London Book Fair 2013

Special link: London Book Fair 2013

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Book video: Colin Meloy: Wildwood (HarperKids)

Introducing Wildwood, book one in the Wildwood Chronicles, the middle-grade fantasy-adventure series from the imaginations of Colin Meloy, lead singer of the Decemberists, and Carson Ellis, award-winning artist

Book video: Grace Dent: How To Leave Twitter (Faber)

@gracedent Columnist, author and broadcaster, Grace Dent, discusses her new book: How to Leave Twitter at a Guardian-hosted event at Hoxton Hall, London (2011)

Book video: Boo - A Day in the Life of the World's Cutest Dog (Chronicle Books)

Boo is an international superstar. This charming book features exclusive new photographs of Boo doing all his favorite things: lounging around, playing with friends, exploring the whole wide world, and making those famous puppy-dog eyes

Saturday, July 30, 2011

newbooks 64 - Jul/Aug 2011

newbooks 64 - Jul/Aug 2011newbooks 64 - Jul/Aug 2011 is now available online. newbooks is published by guise marketing. newbooks, a bi-monthly magazine aimed at readers and reading groups, was first published in 2000. From the start the magazine has been a success, and with the unique selling proposition – the offer of a free book for all subscribers every issue – newbooks has established a niche market

Lady Gaga photo book announced as a "visual dialogue"

Hold on to your American Apparel panties, Lady Gaga is teaming with pervy fashion photographer Terry Richardson for a new book about her life and career. The pop star's publisher, Grand Central Publishing, describes the book, Lady Gaga, as a "visual dialogue" (a.k.a. a picture book) which will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the singer's life, starting with her appearance at Lollapalooza in August 2010 and concluding with the final shows of her Monster Ball tour

Dorrance Publishing celebrates 91st anniversary by offering discounts during first warehouse blowout sale

For 91 years, the staff at Dorrance has provided support and personalized service to many authors, and has been able to assist authors in their dreams of publishing their works. To celebrate the company's longevity they will be offering a discount on in-stock books during the month of August. Customers are invited to browse the Warehouse Sale section of the Dorrance website (dorrancebookstore.com) for featured titles in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and more. Customers can save up to 45 percent off regular retail prices on featured Dorrance titles

"Options for self-publishing proliferate, easing the bar to entry"

Alina Tugend writes in the New York Times - I'm a snob. Oh, I don't particularly care what kind of car you drive or if you wear the latest designer fashions, but until recently I turned up my nose at authors who published their own books. It smacked of self-indulgence and vanity (as in that old term "vanity press"). But as one friend and then another chose to pay to publish their own books - people I admire and respect - and as the author Amanda Hocking became the superstar example of successful self-publishing, I realized I had been too hasty. The phenomenon was worth a second look

Illustrated Palazzo to celebrate 200 years of Austen

Bath-based independent Palazzo is to publish illustrated editions of Jane Austen's novels to mark the bicentenary of their original publication. The Bath Bicentenary Editions will launch with Sense and Sensibility, first published on 30th October 1811. Palazzo's edition, which will come out on 28th September (h/b, £20), will have colour plate and silhouette illustrations by artist Niroot Puttapipat, who has also illustrated Austen for the Folio Society. The book will carry a foreword by Katherine Reeve, author of Jane Austen in Bath. - The Bookseller

Heinemann to explore Heyer's plagiarism fury

A literary plagiarism allegation from the 1950s is set to be given its first detailed airing in a new biography of much-loved novelist Georgette Heyer. Georgette Heyer: Biography of a Bestseller by Jennifer Kloester (Wm Heinemann, hb, £20, October) reveals the outrage felt by the queen of witty regency romances at the obvious similarities between Barbara Cartland's historical novel Knave of Hearts and her own youthful story These Old Shades (published in 1926), when they were brought to her attention in 1950. - The Bookseller

New book: Every Book Is a Startup by Todd Sattersten

Every Book Is a Startup provides a roadmap for publishing professionals interested in bringing a fresh, entrepreneurial approach to the business of book publishing, based on techniques proven effective in the world of tech startups. This book shows you how to apply tech industry concepts such as customer development, validated learning, and pivots to create publishing business practices that are agile, flexible, and highly profitable. O'Reilly Media, July 2011

John Grisham wins first Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction

John Grisham's The Confession, a novel that chronicles the gut-wrenching politics of a last-ditch death penalty appeal in Texas, has been named the winner of the inaugural Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. The 2011 Prize will be awarded at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 22 in conjunction with the Library of Congress National Book Festival. Grisham will receive a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird signed by Harper Lee. The prize, created by the University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal, honors Lee for the extraordinary and enduring influence her novel has had in the public perception of the legal profession. The prize will be awarded annually to the published book-length work of fiction that best exemplifies the role of lawyers in society.

