Authors On Line Workshop

Pauline Rowson explains how she chooses the names of her characters in her crime and thriiler novels

2012-01-27T08:26:00.001Z

Getting the right name for characters in a crime novel, or any novel come to that, can be a tricky business. Sometimes they come to me completely out of the blue as I am creating a character, other times I will struggle to find the name that best suits the character.

I have always had this thing that people should look like their names. When someone is introduced to me I will think yes, you are a Jacqueline or a Malcolm. Other times I will think, oh no, you're definitely a Karen or a Wayne. And so it is with the characters I am creating. The name has to fit. If it's not right then the character isn't right. The name also needs to fit with the age and nationality although you can have exceptions.

So where do I get names from? When seeking inspiration for first names I turn to my little book of baby's names or I will look up a web site of baby's names. I also keep an ear out for any unusual or interesting names when meeting people and will jot these down.

When working on Footsteps on the Shore (no. 6 in the DI Andy Horton marine mystery series) I was stuck for one particular character. He had several incarnations before trawling through the A-Z of names I hit on it. Ashley. Yes, he is definitely an Ashley.

As to surnames, I let my finger do the choosing and tend to pick these out of an atlas or street map. Then I see if it fits with the first name and the character. And the more novels I write the more I am in danger of repeating names, (it's easy to forget what you have already used) so I am building a database in order to double check this.

And where did Andy Horton come from? I've no idea. He just sprang to mind both the name and the character, and long may he thrive.

crime novels, marine mystery murder series, British crime writer, crime fiction

New head at Hodder Children's Books

2012-01-25T07:33:00.002Z

Jon Appleton has been appointed to the newly-created post of editorial director for fiction at Hodder Children’s Books and will be joining the company on lst February.

Appleton joins from Hachette Australia, where he was children’s publisher during 2011. Previously to that he worked as editorial director at Orion under Fiona Kennedy.

He joins other fiction editors – Beverley Birch, Rachel Wade and Naomi Pottesman and Ellen Holgate.

Hachette’s appointments follow the departure last autumn of Emily Thomas and Sara O'Connor, previously Hodder YA fiction publisher and senior editorial manager respectively, for Hot Key Books.

Crime author Pauline Rowson will be helping to celebrate National Libraries Day on Saturday 4 February, Portsmouth Central Library 10.30am - 12.30pm.

2012-01-23T08:23:00.001Z

I'm delighted to be involved in helping to celebrate National Libraries Day on Saturday 4 February when I will be at Portsmouth Central Library between 10.30am to 12.30pm.

I'll be talking about my marine mystery crime novels and thrillers which are set in the Solent area, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, and there will be the opportunity to win signed copies of my books with a murder mystery quiz hunt for clues around the library, and the chance to be named as a character in one of my forthcoming DI Horton crime novels.

National Libraries Day is a celebration of libraries across the UK. Events and activities will take place in a variety of libraries including in schools, colleges, universities and public libraries in the UK in the week leading up to and on National Libraries Day on Saturday 4 February.

I'm a great supporter of libraries. I owe them a debt of gratitude because if it hadn't been for my local library in Portsmouth as a child I doubt I would ever have discovered a life long passion for reading and for writing. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of people and helping the library service to celebrate on 4 February..

Tickets can be purchased at any library in Portsmouth or by contacting libraries@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Tickets cost £3.00.

Hope to see some of you there.

Pauline Rowson is the author of the popular marine mystery police procedural crime series featuring DI Andy Horton, set on the South Coast of England in the Portsmouth, Isle of Wight and Solent area.

A Killing Coast, the seventh in the DI Horton series is published in hardcover in the UK on 26 January 2012 and in the USA on 1 May 2012.

She is also the author of two standalone thrillers, In Cold Daylight, which came third in an on line poll of the UK's most favourite books for World Book Day and In For The Kill.

“Deserves mention in the same breath as the work of Peter Robinson and John Harvey.” Booklist Starred Review of Footsteps on the Shore

One in every 40 adults in the UK received an e-reader as a Christmas present.

2012-01-20T07:46:00.002Z

More than one million e-readers and more than half a million tablet devices were received as gifts over Christmas, according to research released today, with Amazon and Apple the leading suppliers of e-readers and tablets respectively.

According to the analysis one in every 40 adults in the UK received an e-reader as a Christmas present. The data, based on a YouGov survey of 2012 adults in the week after Christmas, indicated that 1.33 million e-readers were gifted over the festive period, 92% of which were Kindles, making Amazon’s e-reader the most popular choice this Christmas. The research suggests that just over 100,000 rival e-readers were sold.

The research showed the devices were more popular with women than men, with 61% of people receiving them being women. The results also showed an age-bias, with Amazon’s Kindle being twice as popular with the over-55 age group than the 18-24 age group.

