworks Advertising

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[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google, publishers shelve book-scanning suit

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[ Stuff | 2012-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frankfurt: 'agile publishers must find space on new platforms'

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trade publishing 'an opportunity for private investors', Frankfurt hears

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google and publishers reach settlement on digitized books case

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[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones begins new branding push

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline to publish Suchet on Poirot

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google, Association of American Publishers strike deal over book digitization

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[ Engadget | 2012-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Settles Copyright Case With Publishers

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[ AllThingsD | 2012-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin takes Breathing series by self-published author

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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JK Rowling publishes adult novel

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[ Stuff | 2012-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Achebe publishes Biafran memoir

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[ BBC News | 2012-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Albuquerque Publishing Company launches Atex Advertising

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[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Morris Publishing Creating New Digital Marketing Division

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[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Ultimate Personal Brand-Builder? Your Very Own App

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[ Fast Company | 2012-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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