Friday, July 29, 2011

ALPSP Council for 2012 - vacancies and nominations

Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers Council for 2012 - vacancies and nominations

Usborne goes to next level with Appelhans

Usborne has bought a debut novel from prolific young adult blogger Lenore Appelhans, which the publisher expects to be "massive" following the sale of film rights to CBS Film and interest from YA bloggers - The Bookseller

Penguin named publishing partner for Dickens 2012

Penguin is to be the official publishing partner for Dickens 2012, an international celebration of Charles Dickens marking the bicentenary of the Victorian author's birth. As part of the celebrations, Penguin Classics will release clothbound editions of Dickens favourites Bleak House and Hard Times created by designer Coralie Bickford-Smith, completing a set of six which will be released in a special-edition boxed set, entitled "Major Works of Charles Dickens" - The Bookseller

Macmillan Education to move out of Africa

Macmillan has "walked away" from its education business in east and west Africa, and is understood to have put all its education publishing companies and interests across the continent (other than in Botswana) on the block - The Bookseller

2011 Ngaio Marsh Award for best Crime Novel finalists announced

The finalists for the 2011 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, which will be presented as part of the upcoming Christchurch Arts Festival, have now been announced:

* Blood men by Paul Cleave (Random House)
* Captured by Neil Cross (Simon & Schuster)
* Hunting blind by Paddy Richardson (Penguin)
* Slaughter Falls by Alix Bosco (Penguin)

Sixty-Six Books - Bush Theatre, UK

This October, the Bush Theatre will open the doors to its new home with Sixty-Six Books, an epic performance cycle featuring over 100 artists from across the globe. From Jeanette Winterson to Jack Thorne, Carol Ann Duffy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Billy Bragg to Wole Soyinka, sixty-six writers from a huge range of backgrounds and disciplines have made a contemporary response to some of the oldest stories ever told. In 2011, the 400th anniversary year of the publication of the King James Bible, each book of this great English work is spoken to by a remarkable range of playwrights, poets, songwriters and novelists from all faiths and none, from over a dozen countries and across five continents - 10-29 October, 2011

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Book video: David Bell: Cemetery Girl (Penguin)

Four years after Tom and Abby's 12-year-old daughter vanishes, she is found alive but strangely calm. When the teen refuses to testify against the man connected to her disappearance, Tom decides to investigate the traumatizing case on his own. Nothing can prepare him for what he is about to discover #books #video

Book video: Kim Malchuk: Tasting Rain (Five Star)

Best-selling author Kim Malchuk, a Canadian-based motivational coach and public speaker, is diving into the US and international self-help market with her characteristic sense of adventure, enthusiasm and wit. Her book, Tasting Rain, is one of Manitoba's Best Sellers for 2010, took 1st place in the 2011 Royal Dragonfly Book Award (Self-Help/Inspirational) and the recent electronic release of her memoir is making waves around the world #books #video

Book Video: Nina Burleigh: The Fatal Gift of Beauty: The Trials of Amanda Knox (Crown)

Acclaimed journalist Nina Burleigh brings us an intimate, evocative look inside one of the most sensational true crime stories of our day in The Fatal Gift of Beauty: The Trials of Amanda Knox #books #video

Profits surge at OUP

Oxford University Press has described a surge in pretax profit by nearly 25% as "excellent", but said it does not underestimate the challenges publishers are facing

HarperPress to focus on non-fiction

HarperPress will no longer publish fiction by the end of June 2012 with the publisher choosing to concentrate on non-fiction in the wake of Clare Smith's upcoming departure to Little, Brown

