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 ]

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


Book Deals: Week of July 18, 2022

HarperCollins wins a British crime thriller debut, Gallery takes on a memoir by a former Scientologist, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


HC Union Sets July 20 Strike Date

A week after authorizing a strike, some 250 unionized employees of HarperCollins said they will hold a one-day strike next Wednesday, July 20. They are requesting a "more accessible, equitable, and just workplace." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for June 30, 2022

Today's edition of Daily Deals is sponsored by HarperCollins Children's Books.`HarperCollins Children's... Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-06-30 14:30:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The 25 Most Significant New York City Novels From the Last 100 Years

Four writers and one bookseller gathered over Zoom to make a list devoted to fiction in which the city is more than mere setting. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-06-22 09:08:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this


How Big Can the Fall Regional Bookselling Conferences Get?

Executive directors at regional bookseller associations across the country believe that conditions are right for big turnouts at their in-person fall shows. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury reports record sales amid reading boom

People who turned to books during Covid lockdowns continuing to buy them, company saysBloomsbury has reported a record year for sales, as the Harry Potter publisher said the increase in reading during the pandemic had become “permanent” after lockdowns eased.The company benefited substantially... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-06-15 08:09:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Bloomsbury Has a Record Year

Sales in fiscal 2022 at Bloomsbury Publishing were up 24% over fiscal 2021, rising to $277 million, and profits increased 40%, to $32.2 million. The U.S. now accounts for about 30% of the publisher's sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


ABA to Debut Virtual Children's Conference

The American Booksellers Association is launching a Virtual Children’s Institute on July 13; the daylong digital event includes online education sessions, bookseller idea exchanges, and keynote speeches. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-05-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


U.S. Book Show 2022: Katie McGarry

Clarion Books editorial director Anne Hoppe wasn’t exaggerating when she observed that HarperCollins rep Katie McGarry’s “idea of a vacation is to go work at her local library, putting books directly into the hands of readers.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-05-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Profits Fell 16% at HarperCollins

Higher manufacturing and freight costs, and ongoing supply chain and inflationary pressures, resulted in a 16% drop in earnings at HarperCollins for the quarter ended March 31, 2022. Sales rose 5%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-05-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


8  Literary Friendships Told Through Letters

In 1995, I left the Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle to teach English in Vietnam. Around that time, my friend and fellow bookseller Janet Brown traveled to Thailand to teach as well. There was no email then, and overseas phone calls were a luxury. So we wrote to one another, meditating on the... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-04-28 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Marketing: A Social Media ‘Read-Along’ With HarperCollins

Today's release of Don Winslow's 'City on Fire' opens a social-media 'read-along' project for HarperCollins and Tandem Collective. The post Marketing: A Social Media ‘Read-Along’ With HarperCollins appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-04-26 19:29:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Shannon Bream's Bible stories are turning Fox News Books into a publishing force

The HarperCollins imprint has four straight bestsellers, thanks in large part to the cable news channel's promotional pop. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-04-13 15:00:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Henry Patterson, author of The Eagle Has Landed, dies aged 92

The bestselling novelist wrote 85 books, mostly thrillers and spy stories, using the pseudonym Jack HigginsHenry Patterson, the bestselling novelist who wrote the The Eagle Has Landed, has died aged 92.The writer died at his home in Jersey surrounded by his family, his publisher HarperCollins... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-04-09 20:18:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Barnes & Noble is finally offering an audiobook service

Barnes & Noble finally has a direct answer to Amazon's purchase of Audible. The bookseller has launched a B&N Audiobooks service in the US that lets you either buy recordings or pay $15 per month for a subscription that offers one recurring monthly credit. You'll have access to more than... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-04-07 16:21:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Tracy Sherrod to Leave Amistad

Sherrod, the v-p and editorial director of Amistad, will leave the HarperCollins imprint after nearly a decade to "pursue a new endeavor." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Kelly, Smart Named Co-CEOs at DK

Paul Kelly and Rebecca Smart will take over as co-CEOs of DK worldwide June 1 when its current CEO, Carsten Coesfeld, moves to head Bertelsmann Investments. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Maas Book Boosts Bloomsbury's Bottom Line

Significant sales of Sarah J. Maas’s new fantasy novel, 'Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath,' prompted Bloomsbury to increase its full year guidance for the year ended February 28. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-03-31 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Awards: HarperCollins India Wins Top ‘Publishing Next’ 2021 Industry Honor

The eighth cycle of the Publishing Next industry award recognizes Indian publishing houses, professionals, and books. The post Awards: HarperCollins India Wins Top ‘Publishing Next’ 2021 Industry Honor appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-03-29 17:11:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this


HarperWave Rides Wellness Surge

A decade ago, health, wellness, and lifestyle publishing veterans Karen Rinaldi and Julie Will set out to disrupt “the old paradigm of diet-and-workout books”—and offered HarperCollins something it was missing in the process. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-03-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this