Tablet sales were also buoyant at Christmas. YouGov's modelling suggests that more than 640,000 tablets were gifted to adults, 72% of them Apple iPads with 60% of the Apple products being gifted to women. Non-Apple-branded tablets were relatively more popular with men.

The survey was taken between 28th December 2011 and 3rd January 2012.

More than one million e-readers sold over Christmas:

What is the difference between a crime novel and thriller? Crime author Pauline Rowson discusses

2012-01-18T08:50:00.002Z

I'm often asked what is the difference between a crime novel and a thriller, and I have to admit I have difficulty in answering this question even though I have written seven crime novels and two thrillers.

So for enlightenment I turned to the International Thriller Writers organisation who characterise a thriller as:

“the sudden rush of emotions, the excitement, sense of suspense, apprehension, and exhilaration that drive the narrative, sometimes subtly with peaks and lulls, sometimes at a constant, breakneck pace."

I think this is true of the crime novel. OK, so it depends on what type of crime novel. Some admittedly unfold at a more leisurely pace depending on the personality of the main character, his or her background, the story and the setting. If it is a cozy mystery then, yes, it is less likely to move along at breakneck speed although there will be suspense, peaks and lulls.

So let's hear more from the International Thriller Writers.

"Thriller is a genre in which tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary heroes are pitted against villains determined to destroy them, their country, or the stability of the free world."

In a crime novel the hero might be a police officer, or a private eye, who can still be tough and resourceful. DI Andy Horton certainly is in my crime novels. And he is pitted against villains determined to destroy him, although not necessarily the country or the stability of the free world. But hang on he might be called upon to do so if there is a terrorist element in the plot, and it could be said that criminals involved in drugs, trafficking and other heinous crimes also threaten the stability of the country and the free world.

Being a police officer though, Horton has a team behind him and superiors above him, but he is a maverick and usually strikes out alone to solve the crime and bring the villain to justice. Horton is not an 'ordinary cop' but a man on a mission to fight injustice and at the same time is being forced to find out the truth behind his mother's disappearance, which puts his life in danger and pits him against that villain who is intent on destroying him and the fabric of society.

So, again I think there can be a certain overlap between the crime novel and thriller.

The heroes in both my thrillers are ordinary guys who find themselves in extra ordinary situations Both Adam Greene in In Cold Daylight and Alex Albury in In For The Kill find themselves pitted against villains determined to destroy them. Often in a thriller the hero is faced with what seem to be insurmountable problems in his mission, carried out against a ticking clock, the stakes are high and although resourceful he faces personal dilemmas along the way forcing him to make sacrifices for others.

This is true for both Adam Greene and Alex Albury. Adam, in a quest to discover the truth behind his closest friend's death, fire fighter Jack Bartholomew, finds himself up against a huge conspiracy at the top. His whole way of life begins to crumble before him and he faces many personal dilemmas and danger on his journey.

In In For the Kill, Alex Albury's life has been shattered when sentenced for fraud and embezzlement. On his release from prison he is determined to discover who framed him knowing that he is up against a dangerous and very clever adversary who will stop at nothing to prevent him from finding this out. Soon, Alex is faced with the ultimate choice to kill or be killed.

In a thriller there is tension and conflict along the way and an unexpected, satisfying conclusion and I believe that also applies to crime novels, well I like to think it does to mine! Whether crime novel or thriller the main characters/s will have internal conflict, moral dilemmas, and tough decisions and choices to make, as these help develop and define them. Their actions drive the story forward.

So am I any clearer on the difference between a crime novel and a thriller? To a certain extent yes. But concerning my own crime and thriller novels I'm not so sure. It seems that my crime novels are also thrillers or should that be my thrillers are also crime novels? Does it matter? No. Whether crime novel or thriller all that really counts is that it is a satisfying and enjoyable read.

People in Publishing - changes to editorial teams at Random House Childrens' Books & Andersen Press

2012-01-16T07:18:00.001Z

Random House Children's Books and Andersen Press are making some changes to their editorial teams, with RHCB commissioning editor Ruth Knowles joining Andersen Press on a year's secondment. Knowles will step into an acting editorial director for fiction role from Monday, 9th January, covering for Charlie Sheppard's maternity leave.

Meanwhile, during this period, Natalie Doherty will take on an acting editor role at RHCB and Kirsten Armstrong, who previously worked at David Fickling Books, will join as assistant editor.

Jessica Clarke has also been promoted to editor at RHCB, having joined the fiction team in June 2010.

Moves at RHCB and Andersen:

Angry Robot Books to launch a crime fiction imprint in 2013 - looking for new commissioning editor

2012-01-13T07:03:00.001Z

Sci-fi and fantasy specialist Angry Robot Books is to launch a crime fiction imprint in 2013.