World Book Night confirms US launch

World Book Night will launch in the US in 2012, with the States confirmed as the event's first international partner. HarperCollins vice-president retail marketing Carl Lennertz has been appointed chief executive to the US division of WBN, taking up the post on 1st September. WBN US will aim to give away one million books across the country, with Lennertz supported by a cross-industry steering committee currently being set up

The London Book Fair 2012

The London Book Fair 2012 - 16-18 April, 2011 - Earls Court, London, UK

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Student Guide to Copyright (UK)

The Copyright Licensing Agency has produced a brief but very useful new Student Guide to Copyright, intended as a quick (and jargon-free) guide for students

Paperback publishers quicken their pace

It used to be like clockwork in the book business: first the hardcover edition was released, then, about one year later, the paperback. But in an industry that has been upended by the growth of e-books, publishers are moving against convention by pushing paperbacks into publication earlier than usual, sometimes less than six months after they appeared in hardcover. This week included the trade paperback release of "Swamplandia!," a debut novel by Karen Russell, five months after it was first published in hardcover in February. "The Tiger's Wife," the much-praised literary novel by Téa Obreht, which came out in hardcover to rave reviews in March, will be followed by the paperback in October, seven months later - New York Times

Telegraph Media Group ordered to pay damages over Lynn Barber book review

Telegraph Media Group, the publisher of the Daily Telegraph, has been ordered to pay £65,000 in damages after losing a high court case for libel and malicious falsehood over a Lynn Barber book review

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Book video: Bella Pollen: The Summer of the Bear (PanMacmillan)

Bella Pollen: The Summer of the Bear - In the summer of 1979, a tamed grizzly bear is tempted by the lure of freedom and the wild open sea. Meanwhile, the sudden death of British diplomat Nicky Fleming has left his wife closed down with shock. Relocated from Cold-War-riven Germany to a remote Hebridean island, Letty Fleming is haunted by the unthinkable - was it an accident, murder or suicide? And how can she ever begin to explain to her three children that their father may have betrayed his country?

Book video: Kate Kayley: The Hangman In The Mirror (Annick)

Françoise Laurent has never had an easy life. The only surviving child of a destitute washerwoman and wayward soldier, she must rely only on herself to get by. When her parents die suddenly from the smallpox ravishing New France (modern-day Montreal), Françoise sees it as a chance to escape the life she thought she was trapped in. Based on an actual story and filled with illuminating historical detail, The Hangman In The Mirror transports readers to the harsh landscape of a new land that is filled with even harsher class divisions and injustices

Amazon to enter Indian market

Amazon.com is reportedly in discussions with e-commerce companies in India in a bid to expand into one of the world's fastest-growing economies. The company could enter the market as early as first quarter 2012. It is in talks with a number of businesses including online bookstore Flipkart.com, electronics site letsbuy.com and luxury goods retailer exclusively.in - The Bookseller

Digital makes 75% of Informa sales (UK)

Digital is accounting for 75% of Taylor & Francis' parent company Informa's publishing sales, as it revealed half-year profits increased by 14.3% to £55.2m. For the first half of 2011, Informa's sales increased by 1.7% to £634.8m. When adjusted for acquisitions, disposals and currency fluctuation, sales increased 0.3%, which Informa dubbed organic growth. - The Bookseller

Monday, July 25, 2011

Book video: Chris Van Allsburg: Chronicles of Harris Burdick (HMH)

More than 25 years ago, a mysterious man named Harris Burdick visited a Boston publisher and delivered 14 fascinating drawings and captions, with the promise of more to come. He was never heard from again...

#jkrowling Book video: Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story (2011)

Video: Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story (2011)#jkrowling #harrypotter An inspiring look at JK Rowling's rise to become one of the most influential writers-from her humble beginnings as an imaginative young girl and awkward teenager to the loss of her mother and the genesis of the Harry Potter phenomenon

Book video: Greg Mitchell: Atomic Cover-Up: Two U.S. Soldiers, Hiroshima & Nagasaki

