Whither the Midlist Publisher?

For nearly a decade, some say even longer, people in the publishing industry have been decrying the death of the midlist. As the story goes, the industry consolidated—smaller and midsize publishers were gobbled up and brought together into six large houses that themselves are small pieces of bigger media conglomerates—and the expectations for a title’s sales and revenue rose. With consolidation, the big players began swinging for the fences, focusing on acquiring big bestsellers (or at least books they thought they could turn into big bestsellers), abandoning a model in which they could make small amounts of money on books for audiences of varying sizes. Now, as a result of these changes, the sea of authors who sold modestly at the big six are increasingly being turned away. While a cluster of small presses have sprung up that trade in specialized categories and literary fiction, more commercial authors, abandoned by their big publishers, are finding there aren’t many options in the middle. Continue reading at 'Publishers Weekly'

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]

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Spring 2025 Fiction & Nonfiction Preview: Literary Fiction

Among this spring’s most anticipated offerings are the latest novel from Susan Choi, about a father’s mysterious disappearance, and Colum McCann’s tale of transcontinental cables and the deep sea divers who repair them. Other noteworthy titles include novels by Morgan Jerkins, Torrey Peters,... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-12-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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A Love Song to the Philippines: The Revolutionary Power of Jessica Hagedorn’s Dogeaters

Dogeaters wasn’t just the first Filipino American novel I ever read; it was the first work of literary fiction I picked up on my own outside of a classroom. I was in my mid-twenties. I had already flunked out of college twice, having spent exponentially more time behind turntables, picking... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-11-13 09:56:39 UTC ]
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Our 15 Most-Read Posts Of All Time

Fifteen years ago, Electric Literature started as a print and digital quarterly journal during the glory days of the print magazine era. Our very first issue surpassed 10,000 copies in sales, we were stocked in newsstands and bookstores, and as an e-book. We were one of the first to publish... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-09-27 11:10:00 UTC ]
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All the times Sally Rooney was saner than Book Media.

It’s delightful, on the one hand, to have a feverish Book Event. I’m as excited as anyone that we’re doing midnight release parties for literary fiction in the year of our lord 2024. That said, we need to talk about the Rooneyverse. This week, we’re getting a novel—Intermezzo—from Sally Rooney,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-09-23 13:55:56 UTC ]
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Tim O'Connell Takes the Reigns at Saga Press

O’Connell comes to Saga from the flagship Simon & Schuster imprint, for which he will continue to acquire literary fiction and select nonfiction. Joe Monti, who founded Saga in 2015, has been promoted to VP, associate publisher, and editorial director. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-09-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A Real Contender for Best Book of the 21st Century

A work of literary fiction with a mystery at its center that explores family, friendship, and loss. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-07-19 16:15:00 UTC ]
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Our 21 Most-Anticipated Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Books for the Rest of 2024

It might be a bad year in the world, generally speaking, but it has been a great year for books—especially genre books! I love some good literary fiction as much as anybody but I’m a sucker for a good book of magic, dragons, spaceships, monsters, slashers, ghosts, etc… and so I’ve been combing... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-07-03 08:56:04 UTC ]
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Fall 2024 Adult Preview: Literary Fiction

Among this fall’s noteworthy titles are novels by Rachel Kushner, Richard Price, and Elizabeth Strout about people grasping for a sense of community in a changing world. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Atria to Relaunch Washington Square Press Imprint

Washington Square Press, which has for years served as a home for many of Atria's trade paperback conversions, will relaunch as a frontlist hardcover imprint in spring 2025. Helmed by Atria VP and editorial director Lindsay Sagnette, the reimagined imprint will focus on literary fiction,... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Can We Truly Be Free of Our Past? A Conversation with Wendy Chen, by Xixuan Collins

Can We Truly Be Free of Our Past? A Conversation with Wendy Chen, by Xixuan Collins Interviews [email protected] Mon, 04/29/2024 - 15:10 An epic family saga that spans over one hundred years and two countries, Wendy Chen’s powerful, lyrical debut,... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2024-04-29 20:10:46 UTC ]
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Hundreds of Small Presses Just Lost Their Distributor. Now What?

A nonprofit that distributed books for many of the country’s small presses has closed, and the fallout could affect the publishing industry in ways both big and small. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-04-17 09:03:54 UTC ]
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Small Press Distribution Shuts Down

The closure of SPD, one of the last independent distributors remaining in the United States, is the latest blow to small presses looking for options to get their titles into bookstores and other accounts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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U.K. Publishing Spotlight: Neem Tree's CEO Surveys the Indie Scene

An independent publisher considers the challenges and opportunities for small presses in her home market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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U.K. Publishing Supplement: Neem Tree's CEO Surveys the Indie Scene

An independent publisher considers the challenges and opportunities for small presses in her home market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The 23 Most Popular Books on Book Riot in 2023

These are the 23 most clicked-on books featured on Book Riot in 2023, from fantasy to literary fiction and more. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-01-16 11:45:00 UTC ]
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The best books we read in 2023

With El Niño slated to drop a warm, wet winter on most of the US in the coming months, everybody’s going to need something good to read while the weather outside is frightful. Engadget’s well-read staff have some suggestions: our favorite books of 2023! We’ve got a phenomenal assortment of... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-12-25 16:30:28 UTC ]
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Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2023

From history books to award-winning literary fiction to memoirs, here are the books Barack Obama named as his favorites of 2023. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-12-22 21:06:46 UTC ]
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Historical Fiction Books for People Who Don’t Like Historical Fiction

There are historical fiction books out there for every reader. Find recommendations for fans of literary fiction, romance, fantasy, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-12-19 11:32:00 UTC ]
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More Than a Satire: American Fiction is a Poignant Reflection on Existence

Of all the great premises™ boasted by this year’s slate of movies, the wonderful American Fiction has one of the very best. The film is about a veteran writer of literary fiction who, as a Black man, finds himself undesirable in the literary market for his lack of conforming to type. The... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-15 09:55:27 UTC ]
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Green City Books Grows in the Pacific Northwest

In Bend, Ore., Jessica Hammerman and Isaac Peterson have founded a small independent publishing house focused on literary fiction and memoir. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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