English Language

English-language markets are, in many respects, leading the way when it comes to digital content and book publishing innovation. Find information about trends, new developments and issues in these areas.

PP Appreciation: Jennifer Brown, Children’s Book Crusader

Jennifer Brown

The latest in our occasional series of profiles, Publishing People We Appreciate, looks at Jennifer Brown, critic, editor, and children’s book crusader.

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Why James Daunt Feels Waterstones is “Desperately Vulnerable”

Daunt-James-small

In a revealing interview, Waterstones MD James Daunt discusses why Amazon worries him so much, his admiration for Barnes & Noble and the Nook, and much more.

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Why Foreign Rights are a Big Deal for Small Publishers

Foreign Rights Books 3

At Berrett-Koehler Publishers foreign rights sales account for 10% of revenue, much of it from backlist, and are rewarding both financially and culturally.

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Polyglot vs. Translator: Different Takes on Multilingualism

Author Michael Erard spent years chasing polyglots around the globe

Not everyone can become a polyglot, so we still need translators — but the two treat the fact that all humans don’t speak the same language very differently.

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Why Foreign Bestsellers Often Fail in Japan

Virtual Hayakawa

Rongu seraa, the Japanese equivalent of bestselling backlist, means the odds are heavily stacked against new foreign bestsellers finding readers in Japan.

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New International Literary Magazine Covers the Intimate Side of War

warscapes cover

A new online magazine enlists top writers to covers stories of underrepresented world conflicts, underlining the personal, the intimate and the introspective.

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Bringing the Best of German Literature to NYC

Linda Stift is just one of the many authors featured at the festival

The Festival Neue Literatur, taking place in New York City, February 10-12, features German-speaking authors and reflects the changing face of Europe.

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Why a Book Editor Becomes a Literary Agent

Rebecca Carter

Rebecca Carter is leaving Random House to become an agent for Janklow & Nesbit. ‘My motivation comes from wanting to work with writers on editorial,’ she says.

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Intellectual Bullying or When Book Publicists Go Too Far

Hope A Tragedy

Critic Drew Nellins is shocked by the deluge of material-including five pages of blurbs-used to promote one novel. It lead’s him to ask: is excess the new norm?

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The Value Rubric: Do Book Bloggers Really Matter?

You Are My Only

Author Beth Kephart discusses the impact bloggers have had on her career, propelling her most recent novel into a third printing and foreign rights sales.

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