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 ]

Other news stories related to: "Whither the Midlist Publisher?"


A Small Press Book We Love: Point Zero by Seichō Matsumoto

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-28 13:15:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: The Fisherman by John Langan

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-27 13:15:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Minor Detail by Adaina Shibli

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-26 13:15:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Provisionally Yours by Antanas Sileika

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-25 13:15:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Little Blue Encyclopedia (For Vivian) by Hazel Jane Plante

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-24 13:15:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Loved and Missed by Susie Boyt

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-21 13:15:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Duplex by Kathryn Davis

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-20 13:15:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Let Me Clear My Throat by Elena Passarello

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-19 13:15:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Children of the Ghetto by Elias Khoury

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-18 13:15:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Margaret the First by Danielle Dutton

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-17 14:45:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Naples 1349 by Amedeo Feniello

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-14 13:30:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Pipe Dreams on Pico by Brent L. Smith

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-13 13:30:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-12 13:30:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: That We May Live: Speculative Chinese Fiction

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-11 13:30:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Wings in Time by Callie Garnett

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-10 13:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: The Bear by Andrew Krivak

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-06 14:28:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: The President’s Room by Ricardo Romero

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-05 14:30:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-04 14:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Small Press Book We Love: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Small presses have had a rough year, but as the literary world continues to conglomerate, we at Literary Hub think they’re more important than ever. Which is why, every (work) day in March—which just so happens to be National Small Press Month—a Lit Hub staff member will be recommending a small... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-03-04 14:17:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Can the Classic Road Trip Novel Survive the Climate Crisis?

Climate change is conspicuously absent from most realist, literary fiction set in the present day. Hurricanes, wildfires, floods, droughts and other natural disasters are part of our daily lives, yet they’re absent, save for brief mentions of a news clip for a college protest from much of our... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2025-03-04 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this