The Guardian view on the writing business: readers must ultimately benefit | Editorial

People want stories and that means cultivating a publishing ecosystem where big and small can flourishThis week both the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority and the Department of Justice in the US announced investigations into the planned $2.2bn acquisition of the publisher Simon & Schuster by Bertelsmann, which already owns Penguin Random House. The merger, if allowed, would see Bertelsmann have almost one-third of English-language book sales. The move follows a year when a population cocooned at home, reaching for comfort reading, inflated the profits of big publishers. Bloomsbury and Pan Macmillan recently announced that they would be returning furlough payments; HarperCollins did not take them.Many of the UK’s smaller publishers fared rather differently: a Bookseller survey last summer found 60% feared they would cease to exist by autumn. Indies tend not to have the backlists full of household names that, say, a Penguin has; they depend far more on serendipity, on a customer wandering into a shop intending to buy one thing but coming out with something else as well. This happens far less with online shopping; at least one publisher lost up to 90% in sales. Some also found it difficult to qualify for furlough. They took to social media to announce their plight, or to try new selling tactics; some crowdfunded; some received emergency Arts Council England cash. Many were dragged back from the brink, for which we should be grateful. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-03-28 17:25:47 UTC ]
News tagged with: #bookseller survey #household names #online shopping #dragged back #bookseller #harpercollins #pan macmillan #bloomsbury #bertelsmann

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Guardian view on the writing business: readers must ultimately benefit | Editorial'


'Reader's Digest' Wants Your Life Story in 150 Words or Less

Oh boy, do I have a contest for you long-winded Facebookers and personal bloggers. It's called, "Your Life: The Reader's Digest Version." The venerable magazine is willing to shell out $25,000 if you can keep The Story of You to a crisp and compelling 150 words (words, not characters—this isn't... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2011-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #award-winning actress #role models #tender age #acting career #good things #stay open


AUDIO: 'Ebooks could threaten writing'

Booker Prize winning author Graham Swift believes digital publishing could threaten the livelihood of authors in the future because they are being paid too little. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2011-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


How to write faster.

Hunched over my keyboard, I'm haunted by anecdotes of faster writers. Christopher Hitchens composing a Slate column in 20 minutes—after a chemo session, after a "full" dinner party, late on a Sunday night. The infamously productive Trollope, who used customized paper! "He had a note pad that had... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2011-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dinner party #sunday night #paris review


Amazon bypasses Apple rules with Cloud Reader app

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 10/08/2011 - 15:45 Amazon has launched a Kindle Cloud Reader app, just two weeks after it, along with other ebooksellers, was forced to remove links to its Kindle store from its native app by Apple. The company said the new tool could be used... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle store #kindle books


Big Green Bookshop to hold riot benefit

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 11/08/2011 - 08:57 The Big Green Bookshop is to hold a comedy gig to raise money for the victims made homeless by the "appalling behaviour" of rioters in Tottenham last weekend. London’s Wood Green where the bookshop is based was also hit by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #raise money #saturday night


Tablets More Effective Than E-Readers in Ad Engagement

In a new study released by Gfk MRI Starch Advertising Research, the collected data finds users are more likely to engage with magazine advertisements on tablets than on the e-reader platform. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #study released #e-reader platform


Decemberists' singer writes kids book for Canongate

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 05/08/2011 - 11:01 Canongate has bought a children’s book written by the lead singer of American indie rock band The Decemberists. Senior editor Francis Bickmore bought UK and Commonwealth rights (excl Canada, Australia and New Zealand) to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lead singer #angharad kowal #writers house


Macmillan New Writing to continue after Atkins departure

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 05/08/2011 - 08:30 Pan Macmillan's Macmillan New Writing scheme will continue despite the head of the imprint leaving the company. Will Atkins, who worked at Pan Macmillan for five years and was its editorial director for fiction, has left... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pan macmillan #literary fiction #founding editor


'Transparency' the new watchword for business

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 05/08/2011 - 08:50 Publishers must tighten up their business practices across the developing world or risk falling foul of new anti-bribery legislation, senior figures from the international book trade have said. The Bribery Act, which came... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #business practices #developing world #civil settlement #fraud office #southern sudan


Reynolds to write new Doctor Who novel

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 21/07/2011 - 13:00 British Science Fiction award-winner Alastair Reynolds is the latest author to try his hand writing a Doctor Who novel, after signing a deal with BBC Books. Editorial director Albert DePetrillo bought world rights from Robert... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #latest author #bbc books #robert kirby #united agents #bbc series


Main to join Picador as editorial director

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 19/07/2011 - 10:17 Simon & Schuster senior commissioning editor Francesca Main is leaving the publisher to become editorial director at Picador. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Reports: Reader’s Digest, Wenner Media Up For Sale

Reader's Digest Association is on the block, seeking a price of around $1 billion, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, which says the company may sell off piece by piece rather than as a whole. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #readers digest #wenner media #digest association #$1 billion


Future restructures business as revenue falls

Magazine publisher Future is restructuring its business in the UK and US following a 5% fall in group revenues over the past nine months. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #5% fall #group revenues


E-textbooks are destroying the old publishing business model

By Tim Conneally, Betanews The business model behind textbooks is completely out of step with what the market today wants, according to the head of Nature Publishing's digital textbook initiatives. Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tim conneally #business model #market today


Sony to launch upgraded e-readers

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Thu, 14/07/2011 - 09:14 Sony is to launch a range of upgraded e-readers in the US to challenge Amazon's Kindle. The range of Sony Readers, priced from $180-$300 (£112-£186), looks set to launch in August, prior to the electronics giant's release... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #challenge amazon #electronics giant #tablet computers


iRiver Story HD: First Dedicated E-Reader for Google eBooks:

The launch of a $140 dedicated eBooks reader puts Google's store more directly in opposition to the Nook and Amazon's Kindle. The iRiver Story goes on sale July 17 at Target. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dedicated e-reader #google ebooks


Google launches first e-reader

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Tue, 12/07/2011 - 08:30 Google has launched a branded e-reader, the first device to be integrated with the Google ebooks platform. The internet giant teamed up with manufacturer iriver to produce the iriver Story HD, which goes on sale at Target on... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #google launches


Media Decoder: Sheila Bair to Write Book on Financial Crisis

Sheila C. Bair, who ended a tumultuous five-year term as chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation this month, has landed a book deal to give her inside account of the financial crisis. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media decoder #write book #financial crisis #book deal #inside account


Uh-oh, Kindle, Nook, the first Google e-reader is here

By Tim Conneally, Betanews The first e-reader to be integrated with Google eBooks is from iriver and will be exclusive to Target in the US. Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2011-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tim conneally #google ebooks


Google's eBooks Platform Gets Its First Dedicated E-Reader

The first dedicated Google eBooks e-reader is finally headed to market. On July 17, the $139.99 iriver Story HD, will land on the shelves of Target stores nationwide, becoming the first e-reader to allow users to browse, buy and download Google eBooks directly over Wi-Fi. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dedicated e-reader #ebooks platform