‘There’s an industry-wide mental health crisis’: authors and publishers on why the books sector needs to change

After a survey revealed the stresses that authors face when placed in the spotlight for the first time, publishing houses and industry bodies have pledged extra training and pastoral careAuthor and publisher welfare has been a hot topic in the books industry of late. Publishing houses, trade unions and industry bodies have scrambled for solutions following a survey by the Bookseller in which debut authors reported overwhelmingly negative publication experiences: more than half of respondents said the process adversely affected their mental health. Now, a series of measures are being rolled out across the industry in response to these concerns.This month, Anna Frame, communications director at the independent publisher Canongate, has confirmed the launch of two initiatives: an authors’ handbook in partnership with the Society of Authors (SoA) and a resource pack for publishers, in conjunction with English Pen. Canongate has also announced that it will publish fewer books so that it can dedicate more time to authors. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-18 15:13:43 UTC ]

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Coalition Sues Over New Arkansas Library Obscenity Law

A coalition of 18 plaintiffs—including a powerful alliance of library, publishing, author, and bookseller groups—are suing to strike down a controversial new law that would expose librarians and booksellers to criminal liability for making allegedly inappropriate books accessible to minors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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U.S. Book Show 2023: Jacqueline Woodson Works from Memory and Empathy

At a lunch-hour keynote on May 24, National Book Award winner and former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jacqueline Woodson sat down with bookseller Miwa Messer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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U.K.'s Joffe Books Acquires Choc Lit

The romance and women’s fiction specialist, with a 250-book backlist, was purchased for and undisclosed sum by the largest independent publisher of e-books in the U.K. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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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 ]
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Roald Dahl rewrites: edited language in books criticised as ‘absurd censorship’

Author Salman Rushdie among those angry after some passages relating to weight, gender, mental health and race were rewrittenCritics are accusing the British publisher of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s books of censorship after it removed colourful language from works such as Charlie and the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-02-20 04:05:42 UTC ]
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A Poetic Golden Anniversary for Copper Canyon Press

In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Washington state–based independent publisher has assembled a celebratory poetry anthology, ‘A House Called Tomorrow: Fifty Years of Poetry,’ that reintroduces milestone works by the press's many beloved poets. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Haymarket Book Publisher Offering Free eBooks on Black History

A Chicago-based independent publisher has responded to the recent attack on Black History by offering free books. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-02-08 16:46:55 UTC ]
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When my memoir came out, I got a brutal shock. Vulnerable writers need protection | Terri White

Nothing prepared me for revisiting the most painful times of my life – then being criticised for it. We need industry-wide guidelines to helpI called her Terri The World Gets. She was the outward-facing me, the woman I’d spent decades curating. And Terri The World Gets was about to be rocketed... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-02-08 08:00:10 UTC ]
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Joyce Meskis, Bookseller Who Defended Readers’ Rights, Dies at 80

Her Denver bookstore, the Tattered Cover, was among the country’s best, and she often found herself in the midst of First Amendment fights. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-01-07 20:10:30 UTC ]
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Egypt’s IPA Prix Voltaire Laureate Khaled Lotfy Out of Prison

The Prix Voltaire-winning Cairo publisher and bookseller Khaled Lotfy was released from prison, the IPA reports, on November 19. The post Egypt’s IPA Prix Voltaire Laureate Khaled Lotfy Out of Prison appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-01-03 05:05:52 UTC ]
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Big Bad Wolf’s Big Plans

As the cofounder of BookXcess and Big Bad Wolf, Andrew Yap is the most powerful bookseller you likely don’t know. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-30 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Denver Bookseller Joyce Meskis Dies, Age 80

Joyce Meskis, the long-time owner of Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, has died. She was 80 years old. Meskis was known as an innovative indie bookseller and a champion of free speech. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Denver Bookseller Joyce Meskis Dies, Age 80

Joyce Meskis, the long-time owner of Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Col., has died. She was 80 years old. Meskis was known as an innovative indie bookseller and a champion of free speech. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Harlequin Teams Up With Audio Up to Adapt 52 Romance Titles Into Scripted Podcasts

Audio production company Audio Up Media and book publishing house Harlequin Enterprises are teaming up to adapt 52 of the publisher's romance titles into scripted podcast series, with an eye to also turn these into--more highly monetizable--TV series. Audio Up, also home to mental health and... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2022-12-06 12:42:46 UTC ]
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Europe’s largest Middle Eastern bookseller to close

Al Saqi Books in London, which was established in 1978, blames closure on rise in prices of Arabic-language books and ‘detrimental’ effect of BrexitEurope’s largest specialist bookseller for Middle Eastern books, based in London, has been forced to close because of the hike in prices of... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-12-05 15:40:52 UTC ]
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What Happens When Publishing Houses Merge?

In November 2020, Penguin Random House expressed interest to buy competitor Simon & Schuster. What are the impacts of mergers such as this? Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-11-23 11:33:00 UTC ]
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