Greg Mitchell - "In my latest book, "Atomic Cover-Up: Two U.S. Soldiers, Hiroshima & Nagasaki, and The Greatest Movie Never Made," I probe a turning point in U.S. history: the suppression of film footage, for decades, shot by a U.S. Army unit in the atomic cities - a wrong turn with staggering consequences even today. This is a detective story, a profile of two remarkable military officers, and one of the last little-told stories of World War II. The cover-up even extended to MGM and Hollywood - and to President Truman. And there was no WikiLeaks to get the film aired"

Imagine Publishing unveils new technology title dedicated to Android OS

Imagine Publishing unveils new technology title dedicated to Android OSImagine Publishing has announced the launch of another cutting-edge tech title. Android Magazine is due to hit the shelves on 28 July, and will offer unique and in-demand content to the millions of users who are rapidly adopting this exciting and popular new mobile technology

Sunday, July 24, 2011

"Why Rupert Murdoch Love$ God" - from AlterNet

"Here's what you might not know about Rupert Murdoch: he's one of the leading religion publishers in the world" #rupertmurdoch

Book video: Alyson Noel: Everlasting (PanMacmillanAustralia)

Everlasting by Alyson Noel is the sixth and final installment of the epic love story that has enchanted readers across the world. Ever and Damen have spent centuries facing down bitter rivals, jealous friends and their own worst fears -- all in the hope of being together forever #books #video

Book video: Adrian Richardson: The Good Life (PanMacmillanAustralia)

Adrian Richardson's philosophy is simple: things taste better when they're homemade. Baking your own bread, creating fresh cheeses or tomato sauce from scratch, making salami and sausages, cooking chutneys and preserves, mixing your own oils and vinegars, smoking or curing fish and meat, and turning out fresh pasta... in The Good Life, Adrian shows you how to do all this, and more #books #video #cooking

Free copies of Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Hachette Children's Books have 250 copies of Catherine Fisher's Incerceron to give away. Named as The Times Children's Book of the Year, this dark, powerful and compelling read is not to be missed

Bauer Media publishes Great Ormond Street magazine

Bauer Media has teamed up with Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) to produce a magazine aimed at patients and drive awareness of the hospital’s volunteer programme. The magazine is aimed at both the older patients at the hospital as well as the younger children. It features exclusive contributions from Jesse J, JLS, McFly, Matt Lucas, Russell Brand and Katy Perry and the GB Blind Football team

Book video: Dr. Ron Ritchhart: Making Thinking Visible (Wiley)

Dr. Ron Ritchhart is Senior Research Associate at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and co-author of Making Thinking Visible. In this clip, he discusses the importance of documentation in engaging students in a culture of thinking #books #video

Book video: Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: Cold vengeance (Hachette)

Cold vengeance is another exciting thriller from bestselling authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child featuring popular character Agent Pendergast! #books #video

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Book video: Arthur Slade accepting the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire 2011

This is the acceptance speech that Arthur Slade made for Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire, which was awarded to his novel La Confrérie de l'horloge (The Hunchback Assignments in North America) #books #video# @arthurslade

Book video: Anna May Mangan: Me and Mine (Virago)

Anna May Mangan talks about her book, Me and Mine - a laugh-out-loud memoir of Irish family life and growing up in London

Book video: Paulo Coelho: Aleph (Knopf)

Aleph marks a return to Paulo Coelho's beginnings. In a frank and surprising personal story, one of the world's most beloved authors embarks on a remarkable and transformative journey of self- discovery #books #video

Book video: Peter Spiegelman: Thick as Thieves (Knopf)

A new thriller from Peter Spiegelman that takes us inside a hair-raising heist, where paranoia hangs as heavy as the tropical heat, and the only law is Murphy's

Book video: Angela Hartnett - A Taste of Home (Ebury)

An unmissable collection of 200 classic, simple European recipes from Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett #books #video #cooking

Oxford and Cambridge to compete on digital (UK)

The university presses of Oxford and Cambridge are going head to head to compete in global digital platforms, which are being rolled out within one month of each other. Oxford University Press will release University Press Scholarship Online (UPSO) onto the market in September, while, Cambridge University Press will launch University Publishing Online (UPO) in October. Both will offer monographs from a variety of publishers on a single platform while maintaining the individual publisher's branding, and both are based on previous models used for their own titles - Oxford Scholarship Online and Cambridge Books Online - The Bookseller

