The facts on fiction and Marley’s origins | Letters

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 ]
News tagged with: #won prizes #dozen languages #cover design #printing costs #broadcast media #literary journal

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Amazon Starts New Crime Fiction Imprint in Germany

Edition M, a new imprint for crime fiction, is the latest addition to Amazon Publishing in Germany. It plans to publish 60 titles by the end of 2016. The post Amazon Starts New Crime Fiction Imprint in Germany appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blackman longlisted for Guardian children's fiction prize

Malorie Blackman’s latest novel is among those longlisted for the Guardian children’s fiction prize, alongside titles from Alex Wheatle and Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harlequin's MIRA to Launch Literary Fiction Imprint

MIRA Books, the fiction imprint of Harlequin Books, has announced the launch of a new literary fiction line, Park Row Books. Inaugural titles are slated to publish in summer 2017. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Reclassified' Oli White tops Sunday Times adult fiction chart

Sunday Times literary editor Andrew Holgate has said it is "worth thinking about" introducing a Young Adult bestseller chart into the paper, after taking the decision to make vlogger Oli White's Generation Next (Hodder & Stoughton) number one on the upcoming Sunday Times adult fiction... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Recovery Letters to Jessica Kingsley

Jessica Kingsley Publishers has signed The Recovery Letters, a new book based on an online project of letters written by, and addressed to, people with depression. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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McInerney's debut wins Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction

Lisa McInerney has won the 2016 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction for her debut The Glorious Heresies (John Murray). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ardagh pens open letter to Simon Cowell

Bestselling children’s author Philip Ardagh has penned an open letter to Simon Cowell recommending he enlist the services of a librarian in discovering good children’s books after he called them all “boring”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pullman, Rebuck and Daunt back 'Remain' campaign in joint letter

Leading publishing figures, including Waterstones m.d James Daunt, chair of Penguin Random House UK Gail Rebuck, author Philip Pullman and poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, have signed a letter to say they believe leaving the European Union would "severely weaken" the UK's creative industries. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two 'major' acquisitions for Pan Macmillan non-fiction

Pan Macmillan non-fiction is expanding its business and pop-science list with two "major" acquisitions. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Business of Christian Fiction

Pricing pressure and the shifting genre tastes of readers are two big issues for publishers of Christian fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC’s public service remit includes recipes | Letters

The BBC has been in the publishing business, either on paper or online, for its entire 93-year history (Is it really the BBC’s role to publish free recipes for harissa spiced lamb?, 20 May). Why are the Tories suddenly intimidated by this? I thought that capitalism welcomed competition? As a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Doyle appointed Headline fiction publishing director

Jennifer Doyle, currently deputy marketing director at Cornerstone, will become fiction publishing director for Headline and Headline Review, marking an "exciting new phase in Headline’s evolution". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2016: Shining a Light on Good and Evil in YA Fiction

When it comes to filling their worlds with characters positioned along the spectrum of good and evil, Veronica Roth, Melissa de la Cruz, Lauren Oliver, and relative newcomer Sabaa Tahir have it down. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Playboy Celebrates 'Safe for Work' Transition With a Massive Push Into Original Video

Playboy showed off its new, fully-clothed self during its first-ever NewFronts presentation Friday afternoon at New York's Skylight Modern. "This is the most exciting and complex brand transformation of my career," said CEO Scott Flanders kicking off the 30-minute presentation. He added that... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2016-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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43 percent of Facebook users don’t know where the stories they read originally appeared

With publishers under pressure to distribute their content directly onto social media platforms, the nagging question for many is whether their brands are diluted by being disconnected from their source. New research from Digital Content Next found that 57 percent of the time, people are aware... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2016: Marcia Clark: Crime Fiction After O.J.

Marcia Clark wanted to write crime fiction since childhood, but lacked the confidence to go for a career as a writer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Factual Fiction: New Opportunities in Licensed Nonfiction Books

Lately a number of licensing deals and renewals pair licensed characters with true nonfiction, helping children and families learn facts about science and history through the eyes of their favorite characters. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Industry Veterans Form A New Christian Fiction Publishing House

Despite falling sales in fiction, Gilead Publishing is offering a traditional publishing model with advances, royalties, and a tight focus on Christian themes. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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March Religion Bestsellers: Furtick Breaks the Top Five, Films Boost Fiction Sales

Steven Furtick’s latest, ‘(Un)Qualified,’ debuted at #4 on our Religion Nonfiction bestsellers list for the month of March, while five books with a presence in Hollywood ranked among the top 10 in Religion Fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Piatkus appoints Young as non-fiction editor

Piatkus, part of Little, Brown, has appointed Jillian Young as commissioning editor for non-fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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