'Shelf-help' books set to fill publishers' coffers in 2014

New 'intellectually credible' self-improvement books set to outsell celebrity biographies in 2014Sir Alex Ferguson may have the coveted Christmas number one spot with the record-breaking sales of his memoir, My Autobiography. But not even celebrity memoirs are likely to match the publishing sector predicted to grow exponentially in 2014: self-help books.Next year is set to be the one when self-help gains intellectual credibility. This Thursday will see the paperback release of a surprise British bestseller of 2013, The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves by psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz. Chosen as a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week, it is an extraordinary exposé of the human condition, gleaned from 25 years of listening to patients on the couch.Grosz's publisher, Vintage, is launching a series called Shelf Help, a list of 12 titles that aim to improve our lives, "because, as we all know, one of the best ways to feel better about life is through a good book". Its list includes Jeanette Winterson's memoir, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?; Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity, a study of family life by Andrew Solomon; and Julian Barnes's Nothing to be Frightened Of, an examination of "the fear of death, God, nature, nurture and the author's childhood". The list launches in London next week with the Shelf Help Sessions, an event featuring Grosz and Winterson, chaired by the series' curator, literary reviewer Alex Clark, who is a former... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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"Spotify for books" service launches

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 30/06/2011 - 15:58 An online view-on-demand books service dubbed “the Spotify of books” has launched today. 24symbols, created by a Spanish team co-founded by Justo Hidalgo, is offering access to 1,000 book titles for a subscription fee. The... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harvill Secker to publish death row lawyer memoir

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 30/06/2011 - 13:09 Harvill Secker has acquired a non-fiction title about the work of British lawyer Clive Stafford Smith over 25 years to save those on death row in the US. Editor-at-large Rebecca Carter bought UK and Commonwealth rights... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media Decoder: Conrad Black, Still in Prison, Finds Publisher for Memoir

The former newspaper baron, serving out a sentence for fraud and obstruction, will publish "A Matter of Principle" in the fall. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Marie Claire publisher claims new technology boosts newsletter subs 60% in a year

IPC Media claims its email marketing has been "revolutionised" by a new technology platform that has led newsletter subscriptions to increase almost 60% in a single year. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2011-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Faber to publish Jarvis Cocker's lyrics

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 30/06/2011 - 13:12 Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker is set to publish a book of his song lyrics with Faber. The book, entitled Mother, Brother, Lover: Selected Lyrics, was bought by Faber’s editorial director of fiction, Lee Brackstone, and editor... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Judging E-Readers by Their Book Readability

If you're heading to the beach this summer and you plan to read an ebook, you won't want to take your iPad. Luckily, the latest versions of the Nook and the Kindle offer glare-free screens and other reader-friendly functions. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-books will "blow apart" cover design

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 30/06/2011 - 09:28 E-books are set to "blow apart" cover design, with designers looking to create "identity packages" that can work for both print and digital editions, The Bookseller Cover Design Conference 2011 was told. Marketing strategist... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Obama's agents move into e-publishing

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media Decoder: The Question 'Who Is Herman Cain?' Soon To Be A Book

The Republican candidate has sold his memoir to the conservative imprint of Simon @ Schuster. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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AUDIO: The 'worrying' battle for books

Arts editor Will Gompertz's second report into the impact of technology on the publishing industry Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2011-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing Vet Opens Oakland-based Speakers Bureau

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-06-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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AUDIO: Are traditional books doomed?

Sara Lloyd, Pan Macmillan: "The basic process of writing will stay quite stable, but the authors who will do particularly well are ones who think about how to build a digital audience." Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2011-06-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Healthy Planet opens Books For Free shops

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Mon, 27/06/2011 - 08:34 A green charity offering books for free aims to open an outlet in every town in the UK, and has called on publishers to donate titles. The Booksellers Association has come out in support of the programme run by Healthy Planet,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beyond 'Event' Book Marketing

How do you promote a book effectively at a time when ebooks may stay in print indefinitely, but not have a physical presence in a store? Internet book marketer FSB Associates has just launched Amplify, a marketing strategy that brings together a list of related titles and creates a Web community... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media Decoder: Using E-Books to Sell More Print Versions

The publisher Algonquin is offering digital books at a discount or free to customers who buy certain trade paperback or hardback books. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Johnny Ball to set puzzles for Icon

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 24/06/2011 - 10:55 Icon Books has acquired a maths and puzzle book by numbers guru Johnny Ball, based on his slot on his daughter Zoe Ball's Saturday Morning Show on BBC Radio 2. Managing director Simon Flynn commissioned the title, Ball... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J.K. Rowling Conjures Up Potter E-Books

After years of refusing to release her boy-wizard books in electronic format, Harry Potter mastermind J.K. Rowling is finally taking the digital plunge, launching an online store that will sell Harry Potter ebooks directly to consumers and a social-networking site designed to keep the Potter... Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Salon CEO Richard Gingras Leaves, Set to Join Google

Richard Gingras, who acted as CEO of the Salon Media Group for the past two years, is leaving the company to join search giant Google as global head of news products. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Zinio Partners with Recorded Books for Digital Mags in Libraries

Zinio announced today its partnership with Recorded Books, making thousands of digital magazines accessible in public libraries throughout the US, Canada, Australia and UK. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Vintage Publishing launches Nigella ebooks

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 23/06/2011 - 07:26 Vintage Publishing has released the first ebooks from Nigella Lawson, with her Kitchen and Nigella Express books now available in digital format. Lawson's Nigella Quick Collection app has also been updated with 30... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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