The publishers' year: hits and misses of 2013

Publishers choose their books of the year, and the ones that got awayRobin Robertson Deputy publishing director, Jonathan CapeThe book that made my year: Many years ago, I was sitting in Blake's bar in Enniskillen with John McGahern and he recommended an American novel from the 60s, written by John Williams: a book called Stoner. I thought it was astonishing, and I passed it to vintage, who brought it out in 2003 with John's introduction. Like so many great books, it promptly disappeared, again – only to come back this year, miraculously, and succeed.Our book that deserved to do better: Chamber Music by Tom Benn. It's the late 1990s, in the middle of the drug wars on the estates of Manchester, and complicated antihero Bane is pitched against a Yardie called Hagfish, whose weapon of choice is a Komodo dragon. Tom Benn – still only 26 – is writing these amazing dialogue-driven noir literary thrillers that, as the blurb says, "do for low-life Manchester what Trainspotting did for Leith", and no one is paying attention.I wish I'd published: Cormac McCarthy, as usual. Even a screenplay by Cormac McCarthy, like The Counsellor (Picador).Alexandra Pringle Editor-in-chief, BloomsburyThe book that made my year: In a year that included fiction by George Saunders, Aminatta Forna, Colum McCann, Jhumpa Lahiri, Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Gilbert and Khaled Hosseini, how can I choose? But perhaps in the end it will be 21-year-old Samantha Shannon's debut The Bone Season, which hit the... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #annie proulx #eimear mcbride

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The publishers' year: hits and misses of 2013'


Transworld to publish first travel book from Bryson in 15 years

Bill Bryson’s first travel book in 15 years will be published by Transworld in autumn. The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island will be a new journey around Britain by the writer. The book was announced today (26th February) at the Penguin Random House sales conference. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bill bryson #travel book #small island


Why book publishers will miss Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart was known for bringing attention to lower-profile, more obscure books. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publishers #jon stewart


Self-published Rodgers hits a million in sales

Self-published author Sheila Rodgers has sold a million copies of her ebook Only the Innocent and two sequels, agent Lizzy Kremer has confirmed. Rodgers, who writes under the pen name Rachel Abbott, sold her books through Amazon Kindle after being rejected by literary agents. The first, Only... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #million copies #rachel abbott #amazon kindle #literary agents #reached number #kindle store


How European publishers set their tech priorities for the year

European executives from Mashable, Quartz, Dennis, RTE and Sanoma share their tech priorities for the coming year. The post How European publishers set their tech priorities for the year appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #coming year #year appeared


DCMS stats: wider publishing industry worth £9.9bn in 2013

The wider publishing industry – including book, journal, newspaper and magazine publishing - was worth more than £9.9bn to the UK economy in 2013, 3.2% up from the year before, according to newly released government statistics. The rise is slightly above the 2013 UK annual inflation rate of 2.5%. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk economy


Second Story Press Celebrates 25 Years of Feminist and Social Justice Publishing

When Toronto-based Second Story Press celebrated its 25th anniversary this month, the room at a community center in downtown Toronto was filled with authors and illustrators who have helped the press pursue its goal of publishing important feminist and social justice books for young readers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #25th anniversary #community center #downtown toronto #young readers


The 10 Premium Publishers Hit Hardest by Fraudulent Ad Sellers

Buyer beware: Ad analytics platform Pixalate says fraudulent ad networks are increasingly joining open, real-time-bidding (RTB) marketplaces and then selling brands fake space on premium sites like YouTube, The Weather Channel and Yahoo. While the victims think their messages will appear on the... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #asian countries #detailed explanation


Donaldson hits £10m for a record-breaking fifth straight year

Julia Donaldson has bested fellow bestsellers J K Rowling, Jamie Oliver and Dan Brown to become the only author to record annual sales of over £10m in five consecutive years. The Gruffalo creator sold almost £239,000 last week through Nielsen BookScan's Total Consumer Market, to bring her tally... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #straight year #julia donaldson #jamie oliver #dan brown #consecutive years #nielsen bookscan


Self-Published Books Topped 450,000 in 2013

Although it comes with a number of caveats, Bowker's newest report on the number of self-published titles rose again in 2013, increasing 16.5%, to 458,564. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Publishing Pay Rose 2.8% in 2013

The average pay raise for publishing employees in 2013 was 2.8%, according to PW’s just-concluded salary survey. The percentage increase last year was the same as in 2012, when the survey also found that pay had risen by 2.8%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Self-publishing becomes larger focus at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair

The Frankfurt Book Fair will organize a two-day self-publishing and author program at the 2014 fair this year, aimed at an international audience. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #international audience


Copyright Changes Hit Canadian Publishers Hard

When the Canadian Copyright Modernization Act was passed in 2012, publishing associations were happy with certain aspects of the legislation, including its antipiracy measures. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Elmore Leonard's unpublished stories to be published next year

From small-town New Mexico to a military base in Kuala Lumpur, publisher promises 'razor-sharp dialogue and headlong pacing'A collection of previously unpublished short stories by the late Elmore Leonard will be released next year, his publisher has said. Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publisher promises #elmore leonard #military base #kuala lumpur


Comics, Graphic Novels Market Hit $870 Million in 2013

Led by book format comics with $415 million in sales, the North American comics and graphic novel marketplace generated $870 million in sales in 2013, according to a new estimate by ICV2 and Comichron. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Self-publishing boom lifts sales by 79% in a year

18m titles bought by readers in 2013, to a value of £300m, as print sales' decline continuesSelf-published books' share of the UK market grew by 79% in 2013, with 18m self-published books bought by UK readers last year, according to new statistics.With print sales falling by 10% last year, and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #statistics released #uk consumers #print sales #book purchases


Samuel Beckett story to be published 80 years after it was rejected

Nobel laureate was told by publisher that 'people will shudder and be puzzled and confused' by reading Echo's BonesA previously unpublished story by Samuel Beckett will go on sale in bookshops for the first time, 80 years after his publisher rejected it as a nightmare read that gave him "the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nobel laureate #final story #chatto windus


Amazon Publishing UK plans 500 titles this year

Amazon Publishing plans to release more than 500 titles in the UK this year, the company's... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


JRR Tolkien translation of Beowulf to be published after 90-year wait

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings author's version of epic Anglo-Saxon poem fleshes out heroes' past, says son who edited manuscriptHwæt! Almost 90 years after JRR Tolkien translated the 11th-century poem Beowulf, The Lord of the Rings author's version of the epic story is to be published for the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #huge bestseller


Indie Creators Self-Publish 1,000 Comics on ComiXology in One Year

On the one-year anniversary of the service, digital comics locus ComiXology says it now offers more than 1,000 titles through its self-publishing platform Submit.     Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #one-year anniversary


Quarto rebrands publishing divisions, records 'solid' 2013

The Quarto Group has rebranded its publishing divisions, and announced what c.e.o. Marcus Leaver... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #quarto group #publishing divisions #marcus leaver