Karl Sabbagh says small publishers face with huge obstacles with selling books and even letting anyone know they exist; plus a descendant of Dr Miles Marley sets the record straightWith reference to your leader on literary fiction (28 December), as a small publisher we are faced with huge obstacles in the way of selling our books or even letting anyone know our titles exist, however good they are. Last year we published an excellent novel called To the Lake, by a Russian writer, Yana Vagner. This had sold over 100,000 copies in Russia, and is being made into a TV series there. It has won prizes throughout Europe, and been translated into half a dozen languages, with sales outside Russia running into tens of thousands. We paid an advance to the author, a fee to a translator, and typesetting, cover design and printing costs, a total of about £9,000. We sent at least 50 copies out to major periodicals, newspapers and broadcast media in the hope of getting reviews, but there were none. The one thing we couldn’t afford was advertising, at a cost of £1,000 or so for a quarter page in a literary journal and far more in widely selling newspapers. So far, we have sold 64 copies. Can anyone wonder why we don’t publish more such books?Karl SabbaghManaging director, Skyscraper Publications• Dr Christopher Goulding (Letters, 26 December) may regard Barry West’s “theory” about Dickens’ use of the name Marley as tenuous; in our family we regard it as long-established fact. I am a... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2017-12-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Northwest, where I live and where my novel is set, is a big place and it is a lot of things. It is the damp, mossy woods of the coast, the high desert, and the snowy, jagged mountain ranges that divide the two. It is home to weird and real creatures like giant octopuses, […] The post 7... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2022-07-13 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Chrysta Bilton's memoir, "Normal Family," is about her mother's pursuit of a family through donor sperm. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-07-12 12:00:40 UTC ]
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Goodreads has announced its list of the top 36 most popular historical fiction books of 2022 (so far), according to users' interest. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-07-11 14:45:32 UTC ]
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Yep, as the guy in your MFA already knows, turns out reading literary fiction is better for you than reading other kinds of fiction—especially if you grew up doing it. In a new paper published this week in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, scholars Nicholas Buttrick, Erin C.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-08 16:16:52 UTC ]
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Jesmyn Ward—the two-time National Book Award-winning author of Salvage the Bones and Sing, Unburied, Sing—has just become, at 45, the youngest ever winner of the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. The prize, which was established in 2008 as a lifetime achievement award, honors “an... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-01 17:08:35 UTC ]
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When it comes to writing historical fiction, one author finds that it’s the very human details that resonate with the reader. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2022-07-01 15:38:42 UTC ]
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Mat Johnson’s latest book delivers a biting satire of American politics and class issues — from the vantage point of outer space. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-06-22 13:00:32 UTC ]
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Kathryn Harlan, author of the new story collection 'Fruiting Bodies,' picks 10 books that represent fabulism at its best. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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This year, a Neon Hemlock Press novella won a Nebula. But what is this publisher, where did it come from, and what does it put out? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-06-21 10:36:00 UTC ]
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New and upcoming books by Rhys Bowen, Kate Forsyth and others imagine the heroic efforts of everyday people during World War II Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-06-20 14:33:02 UTC ]
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Ruth Ozeki has won the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction for her novel 'The Book of Form and Emptiness' (Penguin), which comes with a £30,000 ($36,500) cash award. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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These hidden gems are all great works of imagination set near and far that you need to add to your TBR ASAP. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-06-15 10:36:00 UTC ]
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A recent report from NPD BookScan found that U.S. print book sales of LGBTQ fiction reached nearly 5 million units in 2021, doubling 2020 sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Two previously unseen short stories by Jackson, rated by Stephen King as one of the great horror fiction writers, are to appear in US magazine the StrandTwo previously unpublished short stories by Shirley Jackson, the queen of gothic fiction, have been released.Charlie Roberts and Only Stand and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-06-09 14:05:30 UTC ]
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Do you want a historical fiction book club but you don't know where to start? Read inside for some tips and ideas. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-06-08 10:33:00 UTC ]
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These novels remind us that people have made horrible mistakes since the beginning of time. (They also contain love, joy and triumph!) Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-05-27 20:30:21 UTC ]
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Rethinking old myths and accepted narratives comes with risks, but the results can be thrilling. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-05-27 20:30:15 UTC ]
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Pico Iyer, Maggie Shipstead, Michelle Tea and Colleen Kinder discuss 'Letter to a Stranger' at the L.A. Times Book Club. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-05-26 21:35:13 UTC ]
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The acclaimed science-fiction writer turns his hand to nature writing in a book that’s part hiking journal, part history lesson Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-05-21 11:00:28 UTC ]
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Twist and shout: Get ready to treat yourself and mix it up with these 20 must-read genre-blending historical fiction books, including Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-05-12 10:40:00 UTC ]
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