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 ]
Last August, I wrote about the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, or “Binc,” a Michigan-based non-profit created to support booksellers who have fallen on hard times. If a bookseller winds up in the hospital or a bookstore has a flood, Binc can step in and pay their bills, no questions asked... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-29 08:48:18 UTC ]
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HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan have said they won't attend Frankfurt Book Fair's physical event, scheduled to take place in October, while other UK publishers and agents say they are uncertain about whether to go. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-28 12:40:55 UTC ]
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Waterstones c.e.o. James Daunt and Bloomsbury founder Nigel Newton are among the list of speakers for the IPG's first ever Virtual Spring Conference, which is now fully booked. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-28 09:42:14 UTC ]
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Pan Macmillan has landed Kristin Hannah's new novel in a six-figure deal ahead of the Netflix series of her book Firefly Lane (Pan). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-26 08:06:35 UTC ]
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HarperCollins has landed a book by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution recounting some of its most dramatic rescues. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-22 01:34:27 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury Publishing reported a 10% profit increase in the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, over fiscal 2019. The publisher said its business in the current fiscal year has suffered "significant disruption" because of the coronavirus pandemic, but said it is "well placed to benefit from... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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April 2020 year‐to‐date revenue at Bloomsbury Publishing has fallen just 3%, the company has reported as part of its full-year results announcement, with print revenues at 87% of last year’s sales and academic digital revenues up by over 52% year on year. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-19 21:51:31 UTC ]
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As part of its annual Giving scheme, HarperCollins parent firm News Corp has donated £100,000 to four UK and Irish charities focused on supporting communities struggling during the coronavirus crisis. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-19 18:51:43 UTC ]
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A survey of indie presses shows that 60% fear they could be out of business by the autumn, writes Galley Beggar Press cofounder Sam JordisonOver the past few years, the success of independent publishers such as Fitzcarraldo, And Other Stories, Bluemooose and Influx Press has been something to... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-05-15 06:00:32 UTC ]
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Global revenues at HarperCollins fell 2% year on year for the three months ending 31st March while parent firm News Corp reported an 8% decline over the same period. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-10 13:25:40 UTC ]
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Survey shows 60% expect the impact of the pandemic may put them out of business, prompting calls for concerted helpMore than half of the UK’s small publishers fear they could be out of business by the autumn as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to research by the Bookseller, which... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-05-07 15:02:20 UTC ]
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HarperCollins Children’s Books is bringing back Michael Bond’s classic The Adventures of Parsley the Lion in a new gift edition illustrated by Rob Biddulph. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-07 05:17:26 UTC ]
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Industry Notes: Timely moves as the coronavirus pandemic propels interest in e-formats and audio in particular: Yale opens its own audio shop and HarperCollins issues digital Caedmon classics. The post HarperCollins on Caedmon Digital Audio; Yale Press Audio on First Titles appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-05-06 16:38:21 UTC ]
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Children's author and illustrator Rob Biddulph is attempting to break the world record for the largest online art lesson, in partnership with HarperCollins and global talent investor Entrepreneur First. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-06 15:32:05 UTC ]
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HarperCollins has signed up a book by Jay Morton, an ex-Special Forces sergeant and recent recruit to Channel 4 series “SAS: Who Dares Wins”. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-05 03:47:48 UTC ]
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The Bookseller will begin this week to republish its May and June previews showcasing titles that have been rescheduled, as a result of the lockdown, as well as those that are still being published during those months. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-04 16:17:03 UTC ]
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The Bookseller and writer development charity Spread the Word have launched a survey of small independent presses to assess the financial pressures they are under as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-04 09:12:42 UTC ]
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HarperCollins has completed its acquisition of children's publisher Egmont Books UK for an undisclosed sum, the firm confirmed today (1st May). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-01 09:43:59 UTC ]
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HarperCollins is launching an e-book subscription service called We Love Romance, providing unlimited access to thousands of Mills & Boon titles. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-30 01:34:32 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House owner Bertelsmann has reported a first quarter revenue decline of 2.7% in what it said was a “satisfactory” performance given the challenge of Covid-19. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-29 16:46:13 UTC ]
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