Record year for UK publishing
printweek.com – Saturday April 29, 2017
2016 was a record-breaking year for the UK publishing industry, according to the latest figures from the Publishers Association.
Sales of books and journals reached £4.8bn last year – their highest ever level. The increase in sales of 7% on the previous year is the largest growth in a decade, when in 2007 digital was included for the first time.
Physical book sales grew by 8% to £3bn, rising to the highest level since 2012. Overall digital sales, meanwhile, grew by 6% to £1.7bn despite a continuation of the drop in e-book sales, which fell by 3% to £538m.
Famous novelist turned down by over 100 publishers dies
usatoday.com – Thursday April 27, 2017
It was a novel that made history after it was turned down by more than 100 publishers. Robert Pirsig, author of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” has died. He was 88-years-old. Aaron Dickens reports.
David Mamet to Teach Online Drama Writing Course
variety.com – Thursday April 20, 2017
David Mamet, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter, and director of such works as “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “American Buffalo,” and “Wag the Dog” will offer his first-ever online writing class through Silicon Valley startup MasterClass.
The class, which will cost $90, will launch later in the spring. In the course, Mamet will teach writing for both the theater and screen, with lessons on how to structure a plot, create compelling characters, write dialogue, and create a compelling scene. Pre-enrollment for Mamet’s class is open now (at this link).
Publishers Did Marginally Better in 2016
publishersweekly.com – Sunday April 2, 2017
Four of the five large publicly held trade publishers managed to improve their operating margins in 2016 over 2015, despite generally weak revenue performances.
Penguin Random House, which reported its results last week, saw revenue fall 9.6% in 2016, to €3.36 billion, but since EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) dropped only 3.6%, its operating margin in the year rose to 16%, from 15% in 2015. In a letter to employees, PRH CEO Markus Dohle said that a key to maintaining strong profitability levels has been the company’s commitment to “preserving a vital and vibrant bookselling community” as well as “maximizing efficiencies in our cutting-edge supply chain.” Dohle also noted PRH’s long-term commitment to print—“even when it was in decline earlier this decade”—and its use of technology to increase the reach of its books.
Could YOU be the next Agatha Christie? Now the Mail gives you the chance with the return of our novel writing competition that could land you a £20,000 book deal
dailymail.co.uk – Friday March 31, 2017
Have you ever dreamed of writing a book that becomes a bestseller? Could you be the next Agatha Christie, queen of the crime novel? Well, here's your chance to make that fantasy come true.
Last year, we launched the Daily Mail First Novel competition with the prize of a £20,000 publishing deal with one of the world's biggest and most respected publishers, Penguin Random House.
Short story contest – deadline delayed
firstwriter.com – Sunday March 26, 2017
The deadline for firstwriter.com's Thirteenth International Short Story Contest has been delayed by one month to May 1, 2017, to allow for last minute entries.
Indie publisher Influx launches Kickstarter to raise £15k
thebookseller.com – Friday March 24, 2017
Influx Press has created a Kickstarter campaign in a bid to grow its business.
Supported by industry figures including author and editorial director Max Porter and author and campaigner Nikesh Shukla, the publisher intends to raise £15,000 to fund the press for the next two years.
After five years of publishing and receiving previous Arts Council funding, Influx has decided to "go down the crowd-funding route", following the successes of popular campaigns including those for The White Review, Dodo Ink and The Good Immigrant (Unbound).
Adult Book Sales Fell, Kids Books Rose in October
publishersweekly.com – Friday March 24, 2017
Sales of adult trade books fell 13.1% in October compared to October 2015, while sales in the children’s/young adult segment rose 1.9%, according to figures released Wednesday morning by the AAP as part of its StatShot program.
The decline in adult trade was led by a 24.1% drop in hardcover sales, the biggest trade format, as well as a 21.0% decline in mass market paperback and a 31.9% drop in the sale of physical audiobooks. Sales of digital audiobooks rose 7.6% in the month over October 2015, and e-book sales were up 2.6%. For the first 10 months of 2016, sales in the adult trade category were down 3.2% compared to the same period a year ago.
Lit Agents Join Forces In Agents Round Table
publishersweekly.com – Friday March 24, 2017
In response to a changing marketplace, 10 women literary agents have launched the Agents Round Table (ART), a consortium of independent agents who have pledged to share knowledge, resources, and contacts.
The goal of ART, according to Regina Ryan who has an eponymous shingle, is to better meet the needs of their clients. "This is new in the publishing world," Ryan said. "My authors love the idea of my being able to consult with this group. They know they’re getting advice and wisdom from first-rate agents with literally hundreds of years’ of experience in publishing."
London Book Fair 2017: For Publishers, Business Is Booming, but Brexit Means Uncertainty
publishersweekly.com – Wednesday March 15, 2017
The 2017 London Book Fair officially opened today, and at the fair’s opening press conference LBF director Jacks Thomas smiled as she raced through her slides. For the second year in a row, Thomas noted, publishers headed to London with fairly strong sales in the U.K. (and the U.S.), with literature in translation growing, children’s and digital audio surging, and print books—and bookshops—looking especially resurgent.
But following Thomas on stage at Olympia’s Grand Hall, a panel discussion broke down the potential effects of the looming Brexit on publishers, one day after British lawmakers cleared the way for the formal work of leaving the E.U. to begin.
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