China's publishing industry records 19% growth

China's publishing industry saw a 19-percent increase in its gross output in 2010, despite a marked trade deficit with much fewer exported publications than imports, according to a government report. The industry's gross output topped 1.26 trillion yuan ($196.7 billion) in 2010, with the value-added up 13 percent from 2009 to hit 350 billion yuan, according to a report of China's publishing industry in 2010, released by the General Administration of Press and Publication at a symposium in southwestern Chongqing municipality

Friday, July 22, 2011

NYU summer students prepare for publishing jobs (USA)

Book publishing may be an industry that never stops predicting its own demise or mourning better days, but it remains golden enough for young people such as Lindsay Neff. "It's the big time, it's where everything happens," says Neff, 22, a Stow, Ohio, native who recently graduated from the College of Wooster with a double major in English and philosophy. "I've always loved reading and I've always loved writing and I've always enjoyed analyzing texts. So that's what really did it for me and made me want to be in publishing." Neff is among some 100 young women and men who attended the Summer Publishing Institute at New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies, where CEOs, editors, booksellers, agents and recruiters give talks and teach seminars, and students immerse themselves in a business that has changed, and not changed, in profound ways. - AP

Amazon confirms Harry Potter e-books to be available for Kindle

Those worried that Kindle owners might be left out in the cold by Google's partnership with Pottermore for Harry Potter e-books no longer need worry. On PaidContent, Laura Hazard Owen reports that an Amazon spokesperson told them that Amazon is working with Pottermore, too - TeleRead

Macmillan fined £11.3m following SFO probe

Macmillan Publishers has been fined more than £11m for "unlawful conduct" related to its education wing in east and west Africa. The publisher was under investigation following a report from the World Bank. A subsidiary of Macmillan Education paid bribes in an attempt to secure a textbook deal in southern Sudan. In May last year the World Bank announced it has banned Macmillan UK from being awarded any of its contracts for six years following the admission of bribery payments - The Bookseller

Indigo fires Canadian publishers' anger over changing terms

Canadian publishers have attacked the decision by Indigo Books & Music, the country's biggest bookshop chain, to stock fewer books and evaluate returns on a shorter time frame. They claim it is putting extra pressure on the publishing industry when digital technology is already imposing major challenges. Carolyn Wood, executive director at the Association of Canadian Publishers, said that while she expects publishers with blockbuster titles to remain unharmed by Indigo's policy change, the decision would hardly help anyone else- The Bookseller

Book video: Nicholas Sparks: Safe Haven (Hatchette)

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks adds an element of suspense to the story of a woman who must learn to trust again in order to allow herself to love again. #books #video

UK Government Legal Deposit Regulations - deadline 29 July 2011

The UK Government Department of Culture, Media and Sport are requesting information for an economic impact assessment of their draft Non-Print Legal Deposit Regulations. DCMS have issued a questionnaire which closes at the end of Friday 29 July 2011. This is a very short turn around for such information and the department are aware of this. There are likely to be additional opportunities to add to the impact assessment after this survey during further consultation; however, it is vitally important that the impact of the proposed regulations on publishers is clearly heard by the DCMS and I urge you to complete the survey as fully as possible. Responses will remain confidential within the DCMS and will be averaged and anonymised prior to being made public in the official impact assessment document. The initial public consultation on Non-Print Legal deposit took place at the end of 2010, and the Government's response was published in April 2011 - ALPSP

Borders' liquidation official; Books-A-Million to take up to 35 Stores

Borders is officially liquidated. Now all that remains is closing stores, and trying to work out a deal with Books-A-Million to keep as many as 35 of the book selling chain's store open. Borders won bankruptcy court approval to liquidate, signaling the end for America's second largest bookstore chain. Borders has 399 stores and 10,700 employees. A last-minute offer from Books-A-Million may save 1,000 to 1,500 jobs and keep 30 to 35 stores open - IBT

Video: Anita Silvey on Maurice Sendak

Get to know famed children's book author Maurice Sendak, who is famous for such works as 'Where the Wild Things Are.' #books #video

