By Liz Bury The London Book Fair 2010 will no doubt go down in publishing folklore as, like the title of an episode of Friends, “the one with the volcano.” Monday was to be the busiest day in Earls Court in London, but the aisles were noticeably quiet. Simon Master, former Random House deputy chairman and now adviser to the …
World’s Top Writers Hate Brad Meltzer
By Erin L. Cox Yesterday, to the surprise of the literary world, many of the world’s top writers signed a petition to ask New York Times bestselling writer Brad Meltzer, author of such books as The Book of Fate and the forthcoming Heroes for my Son, to stop writing. The petition, signed at the annual meeting of The Writer’s Club, states that …
What Makes for Effective Publisher Branding?
By Edward Nawotka Today’s lead story by Erin Cox urges publishers to pour effort and resources into branding themselves, essentially making their colophons and imprints into part of the sales pitch they make to customers with each and every book. As discussed in the article, there are a variety of reasons to do this, not the least of which is …
Do Analytics and Fan Interaction Help or Hinder Authors?
By Edward Nawotka Today’s lead story discusses what the book contract of the future might entail. A big part of that future is the new resource of online analytics that will enable authors to engage more fully and in real time with their readers, typically through blogging or social media. As Liz Bury, author of the article, explained to me …
Author Contracts 2.0: Putting Cash Before Copyright and Control
By Liz Bury In the world of multi-channel digital distribution the future author contract is likely to put transparency and cash flow above copyright protection, as a new working dynamic emerges between publishers and authors. The advent of digital distribution means that authors should “surrender to the inevitable” and let go of control of their work, said Clive Rich, principal …
Vitamins 2.0: How Children’s Books Can Change the World in the Digital Age
What type of illustrated kids’ books are most valuable? Perhaps those of most importance are the books done with manual, as opposed to digital artistry.
PEN World Voices Festival: 150 Authors, 40 Countries
By Edward Nawotka Mark your calendars: The schedule for the PEN World Voices Festival was released today. You can read it here. A few of the writers featured include: Mohsin Hamid, László Krasznahorkai, Andrea Levy, Yiyun Li, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, Sofi Oksanen, Atiq Rahimi, Salman Rushdie, Alberto Ruy-Sanchez, Patti Smith, Andrzej Stasiuk, and recent Publishing Perspectives contributor Miguel Syjuco. The Festival …
Asian Prize Changes Seem Puzzling, But Perhaps For the Better
Editorial by Miguel Syjuco, Winner of the 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize MONTREAL: When news arrived this week that the Man Asian Literary Prize would no longer be accepting unpublished manuscripts, and instead only published novels, dismay broke out among writers. On blogs, newsgroups, email, and networking sites, the communal shock developed into debate. On one side, the door through …
Stumbling on My “Dream Story” in Malta (Circa 1941)
By Mark Mills My new novel, The Information Officer, marks something of a new departure for me in that it’s a story that came about through pure chance. My previous two novels, Amagansett and The Savage Garden, are set in corners of the world that I know intimately — the South Fork of Long Island and the hills of Tuscany, respectively. …
The Book That Almost Never Was: ‘100 Stories for Haiti’
By Greg McQueen AARTHUS, DENMARK: The book 100 Stories for Haiti — a forthcoming charity anthology with proceeds going for Haitian earthquake relief — wouldn’t have been possible five years ago. As it happened, I posted an appeal for stories on the morning of Tuesday, January, 19. Just one week after the earthquake that left over 200,000 dead. The final …