As publishers vie to persuade us to pack their titles for the holidays, we chart the evolution of the ’beach read’Summer reads, beach reads, holiday reads … at this time of year, the publishing world works itself into a sweat trying to force its novels into our carry-on luggage, or over the ether on to our Kindles. There are more books sold in the summer than during any other season: the well-established publishing calendar tends to see hardbacks released in the autumn to be given as gifts at Christmas, then repackaged as paperbacks in late spring. As Donna Harrington-Lueker sets out in her history of the beach read, Books for Idle Hours, the summer publishing rush is at least a century old, and has typically aimed “airy and froth-like” books on “young ladies” (the quote is from an 1888 work on summer books by Arlo Bates). The summer fiction market is changing, though, with more and more “serious”, “literary” novels showing up where once there were only thrillers and crime novels, bonkbusters and romances. So it is that Normal People by Sally Rooney is currently piled high on the tables of WH Smith’s Travel alongside Lee Child, Jodi Picoult and Bernard Cornwell.I’m aware of how contentious and porous discussions of genre can be. Generic labels, though, are the terms that booksellers and publishers think in and for literary novels, the chances of summer success are still relatively slim. Tom Tivnan, managing editor of the Bookseller, points to Nielsen BookScan data that... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2019-07-14 07:00:23 UTC ]
Our annual collection of sales numbers for books sold in the last calendar year provides a granular portrait of the book business. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Unit sales of print books sold through Nielsen BookScan’s mass merchandisers/other channel fell 9% in the first 10 weeks of 2014, compared to the same period in 2013. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Of all the ways to enjoy a book, minds wander most when we're listening to someone else read it.With so much focus in the publishing world on ebooks, you might have missed the recent explosion in the popularity of audio books. They've become a billion-dollar industry with huge annual sales... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The memoir of former defense secretary Robert M. Gates has sold more than 80,000 copies during its first week on sale in the outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Much like last year, in 2014 the publishing world will continue to navigate change as the digital world absorbs print editions and dilutes subscription fees. In this ever-changing cyber landscape, one thing is for certain: publishers must identify ne ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Unit sales of print books fell 4% in the first week of 2014 compared to the week ended Jan. 6, 2013, at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jodi Picoult has become the first writer to top the official UK Top 50 in 2014. The mass-market... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales of print books through outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan’s retail & club channel fell 2.5%, to 501.6 million units, in 2013, compared to 2012. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two titles from publisher Black Swan are in WH Smith’s Richard & Judy Book Club to kick... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Despite the controversy stirred up Wednesday afternoon by critical remarks of "homosexual behavior" by Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson in a GQ interview, Simon & Schuster has no plans to pull Phil Robertson's bestselling book, Happy, Happy, Happy. The title has sold nearly 600,000... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The New York Times is still the gold standard of publishers. Its embrace of native advertising is an important step in legitimizing this modernized version of the advertorial. Importantly, the Times is also looking to impose far more rigid standards that are currently used throughout the... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2013-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Print sales held up well during the week of Thanksgiving this year, rising 7.5% in Nielsen BookScan’s retail & club channel compared to the week of Thanksgiving in 2012. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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CNN has snatched up Bloomberg's digital video czar. Starting on Dec. 2, Chris Berend lands at CNN as the company's new vp of digital video development. Berend was most recently head of video for the Bloomberg Media Group, where he helped guide the company as it looked to significantly ramp up... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2013-11-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A collection of first edition books illustrated by the Edwardian artist Arthur Rackham has sold for more than £40,000 at auction. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2013-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Manchester United legend's bestselling memoir pushed from the top of books chart by Jeff Kinney's weedy heroHis protagonist is a lazy schoolboy weakling, Greg Heffley, but now children's author Jeff Kinney has shoved the big man of football off the top spot in the UK official book chart.Hard... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2013-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Like the rest of the publishing world, associations went through a traumatic period in 2009. Five years later, the industry is trending upward in the midst of a recovery. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2013-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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WH Smith's website is back online following an earlier suspension over abuse and rape themed ebooks found on its site. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2013-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The National Book Awards in recent years has been working to raise its profile and increase books' cultural impact. Now it's taking another step toward extending its reach. The National Book Foundation, which administers the prizes, will announce Monday that the 2013 awards ceremony and benefit... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nancy Gibbs has been a long-time member of Time, but with Richard Stengel's departure to the U.S. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Allison & Busby has secured a first novel about the publishing world from Judith Flanders,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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