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"


Financial Results Show Some Improvement at HarperCollins

After falling 12% in the six-month period ended December 31, 2022, sales steadied at $515 million at HarperCollins in the quarter ended March 31, 2023, though earnings fell again, dropping 9%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Deals: Week of May 1, 2023

HarperCollins buys world rights to a collection of journals and lyrics by Amy Winehouse, NBCC winner Isaac Butler sells a “military history of the first decade in the culture wars” to Bloomsbury, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Harper Design Closed Among More Layoffs at HarperCollins

As part of a plan to cut 5% of its North American workforce force by June 30, HarperCollins has closed its Harper Design imprint this week, among other layoffs. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Linda Reynolds reaches settlement with journalist Aaron Patrick and HarperCollins after suing for defamation

Exclusive: former minister was seeking damages over book she alleged made defamatory statements about her response to Brittany Higgins’ allegations of rapeFollow our Australia news live blog for the latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastLinda... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-27 05:18:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Definitive proof that publishing your novel won’t make you happy.

Hug an author today! Fifty-four percent of debut authors responding to Bookseller survey said the process had a negative impact on their mental health—equally likely to feel bummed out whether they pubbed with a Big Four or an indie publisher. One, quoted anonymously in The Bookseller’s report,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-24 15:32:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Barnes & Noble Revamps Loyalty Program with Premium Membership

The bookseller announced new benefits and discount perks in an effort to "revitalize" its membership ranks and unveiled an alternative free B&N Rewards loyalty program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


London Book Fair 2023: Brian Murray, the Ukrainian First Lady, and a Shocking Arrest Start the Show

On Day One in London, HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray said the publisher may still try to buy Simon & Schuster, Ukrainian first lady Olena Zolenska addressed the fair over video, and the floor was aflutter over the arrest of the foreign rights manager at French publisher Éditions La Fabrique... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Charkin: ‘The Culture of Bloomsbury and Industry Progress’

The 'Miss Pergamon' contest, Bloomsbury, and 'the prominent roles taken by women' in publishing are on Richard Charkin's mind, in this exclusive pre-publication excerpt from his forthcoming memoir. The post Charkin: ‘The Culture of Bloomsbury and Industry Progress’ appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-10 05:00:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Amazon to close Book Depository online shop

Gloucester-based bookseller bought by the retail giant in 2011 will shut at the end of AprilThe online shop Book Depository is due to close at the end of April, vendors and publishing partners have been told. This comes after the bookseller’s parent company Amazon announced it had decided to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-04 11:07:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Finding “Enough”: A Conversation with Nicole Chung, by Renee H. Shea

Finding “Enough”: A Conversation with Nicole Chung, by Renee H. Shea Interviews [email protected] Mon, 04/03/2023 - 21:13 Writer and editor Nicole Chung is the author of the best-selling memoir All You Can Ever Know (Catapult, 2018), the story of... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2023-04-04 02:13:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A new edition of Gone With the Wind comes with a warning.

The latest edition of Margaret Mitchell’s Civil War epic Gone With the Wind, published by Pan Macmillan in the UK, carries a warning on the first page, The Telegraph (which is really making this kind of thing their beat) reports. It goes like this: Gone with the Wind is a novel which includes... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-03 14:34:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Hitting the Books: Sputnik's radio tech launched a revolution in bird migration research

"Birds fly South for the winter and North for the summer," has historically proven to be only slightly less reliable a maxim than the sun always rising in the East and setting in the West. Humanity has been fascinated by the comings and goings of our avian neighbors for millennia, but the why's... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-04-02 14:30:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Children’s books publisher Peter Usborne dies at 85

Publisher pays tribute to ‘genius’ who was an ‘inspirational leader’Peter Usborne, the founder of the children’s books publisher Usborne and the co-founder of Private Eye magazine, has died aged 85, the publisher has announced.He died “unexpectedly but peacefully” surrounded by his family this... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-03-30 18:46:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this


This Aussie author had a book idea while ‘high as a kite’ after brain surgery.

She might not have written an entire book in one day, but Australian author Karina May has a pretty good, pretty sweat-smile story behind the rom-commy Duck à l’Orange for Breakfast, which comes out March 28 from Pan Macmillan Australia. First, you need to understand the plot: The novel centers... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-22 08:59:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Hachette, HarperCollins Offer Voluntary Severance

Hachette Book Group and HarperCollins are both offering voluntary severance packages to some of their employees. The decisions come as publishers confront a difficult retail environment and rising costs associated with inflation and other economic factors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-07 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


HarperCollins, Elf on the Shelf Sign Deal for a Dozen Books

HarperCollins has secured the global rights from the Lumistella Company to publish books tied to the Elf on the Shelf universe over the next five years. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-07 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Barnes & Noble is stealing the indie shop playbook, and it’s working

James Daunt launched his first indie bookshop in London 33 years ago. The Barnes & Noble CEO is now bringing the lessons he learned to the biggest bookseller in America. If you’re strolling down the Marylebone High Street in London, you’ll stumble across a popular bookstore called Daunt... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-02-28 04:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Exclusive Cover Reveal: Isle McElroy’s “People Collide”

Electric Literature is pleased to reveal the cover for acclaimed writer Isle McElroy’s sophomore novel, People Collide, which will be published by HarperCollins this September. When Eli wakes up alone in the cramped Bulgarian apartment he shares with Elizabeth, his more organized and successful... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-02-22 15:10:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Unionized HarperCollins Employees Are Back to Work After a 3-Month Strike

The return, after an agreement that brought a raise in pay for the lowest earners at the publisher, represented a victory to many of the more than 250 workers involved. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-02-21 19:43:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Good… news? The HarperCollins Union has approved a new deal!

After almost hitting the 100-day mark on the picket line, HarperCollins Union members (UAW 2110) have agreed to a tentative deal with management. According to this tweet, yesterday, employees expect to return to work on February 21. Big News!!! We have voted to ratfiy the contract and will be... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-17 16:54:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this