Will browsing be allowed, or will we have to judge a book by its cover? With Waterstones and some indie shops set to open on 15 June, Alison Flood finds out what the plan isMelissa Davies had planned to fulfil a lifelong dream and open her independent bookshop, Pigeon Books, in Southsea, at the beginning of April. Those plans were put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic, but with a relaxation of lockdown rules from next week, bookshops will be able to open to customers – for the first time in over two months. Davies and her husband are now preparing for a very different sort of opening. “We had to quickly rethink our entire business plan and how we could operate, and now we’re gearing up to open our doors for the first time under really different circumstances,” she says. The tiny Pigeon Books will ask its browsing customers to use hand sanitiser, or wear gloves, before and after touching books, and will restrict the number of customers in the shop to two at a time.“We’re excited about opening but also worried about how we’re going to make it work and how we can keep ourselves and our customers safe,” Davies says. She continues to work full time in customer service, and to write (her first poetry collection, Pineapples in the Pool, was published by Unbound in 2018). “We’ll be opening with reduced hours for a few weeks to see how things go. We’re so nervous about it though. Who opens a bookshop in a pandemic?” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-06-12 06:00:14 UTC ]
Hurst Publishers has launched a subscription service so that readers can support the company through the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-28 02:12:52 UTC ]
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The new campaign for the Portal From Facebook video-calling devices salutes mothers and their efforts during the coronavirus pandemic as Mother's Day approaches. Facebook said the integrated campaign will include a new television spot, digital content (both on- and off-Facebook) and partnerships... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2020-04-27 19:15:41 UTC ]
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PRH UK c.e.o. Tom Weldon and Hachette UK c.e.o. David Shelley are among more than 400 leading names from the creative industries warning half the UK's creative businesses could be lost due to the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-27 00:49:47 UTC ]
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The independent bookstore e-commerce site Bookshop.org has seen a 2,000% increase in sales in the last month and has become a lifeline for many stores that have been temporarily closed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet despite its apparent success, the site has skeptics. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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International publishing organizations are calling on this unique World Book and Copyright Day for support urgently needed by the books business—in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. The post World Book Day Messages: Appeals for the International Industry appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-04-23 15:50:28 UTC ]
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Fundraiser for retailers facing hardship during the coronavirus pandemic reveals that benefactor is internet giant widely blamed for trade’s declineAmazon, the internet retail giant vilified for years as public enemy No 1 to booksellers, has been revealed as the surprise mystery benefactor that... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-04-23 11:37:33 UTC ]
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The International Publishers Association (IPA) has called on world governments to help the global book trade using economic stimulus packages during the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-23 11:28:36 UTC ]
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The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted all aspects of book publishing, from putting pressure on sales channels to changing the kinds of books consumers want. A number of independent publishers have pivoted to meet the demand for books in newly-popular categories and formats. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Authors' Club has launched new digital initiative LitFest Online in response to the cancellation of festivals and bookshop events. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-22 02:33:41 UTC ]
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Physical books sales in the United States are holding up in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with NPD BookScan reporting that 166.9 million units had been sold in 2020 through the week ending 11th April, just a 1.3% decline on the same period in 2019. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-20 18:30:17 UTC ]
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The Artemis Fowl family adventure film, based on Eoin Colfer's books, was supposed to premiere in UK theatres in May, but has been moved online amid the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-20 16:37:28 UTC ]
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Subscribers to audiobook subscription platform BookBeat are growing during the coronavirus pandemic, with bestsellers and well-known authors performing best. The post Sweden’s BookBeat Rides High on the Pandemic’s Audiobook Boom appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-04-20 13:45:35 UTC ]
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Pinsky explains the neighborhood memories that spurred him to write “House Hour” and how he is using walks to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-04-17 12:18:21 UTC ]
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Sphere is publishing a collection of essays providing "a new non-fiction take on the Covid-19 pandemic". Titled A Little Light, it contains contributions from journalists including the science editors of both the Times and the Telegraph. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-17 00:13:49 UTC ]
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Even when shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic, libraries are coming up with creative ways to serve their communities. On March 16, the El Dorado County Library in California closed its doors to patrons after a state-wide stay-at-home order. But that hasn’t stopped the library, which serves... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2020-04-15 07:00:32 UTC ]
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A large group of comic book creators will be using Twitter to auction books, art and more to benefit stores upended by the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-04-14 13:49:17 UTC ]
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Italy, the country worst affected so far by the coronavirus pandemic in Europe, is allowing bookshops to reopen. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-13 17:18:11 UTC ]
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The best-selling author and co-owner of Books Are Magic discusses how her store is weathering the crisis while supporting writers, staff, and other bookstores. For years, independent bookstores fought to stay in business in the face of big box stores and Amazon’s unstoppable growth. Now, they... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2020-04-10 10:30:03 UTC ]
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The plight of independent bookstores during the coronavirus pandemic has brought an outpouring of public support—but, along with it, an often-overwhelming deluge of messaging about whom to support and how. A new app, Save Your Bookstore, is trying to pull more of it together in one place. Save... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-09 16:59:54 UTC ]
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Bradford Literature Festival, originally scheduled for 26th June-5th July, has been cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-08 15:04:29 UTC ]
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