Update: Laurie Lipton book signing at Comic-Con 2011

Update: Laurie Lipton book signing at Comic-Con 2011Get to the Last Gasp booth at Comic-Con today and meet the wonderful, enigmatic Laurie Lipton.
Laurie will be will be signing copies of her book, “The Extraordinary Drawings of Laurie Lipton” from 2pm - 4pm.
Limited edition prints of "The Umpteenth Anniversary" will also be available for the duration of the convention. @laurielipton

Thursday, July 21, 2011

New Book: Infringement Nation by John Tehranian

To coincide with the 300th anniversary of copyright law, Oxford University Press announced this week the much-anticipated release of John Tehranian's new book, "Infringement Nation: Copyright 2.0 and You". The book presents a rollicking and accessible analysis of the history and evolution of copyright law and its profound impact on the lives of ordinary individuals in the twenty-first century by asking a simple, but surprising, question: could you be committing $4.5 billion in copyright infringements each year?

Association of Canadian Publishers select Ingram's CoreSource® for members e-content management needs

Ingram Content Group Inc. has announced an agreement with the Association of Canadian Publishers, an industry organization representing a substantial and diverse group of Canadian-owned and controlled book publishers from across the country. ACP has selected Ingram's digital asset management platform CoreSource® to distribute and archive content for their members globally

Fifth Annual Asian Publishing Awards winners

Ten winners and 16 excellence awardees from eleven categories were awarded during the fifth Asian Publishing Awards on July 8, 2011. The event was held as part of the culmination of the Asian Publishing Convention held at The Landmark Bangkok July 7 & 8, 2011 attended by 248 delegates from 17 countries

Book video: Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee: Forbidden

New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker teams with Tosca Lee to create this gripping thriller set in a desolate future

Book video: Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Dominion

Jason Bourne is searching for an elusive cadre of terrorists planning to destroy America's most strategic natural resources-and needs the help of his longtime friend, General Boris Karpov. Karpov, the newly appointed head of Russia's most feared spy agency, FSB-2, is one of the most determined, honorable, and justice-hungry men that Bourne knows. But Karpov has made a deal with the devil. In order to remain the head of FSB-2, he must hunt down and kill Bourne

Book video: Daniel Clowes: Twentieth Century Eightball

Twentieth Century Eightball collects the very best humor strips from Eightball, written and drawn between 1988 and 1996. Included within are such seminal strips/rants as "I Hate You Deeply," "Sexual Frustration," "Ugly Girls," "Why I Hate Christians," "Message to the People of the Future," "Paranoid," "My Suicide," "Chicago," and over three dozen more

Book video: Dave Rimmer on Like Punk Never Happened

Like Punk Never Happened is the definitive account of the first rise and fall of Boy George and Culture Club is also the story of British pop music in the 1980s. Like Punk Never Happened: Culture Club and the New Pop was originally published in 1986, and brought back into print by Faber Finds in July 2011

Interview with Bradley Graham and Lissa Muscatine - the new owners of Politics & Prose

In this exclusive interview, Bradley Graham and Lissa Muscatine, the new owners of Politics & Prose in Washington, DC, discuss their decision to purchase the renown bookstore and the future of independent bookselling

Alastair Reynolds to write new Doctor Who novel

British Science Fiction award-winner Alastair Reynolds is the latest author to try his hand writing a Doctor Who novel, after signing a deal with BBC Books. Editorial director Albert DePetrillo bought world rights from Robert Kirby at United Agents for an undisclosed sum. Harvest of Time will be published as a £16.99 hardback in 2013. It features the third Doctor, who was played by Jon Pertwee in the BBC series. The book is about the Doctor battling his arch-nemesis The Master on 20th-century earth and far into the future - The Bookseller

Angry Robot signs near-future novel

Angry Robot is to publish a debut novel by Canadian writer Madeline Ashby. vN is set in a near-future where robots and humans live side by side, and follows Amy, who has grown up with a cybernetic mother and human father. Alone of her kind, her "human-protecting failsafe" has stopped working and she's soon on the run from the law. Her only friend is a robot boy programmed to only like humans - The Bookseller

Google Books to distribute Harry Potter e-books

Google will handle distribution and purchases of the e-book versions of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, which is due out this fall. #jkrowling

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Publishers Association plans second digital survey (UK)

