By Siobhan O’Leary The international symposium “China and the World – Perceptions and Realities,” scheduled for this weekend in Frankfurt has been overshadowed by a controversy involving the cancelled participation of Chinese dissident writers. As reported in most of the German dailies, including Die Zeit and the Süddeutsche Zeitung, authors Dai Qing (the 68-year-old who is one of China’s leading investigative and environmental journalists) and Bei Ling …
What’s The Buzz: Most Pirated Books, UK Needs the Kindle, Quartet Press Shutters
By Hannah Johnson The best of the blogosphere and social media… The Independent brings us a list of the top 10 pirated ebooks that were downloaded from BitTorrent, a popular, free file-sharing platform. Apart from Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, the books on this list are mostly about sex and self-improvement. Publishers working in these genres, take note: The Complete Illustrated …
German Buch News: Panel on the Google Settlement; Kids Book Prices Up 12%
By Siobhan O’Leary You can’t browse through the German trade publications without reading story after story about the European statement objecting to the Google Settlement. Today, BuchReport features a round-up of an IFA panel discussion on the subject, which included Börsenverein chief executive Alexander Skipis, Berlin-based Google lobbyist Annette Kroeber-Riel, Dieter Gorny of the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (the German Music Industry …
Global Trade Talk: James Patterson Inks Deal for 17 Books; EC on Digital Copyright
By Edward Nawotka Well, we know one writer who won’t be out of work for awhile: mystery and thriller writer James Patterson has just signed a 17-book deal with his US publisher Little, Brown. “The deal includes 11 adult titles, to be published in hardcover by Little, Brown and Company and in paperback by Grand Central Publishing, and six titles …
German Buch News: Small Pubs on Facebook; Interactive Kid’s Books
By Siobhan O’Leary German publishers are setting up their own Facebook fan pages in increasing numbers, but size doesn’t seem to matter when it comes to attracting the most fans on the world’s largest social network. According to BuchMarkt, small independent publishers have the most success in attracting followers. The first through third ranks are held by Echtzeit Verlag, Residenz …
What’s the Buzz: E-books Offer Hope for Translations; 40 E-readers Expected
By Hannah Johnson The best of the blogosphere and social media… Over at Three Percent, Chad Post of Open Letter Books has written a four-part essay on e-books and translations. But, anyone lucky enough to be attending this week’s Reykjavík International Literary Festival can see him present it in person. Post argues that, because the majority of translations published in the …
German Buch News: Read a Mystery and Learn German, Amazon.de Breaks Embargo on Raunacht
By Siobhan O’Leary Read a murder mystery and learn some German in the process. That’s the idea behind Cornelsen Verlag’s latest iPhone and iPod Touch app, produced in collaboration with textunes, for the book Liebe bis in den Tod (Love Unto Death). According to BuchMarkt, the app is part text and part audio book. It features interactive exercises, definitions, and …
Global Trade Talk: Early UK Holiday Discounting; Would Salinger Appear in Court?
By Edward Nawotka In the US, retailers may have put their Halloween costumes on sale, but in the UK, at least one major retailer is already discounting hot holiday books. The Bookseller cites the £9.99 r.r.p. for Jamie Oliver’s new book, Jamie’s America, which Waterstone’s is currently offering both online and off in the UK. At £9.99, that’s “62% off …
German Buch News: Indie Award “Hotlist” Criticized as Not Inclusive Enough
By Siobhan O’Leary The decision by a band of independent German publishers to launch their own book “Hotlist” as an alternative to the German Book Awards (see our coverage here) has been met with quite a bit of criticism in the trades. For starters, the Boersenblatt reports that the Kurt Wolff Stiftung (KWS) — a prominent foundation that supports the …
Global Trade Talk: The Fight for Bologna’s Fourth Day, LBF Highlights Russia in 2011
By Edward Nawotka The Bologna Children’s Book Fair may be forced to reinstate its fourth day following protests from international publishers, reports The Bookseller. Fair organizers decided to shorten the event from four days to three without consulting exhibitors, or without a reduction of fees. Numerous publishers have refused to pay deposits for next year exhibits until the fourth day …