This article is part of a series on publishing in the Middle East which is sponsored by the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. By Olivia Snaije This year France will be the cultural focus at this year’s Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which runs from March 15-20. French culture gets a big boost at this year’s Abu Dhabi International Book …
Should Authors Drive Enhanced E-book Innovation?
By Edward Nawotka In today’s lead story about RAND Corporation’s publishing program, RAND marketing director John Warren says, in reference to enhanced e-books: The author has the vision; the publisher has the marketing perspective. He goes on to say that the motivation for producing an enhanced e-book really starts with the author. Do you agree? Current publishing contracts may be …
Do Author Brands Ever Die?
By Edward Nawotka Today’s lead story looks at how two UK companies are aggressively managing the literary estates and character properties of some long dead — and some very alive — authors. Literature has long been held as a means for someone to “live forever,” a least in the minds of readers — provided a given author’s books continue to …
21st Century Brand Management: How the UK’s Chorion and Coolabi Cash In on Author’s Creations
By Sarah Weinman An author’s career trajectory generally goes something like this: he or she writes books which are represented by literary agents who sell various rights to publishers. That arrangement can change over time if the author switches agents or publishers (as happens a lot, especially these days) or opts for non-traditional routes to reach an audience, but in …
Inside The Ministry of Stories, London’s Most Unusual New Literary Institution
By Roger Tagholm LONDON: A little girl grins as the man on the sidewalk wearing the wolf mask stops her and asks: “Have you been to a ‘monster supply shop’ before?” It’s not the sort of question you get asked every day, but it works and, looking a bit sheepish (never a good idea when a wolf is around), the …
Best of Publishing Perspectives 2010: Book Marketing
One area of publishing in which we noticed significant change in 2011 was in marketing. Social media, online tracking tools and defined online user communities have changed the way publishers — and authors — find and market to readers. Here is a selection of our best and most popular articles about book marketing from 2010: The Rise of the Author-Entrepreneur …
Asia’s Literary Writers Now – Quietly – Demand Your Attention!
Asia Literary Review managing editor Duncan Jepson discusses the five year history of his magazine, why Westerners sometimes struggle to comprehend Asian writing, and why it’s important to see beyond China. Editorial by Duncan Jepson When we launched the Asia Literary Review five years ago, it was still a Western World and Asia, regardless of 5,000 years of history, was …
Do Contemporary Asian Writers Suffer a Lack of Prestige in the West?
By Edward Nawotka Recently, a publisher told me at the Guadalajara Book Fair that Spanish-language writers suffer a lack of prestige when compared with German, French and English-speaking writers. It was, said the publisher, a consequence of history. Does the same hold true for Asian writers? For example, when you look at the number of writers from the East who have …
Pitchapalooza 2010: Tips for Perfecting Your Book Pitch
By David Henry Sterry NEW YORK CITY: Ten years ago, before the Kindle, Facebook and Twitter, Arielle, my ex-agent and current wife, and I both had books coming out. One was about my childhood hero, Leroy “Satchel” Paige. The other was about her childhood hero, Jane Austen. Our publishers, Random House and Simon & Schuster, seemed disturbingly uninterested in helping …
After One, 10 or 100 “No’s”: When Do You Give Up on a Book Pitch?
By David Henry Sterry Today’s lead story looks at some of the lessons learned from Pitchapalooza NYC 2010. Editors and agents are trained to say “no” because they take on so few projects and get pitched so many books. So when you pitch your book and you get back a “no” or two or ten or hundred, what to do? …