The Publishers Association is launching its second digital survey this year and could introduce a quarterly digital survey by 2012. The trade body said the survey came in response to the "significant growth" in digital sales, with e-book sales up 318% between 2009 and 2010. General digital sales increased 38% in the same period. The PA has urged publishers to provide data to it and Book Marketing Limited, which will be producing the survey. It said it hopes to publish the second digital survey in September - The Bookseller

Harry Potter plagiarism case dismissed in UK

A lawsuit which accused J.K. Rowling of copying the work of another children's book author when writing "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" has been dropped in Britain after the claimant failed to come up with the cash ordered by a judge as security. The estate of late author Adrian Jacobs said that the plot for the Potter novel, the fourth of seven boy wizard stories that have sold more than 400 millions copies, borrowed parts of his book "Willy the Wizard." - Reuters

2011 New England Book Festival (USA)

The 2011 New England Book Festival has issued a call for entries to its annual program celebrating the best books of the holiday season. The New England Book Festival will consider non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, young adult, how-to, cookbooks, science fiction, photography/art, poetry, gay and compilations/anthologies. All entries must be in English. Our grand prize for the 2011 New England Book Festival winner is $1500 cash and a flight to our awards ceremony in Boston, to be held in January, 2012 at the Omni Parker Hotel

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

J.K. Rowling's big deal

J.K. Rowling's decision to sell her Harry Potter e-books directly to consumers across every reading device (assuming she can conclude the necessary agreements which, given the stakes, seems inevitable) is a very big deal - in all the meanings of the term. Rowling has sold 450 million books worldwide to date in seventy languages - $7 billion in sales, according to the Wall Street Journal. This is only the beginning of what is certain to be a lasting demand for the series, as young readers reach the age when they launch into the spell that so enraptured the first generation to encounter the seven books as Rowling released them to mounting popularity and excitement - The Atlantic #jkrowling

The Princeton Review signs master publishing agreement with Random House, Inc. for print and electronic books

The Princeton Review, Inc. has signed a new multi-year master publishing agreement with Random House, Inc. for the rights to publish all print and electronic books branded and trademarked by The Princeton Review. Random House currently publishes The Princeton Review's best-selling titles, including Cracking the SAT, The Best 373 Colleges, Paying for College Without Going Broke, etc - PRNewswire

Former Defense Secretary Gates signs two-book deal (USA)

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates has signed a two-book deal with Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, the company said Tuesday. "We are delighted to be publishing Robert Gates," said Sonny Mehta, chairman and editor-in-chief of the publishing group. "He has a unique perspective not only on intelligence-gathering and national defense, but also on the decisions and policies that have affected the U.S. and our relationship with other countries around the world." - CNN #books

Book video: Charlie Pedersen: WExinfinity

Book video: Charlie Pedersen: WExinfinity (Outskirts Press) #books #video

Book video: Anita Rau Badami: Tell It to the trees

Book video: Anita Rau Badami: Tell It to the trees (Random House) #books #video

Martin's A Dance with Dragons sold 28,840 copies in just five days last week

George R R Martin's A Dance with Dragons sold 28,840 copies in just five days last week, becoming one of the fastest-selling fantasy novels since records began. The 1,040-page, 1.5kg epic took £372,650 through UK bookshop tills last week at an average selling price of £12.92 - 48% off its £25 r.r.p. The novel, the long-awaited fifth instalment in the American novelist's A Song of Ice and Fire medieval fantasy series, was comfortably the bestselling hardback fiction book of the week, outselling nearest competitor Karin Slaughter's Fallen (Century), by almost five copies to one. However, it has to settle for fifth position in this week's Official UK Top 50. - The Bookseller

Literary agent slates Rupert Murdoch's HarperCollins

US literary agent Andrew Wylie has accused a publishing company of acting in an "unusually shrill and punitive" way toward authors. HarperCollins' parent firm NewsCorp is under pressure in the wake of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal. Mr Wylie said recent events could "perhaps turn on some lights" and look at "what is proper behaviour and what isn't" at the publishing house. A HarperCollins spokesperson said the claims were "extravagant allegations". On Monday Mr Wylie, whose clients include Martin Amis and Philip Roth, told BBC Radio 4's The World at One programme that the publishing house had been under "unusual pressure" for a while - BBC