As Black Lives Matter protests take place across the world, the publishing world is rushing to support those ‘ignored by the mainstream’. Who is the mainstream, then?The publishing industry is stilted and archaic. I worked in it for seven years, and left due to reasons I can’t legally talk about. Though, in that time, I was able to enforce and oversee some steps towards sustainable change. At 4th Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins, I started the Guardian 4th Estate BAME Short Story prize (still going strong, five years later). Staggered by the lack of underrepresented voices, I knew I had to do something, anything to give those voices a way to permeate the industry.It is taken for granted that would-be writers will know what a literary agent is. But most have no idea how to structure a book proposal, or where to send it. This information is possessed by those in the know, and the people in the know often want to keep it to themselves. Let’s talk about literary agents for a second; they are, effectively, tastemakers. Editors trust them to deliver books and authors that adhere to their (sometimes limited) taste. And what happens when these arbiters continue to work within the circles of writers who they already know? The same thing that always happens: books that follow trends, that look the same, that are written by the same kinds of people. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-06-11 09:44:22 UTC ]
PW takes a look back at some of the library stories that captivated the publishing world in 2014, and what they portend for 2015 Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
By Marcelle Soviero The publishing industry is busting out of business models as quickly as we can devise new ones. I think in 2015 we will see more product differentiation and more product offerings. These... Continue reading at Publishing Executive
[ Publishing Executive | 2014-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
If squabbles over format, pricing and Amazon have led the US publishing industry to neglect an ever more diverse audience, we have forgotten why people read books in the first placeThe true price of publishingAt the recent National Book Awards ceremony in New York City, presenter and bestselling... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
By Robert M. Sacks Do you ever wonder if the publishing industry has learned enough in the last five years to be more effective and more profitable in the next five years? Of course, effective is a relative term... Continue reading at Publishing Executive
[ Publishing Executive | 2014-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Mentoring for writers is essential as editors, publishers and literary agents become ever busier, authors have told The Bookseller, claiming that everyone in the publishing process benefits from writers having guidance from others in the industry who can act as a sounding board, and champion... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Along with Brian Murray, PW's Publishing Person of the Year, we honor these notable people who changed the publishing world in 2014. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Backlist is more important than ever for the publishing industry and the opportunity to use backlist titles to drive the sale of frontlist titles is, according to publishers, “one of the true excitements” of the new era of digital publishing. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
In a rare move for the publishing world, Land Rover has sponsored "An Ice Cream War" novelist William Boyd's new short fiction and turned it in into a gorgeous interactive campaign. The post Land Rover commissions novelist William Boyd’s latest appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2014-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
As Curtis Brown Ltd. celebrates its centenary anniversary, the firm’s CEO reflects on rights sales and the changing role of literary agents and authors today. The post Curtis Brown: Love, Passion and a Century of Selling Rights appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-11-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Xerox invented Laser printing and copying less than 50 years ago and as a result revolutionized the publishing industry. This innovation was so significant during its time that the outcome was that almost every Japanese electronics product manufacturer, the likes of Canon, Konica, Ricoh and... Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2014-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The literary body, representing 9,000 authors, is calling on the US government to launch a competition investigation into Amazon, following the long-running dispute between the internet retailer and publisher HachetteAmericas Authors Guild has met with the US department of justice to call for an... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Amazon Kindle is now a 'proud sponsor' of Downton Abbey. And it suits, as the show's story arc reflects the current dynamic in the publishing business. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
PW's annual salary survey reveals an eye-opening lack of diversity in the publishing industry, an enduring pay gap between men and women, and an increasingly optimistic workforce. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Too little information is available to aspiring writers in the UK regarding literary agents, argues Harry Bingham, so a movement has started to bring transparency. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Claudia Wittman, literary agent and founder of the Wittman Agency in Germany, talks about how her rights business manages the massive changes in the book publishing industry. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Madeleine Millburn, a literary agent from London, offers her view on which international markets offer the most opportunities and how digital publishing has impacted the rights business. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Self-publishing has made it possible to get your writing out in the world. But it hasnt made it cheapThe clock is ticking down: its only two months until National Novel Writing Month kicks off. Wannabe Stephen Kings and John Greens are sharpening their pencils, dusting off their ideas and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Stuart Applebaum, who rose from a publicist at Bantam Books to become the dean of corporate communications directors in the publishing industry, has been named emeritus executive v-p, corporate communications at Penguin Random House. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
In his long history in Christian publishing, Steve Laube has played many roles--bookseller, editor, literary agent. Now he adds publisher to that resume, joining what seems to be an emerging trend among agents. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
For publishers today, data has become the key to competitive advantage. But executing against data has traditionally been a challenge. Only in recent years has the publishing industry invested in the technology required to make sense of data's complexity and volume. It speaks to a culture shift,... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2014-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this