The novelist Robert Harris was right to call the BBC’s lack of a books show a ‘disgrace’. There’s plenty the corporation could do to make a popular literary programme on TVWith injury, there is always a little insult. When a BBC spokesperson, responding to Robert Harris’s complaints at the Costa book of the year ceremony about the absence of a dedicated book show on its television channels, pointed out that the corporation was responsible for introducing readers to books by way of adaptations such as Wolf Hall and The Casual Vacancy, one might feel that Harris’s comments – in which he called the absence of a BBC TV books show an ‘absolute disgrace’ – had been somewhat misunderstood.While Hilary Mantel and JK Rowling, their publishers, agents and the book industry doubtless benefit from book adaptations, the BBC’s motive in putting them on is not altruistic. It does not broadcast these adaptations to benefit poor, garret-bound writers, nor because it thinks the publishing industry is struggling to connect with potential readers, nor because it worries that amid the hubbub of rapid-fire entertainment opportunities, the novel is becoming marginalised. It does it because the best novels - whether classic or contemporary, comic or tragic, philosophical or political or romantic - are masterpieces of narrative and entertainment. The BBC is in the debt of writers of such novels as Parade’s End, Mapp and Lucia, South Riding, Death Comes to Pemberley and The Night Watch for... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2015-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
New study reveals Julia Donaldson, David Walliams and JK Rowling lead the top 1% of authors, who account for nearly a third of all UK book salesThe gap between publishing’s rich and poor continues to widen, as figures from Nielsen BookScan reveal that the top 50 authors account for more than 13%... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing a children’s book in Russia is not a straightforward matter, as Anna Starobinets found when her detective stories set among woodland animals were deemed to be far too beastly for children I wrote my first children’s book, The Land of Good Girls, in 2009 for my then five-year-old... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What is going on with ebooks? As 2016 dawns, what’s driving a decline in trade ebook sales is one of the big questions hanging over the publishing industry. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Bookseller's conference FutureBook 2015 was a timely reminder for the publishing industry that its digital transformation has barely begun, that it has a whole universe of possibilities to explore, and that its careful progression may yet turn into an unsightly stumble. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-12-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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JK Rowling's pseudonym Robert Galbraith, Ian McEwan and BBC journalist Kirsty Wark make the longlist for the world's richest literary prize, the International Impac Dublin Literary Award. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2015-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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University Press Week runs November 8-14. This handy infographic summarizes all you need to know about this dynamic segment of the publishing industry. The post Infographic: Launching University Press Week, November 8-14 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author James Dawson argues that the publishing industry needs not to fight the power of YouTube, but rather seek to harness it. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Magician series among children’s books boosting revenue at publishing house, with pre-tax profits at £1.9m Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury has reported a jump in half-year sales after a strong performance from educational and children’s books. Sales were up 11.6% to £52.7m in the six months to... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new play will pick up the story of Harry Potter where the seventh and final volume of JK Rowling's saga left off, with a plot involving a grown-up Harry and his youngest son, Albus. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2015-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week, we asked our readers what the publishing industry could do to encourage diversity within its ranks. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Despite media reports to the contrary, Spain’s publishing industry is robust and diverse, and investing for the future, writes Antonio María Ávila. The post Spain’s Publishing Industry: Positioned to Fight for the Future appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blendle isn’t just about unbundling the traditional news package. The Dutch startup is quietly building a set of tools for the publishing industry that goes well beyond selling stories by the slice within a neatly designed interface &nd ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing is more sinned against than sinning. You won’t find it hard to find someone somewhere having a pop at the business of books, pointing out its failings while ignoring its successes. It comes with the territory: that shock of the new and frustration with the traditional. As journalist... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From editorial assistants to senior VP’s, this is how much people who work in publishing reported earning last year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After a decade of change in the publishing industry, the 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair (which runs October 14–18) marks something of a turning point. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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More popular here than JK Rowling, No 1 children's author Andy Griffiths is in New Zealand meeting fans and signing books to promote his much-loved Treehouse book series. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2015-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Independent Publishers Guild (IPG) has become a member of the Publishers Licensing Society (PLS), meaning IPG members will now have a stronger voice in the area of collective licensing and the management of rights. The IPG will be the first new member to join the society since it was... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There’s a huge problem at the moment in journalism and the publishing industry, which is that no journalism or media company has figured out how to actually fund their content in this new age of the Internet. The big reason is that newspape ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mexico's publishing industry has great potential, but the lack of organized government is a persistent problem, argues Déborah Holtz of Trilce Ediciones. The post Mexico Needs a Government Policy to Promote Publishing, Reading appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW's Star Watch honors the publishing industry's up-and-coming talent. Get to know tomorrow's leaders. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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