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 Canongate Books boss on the success of Letters Live, performances of notable correspondence by leading lights of stage and screenJamie Byng, 46, son of the 8th Earl of Strafford, grew up in Hampshire and studied at the University of Edinburgh. After graduating he joined Canongate Books as an... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Neil Gaiman is set to release two books this year – a selection of non-fiction writings and a special edition of his first novel Neverwhere, illustrated by Children’s laureate Chris Riddell. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Baileys has confirmed sponsorship for 2017 for the Women's Prize for Fiction following an initial three-year partnership. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Republic of Consciousness prize has been launched by novelist Neil Griffiths, who intends to ‘guilt trip’ bestselling authors into contributingThe award-winning novelist Neil Griffiths is launching a new literary prize celebrating the “small presses producing brilliant and brave literary... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Flattered though I was to be praised by David Kynaston (Move over history boys, Review, 6 February), this piece misses the problem. Women do write history; the issue is why they are neglected. The academic profession needs to address this. Historians who want an academic job or promotion often... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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John Murray is publishing a collection of letters penned by late travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Developers and authors explain how they are experimenting with technology to publish ‘unprintable’ books – including a love story told through Google street view and a prison break with swappable recipesPublisher Anna Gerber isn’t trying to kill off the printed book – she’d just like you to... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ullstein and Bonnier UK are launching a new digital imprint called Manilla that will publish English ebook editions of bestselling German fiction. The post Manilla: New Home for International Fiction appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ingrid Selberg, the former m.d. of Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Division, is teaming up with Emma Young to write a middle-grade fiction series about vloggers for Macmillan Children’s Books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week on the Culture Gabfest’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Slate book critic Laura Miller discusses her recent article on the resurgence of housewives in contemporary fiction. Laura recommends three new books that give the old trope a 21st-century makeover and discusses the big question: What... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2016-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Censorship is when a government or authority prevents someone from speaking or writing. When a business stops producing something because it is faulty, that is product recall (Book pulled over criticism of slavery depiction, 19 January).For those who think A Birthday Cake for George Washington... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An article in the Jakarta Globe looks at Lian Gouw, the founder and owner of Dalang Publishing, a two-person operation based in San Mateo, California. The post Dalang Publishing: Introducing Indonesian Historical Fiction to the U.S. appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A children's book which judges said would grip readers of all ages is named Costa Book of the Year. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2016-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bonnier Publishing Fiction is changing its name to Bonnier Zaffre, effective immediately. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reviews director Louisa Ermelino recommends 'Letters to Vera,' the letters Vladimir Nabokov wrote to his wife between 1923 and 1944. They elevate the mundane and provide a glimpse into another time. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s publisher Nosy Crow has appointed Katherine Halligan to the new role of head of non-fiction and activity publishing. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Just four days into 2016, Yahoo is making good on a plans announced at the end of 2015. The struggling tech giant has shut down Yahoo Screen, a 5-year-old digital video platform that housed its original series, its first livestream of an NFL game, and old episodes of Saturday Night Live. The... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2016-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pushkin Press will launch its non-fiction line with Summer Before the Dark by Volker Weidermann later this month. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As part of its ongoing effort to raise writers’ income, the Authors Guild is sending an open letter to members of the Association of American Publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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