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?"


Bookstore Spotlight: White Whale Bookstore

We talk with Jill and Adlai Yeomans, owners of White Whale Bookstore in Pittsburgh, Pa., which focuses on literary fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Apparently, those who read literary fiction—but not other kinds—have a more “complex worldview.”

Yep, as the guy in your MFA already knows, turns out reading literary fiction is better for you than reading other kinds of fiction—especially if you grew up doing it. In a new paper published this week in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, scholars Nicholas Buttrick, Erin C.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-08 16:16:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this


10 Books About Young Women in (and Out) of Love

The best literary fiction is in some ways a simple character study. It is a roadmap into the interiority of a specific character: the way they think, how their identity impacts their relationships, and what decisions get made in response to the socio-political pressures shaping their lives. But... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-06-24 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


When a Novel Reimagines a Nation

Patrice Nganang’s Cameroon trilogy challenges the capacities of literary fiction with the turbulent complexities of his home country. Continue reading at New Yorker

[ New Yorker | 2022-06-20 10:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Barnes & Noble Announces Their Best Books of 2022 So Far

Ranging from middle grade fantasy to adult literary fiction and romance, here are Barnes & Noble's top 10 books of 2022 so far. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-06-07 13:23:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Best Audiobooks 2022 Has To Offer (So Far!)

The best audiobooks 2022 has to offer includes everything from memoir to literary fiction and even poetry. Find your next listen! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-05-31 10:39:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Jennifer Egan wants to save literary fiction from itself

Jennifer Egan walks and talks — about 'The Candy House,' her sequel to 'A Visit From the Goon Squad,' and why she still believes in fiction and humanity. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-04-03 12:00:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Little A acquires 'powerful' memoir from Polari Prize founder Burston

Little A, the literary fiction and non-fiction imprint of Amazon Publishing, has acquired a "powerful" memoir by Paul Burston, founder of the Polari Prize, the UK’s first and largest LGBTQ+ book award. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-09 09:18:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Libro.fm Announces Their Top 10 Bestselling Audiobooks of 2021

Here are Libro.fm's top 10 bestselling audiobooks of 2021, including book club picks, mysteries, memoirs, nonfiction, and literary fiction. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-11-18 15:24:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Ali and Egan headline Little, Brown spring 2022 showcase

Monica Ali, Jennifer Egan and Laline Paull were among those headlining the Little, Brown Literary Fiction Spring Showcase 2022.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-11 16:38:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Which Book Cover Looks Better, the British or American Version?

Over the past few years, there’s been a lot of heated discourse surrounding a trend in book covers in which many new releases opt for variations of the same colorful abstractions: The Blob. Somehow deemed appropriate for everything from dystopian debuts to literary fiction bestsellers, these... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2021-11-05 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Best New and Upcoming Paperbacks for Your Book Club

From magic realism and folklore retellings to literary fiction and nonfiction, here are some of the best paperback releases for book club. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-10-28 10:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Where Have All the Midsize Book Publishers Gone?

The ever-consolidating U.S. trade publishing market is increasingly characterized by five dominant publishers, scores of small presses, and few midsize players. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-10-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Maidment steps up to agent at Madeleine Milburn

The Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency has promoted Olivia Maidment to literary agent to build its literary fiction list.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-30 10:47:49 UTC ]
More news stories like this


7 Flash Fiction Collections You Should Be Reading

Flash fiction has never been hotter. A tectonic shift over the last 20 years in how narrative is conveyed—fueled largely by the online journal’s rise from (mostly) irrelevance to somewhere near the top of the literary fiction food chain—has created the perfect environment for disseminating... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2021-09-20 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Elizabeth Barrett Browning was ahead of her time. ‘Two-Way Mirror’ does justice to her riveting life.

Fiona Sampson’s biography reads like a thriller, a memoir and a provocative piece of literary fiction. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-08-17 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Keeping a Critical Eye on Brazil: A Conversation with Emilio Fraia, by Anderson Tepper

Interviews Emilio Fraia’s Sevastopol, out this summer from New Directions, is the sort of book that beguiles and dazzles in equal measure. Consisting of three disparate stories—of a mountain climber attempting to scale Mt. Everest, a mysterious loner... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2021-08-09 20:31:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Pandemic Love (in 13 Romance Tropes) March 2020–2021, by Laura Bernstein-Machlay

Pandemic Dispatches Photo by Daniel Tafjord / Unsplash Unrequited love I download a book. One of those books—for women. Certainly not porn, but you know. Never mind the shirtless guy gracing its cover (his lumpy, bumpy abs—oh my!), or the wanton... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2021-06-16 13:40:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this


5 Contemporary Literary Fiction Books That Are Game-Changers

If you want to do some serious reading to reflect on humanity and its many aspects, these 5 contemporary literary fiction books are for you, including A Burning By Megha Majumdar. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-05-28 10:38:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


U.S. Book Show: PW Editors' Picks, Literary Fiction

Sally Rooney, Lauren Groff, and Atticus Lish were among the authors whose upcoming works of literary fiction were highlighted during this Editors' Picks panel hosted by 'PW' reviews editor David Varno. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this