Conference note: While anticipation is building for #AuthorDay on Monday (30th November), we’re closing bookings Friday (27th) for #FutureBook15, hurry to get your seat. PRH-Ebury’s chief on ‘What Publishers Tell Us’ I’m incredibly pleased to announce that Rebecca Smart will join our rich speakers’ lineup for Author Day on 30th November at 30 Euston… Read More
Two New Efforts In Publishing Diversity: ‘Learning From Each Other’s Narratives’
‘There Are So Many Reasons To Write’ We’ve joined the global conversation on the intersection of race and writing. But is it enough? These viewpoints echo that of Zed Books’ Crystal Mahey-Morgan, who told me in an interview for The Bookseller less than a year ago: “We need to move beyond rhetoric and good… Read More
1.1 Million Copies Later: Go Mock A Watchman
‘I Told You So’ In under a week, Harper Lee’s Go Set A Watchman has sold more than 1.1 million copies in the States, according to HarperCollins, as reported by Sarah Weinman at Publishers Lunch. Don’t worry, there are 2.2 million more copies for you to buy, we’re told. In the UK, my associates at The Bookseller… Read More
‘Putting Readers First’ At BEA: Gatekeepers, Curators, And ‘Too Many Books’
‘Readers Are The Power Brokers Who Matter Most’ Readers decide. Readers come first, as they are the primary filters. Imprints, choices, and selections should really mean something. Brand can’t be faked in this area. Publish fewer books; publish better books. The concept has begun gaining traction as it dawns on many of us that “discoverability”… Read More
Publishing For Digital Minds Conference Opens London Book Fair Monday
Setting The Tone In A New Setting Putting together a major publishing conference program is never easy. But putting one together to open one of the year’s leading trade shows is particularly tricky: there are a lot of competing interests, most of them on the commercial side of the industry. And the audience for one… Read More
Indies Jasinda And Jack Wilder At Berkley Books
Testing The Indie Spirit As we’re reporting this morning (April 6) at The Bookseller’sThe FutureBook, Jasinda and Jack Wilder have come up with an Easter surprise for their many fans: Their agent, Kristin Nelson, has negotiated a seven-figure deal for three books with Penguin Random House’s Berkley Books. This is a new case of self-publishing authors… Read More
Self-publishing Jasinda Wilder in 7-figure deal with PRH's Berkley
Jasinda Wilder is the latest of the “indie bestsellers” to achieve a major traditional publishing deal, in this case for three books. The announcement is being made this morning (6th April) by Penguin Random House’s Berkley Books in New York. In a prepared statement, Berkley vice-president and executive editor Cindy Hwang, said: “Jasinda Wilder has been one of… Read More
‘Do You Love Your Publisher?’ #AuthorSay Is Hanging On Every Word
‘To Encourage More Professional Authors To Speak Out’ Originating with our report at The Bookseller’s The FutureBook in London, the news of a new online survey today (March 2) could mean a better understanding of authors’ experiences in what is sometimes called “legacy” publishing. A US-UK effort is gathering fresh perspectives on the “quiet side” of… Read More
The Bookseller's #PorterMeets: Penguin Random House's Dan Franklin
You could hardly find somebody standing nearer to the center of the intersection of “discoverability” and “know thy consumer” than Dan Franklin. As Digital Publisher to the Penguin Random House empire, he has responsibilities with the Vintage, Penguin General, Cornerstone and Penguin Press divisions. He could be forgiven for needing something of a map to… Read More