The publisher, part of the Osprey Group, said it is in the "advanced stages" of preparing the imprint, which will be a standalone line with its own name and presence. However, additional details are being held under wraps, with Angry Robot saying only that "it will employ the same young and lively approach as AR does, using social media, street teams and all".

The company is currently recruiting a commissioning editor for the new project whom it said is to play a key role in developing the character of the imprint and must have "the ability to walk the walk as the mouthpiece of the coolest new crime imprint on the block".

Angry Robot has also announced the launch of a YA imprint in September of this year.

Independent Publisher Constable & Robinson see sales and turnover rise

2012-01-11T07:29:00.001Z

Constable & Robinson has grown turnover by 16% to £7.46m for the nine months to 31st October 2011, with total sales rising by 11% for the year to date.

Chairman Nick Robinson predicted that e-book sales should reach 12% of company turnover by the end of the current year.

The indie publisher also reported, in its full results for 2010, that turnover for the year ending 31st January 2011 was 8% up on 2009, to £8.1m, with profits 107% up, to £593,574.

Managing director Pete Duncan said: "We are particularly pleased with this year's third-quarter results on top of what was a strong year for sales and profit growth last year. As always, our authors and staff have been fundamental to this success."

Chairman Nick Robinson said: "We believe that our long-term investment in online publishing and our strong e-book sales—which should reach 12% of sales for the full current year—show the company is well positioned for 2012 and beyond."

2012 will see the publisher grow its client publishers' sales and distribution side, as well as launch its new commercial fiction imprint, Canvas.

Submission Guidelines
Constable & Robinson are happy to see submissions from new authors. Please follow the submission guidelines on their website.

Palgrave Pivot accepting submission proposals for new imprint to be launched in 2012

2012-01-09T07:51:00.003Z

Palgrave Macmillan is to launch a global imprint in 2012 which it claims will "liberate" scholarship from the "straitjacket" of traditional formats and business models.

Palgrave Pivot will publish across the humanities and social sciences, offering authors the flexibility of publishing mid-length texts which are too long to be journal articles and too short to stand as conventional monographs.

Publications from the new imprint will be available as digital collections for libraries, as individual e-books for personal use, or as digitally produced print editions. Palgrave Pivot will also prioritise speed of delivery, undertaking to publish within three months of accepting a piece after peer review.

Palgrave Macmillan executive director Samantha Burridge called the venture a "market-changing initiative" which presented the humanities and social sciences with an alternative publishing model. "We feel strongly that the restraints of the print format are no longer necessary," she said, adding that academics across the disciplines had been "very keen" to hear of the project.

Call for Proposals
Palgrave Pivot is now accepting proposals.

Authors in the USA and Canada: View the contact details of our editors.
Authors in the rest of the world: View the contact details of our editors.

Palgrave Pivot will launch in autumn 2012.

Random House Editor at Large to become Literary Agent at Janklow and Nesbit

2012-01-06T07:42:00.001Z

Random House editor-at-large Rebecca Carter is to join Janklow & Nesbit as an agent.

After 15 years at Random House, Carter will take up her new role at Janklow & Nesbit's London office in March 2012.

Carter said: “I have been extremely fortunate to work with so many wonderfully supportive and creative people at Random House over the last 15 years. The chance to join an agency like Janklow & Nesbit was too good to pass up, especially at a time when changes in the industry are creating challenges as to how best to steer an author’s career.”

Morton Janklow, a partner at Janklow & Nesbit, added: “We are thrilled to have Rebecca join our strong UK team. She brings her vast experience as an editor of taste and imagination and is the perfect addition to our group in London.”

For submissions to the agency please follow the submission guidelines.

Randon House Chief says that roles in publishing are being re-written

2012-01-05T08:08:00.001Z

Random House Group UK managing director, Gail Rebuck has said the rules of "agent, publisher and retailer are being rewritten", and revealed that e-books now account for around 11% of RHG's total net sales.

In a year-end letter to staff, Rebuck said that the group should finish 2011 ahead of internal targets despite a year characterised by a "turbulent economy", and with the "struggling High Street, particularly in Australia with the collapse of The Red Group".

She also said 2011 would be looked back on as "a time of significant digital-led change" with the publishing industry in transition. She added: "Traditional business models are in flux and new, exciting ways of doing things are coming into focus while the roles of agent, publisher and retailer are being rewritten," creating "opportunities for those who are ready to embrace and lead change".

Looking to 2012, she said: "Increasingly, direct consumer engagement will play a pivotal role in our campaigns as online discoverability and recommendation become ever more crucial to the future success of our books."

Rebuck said e-book sales values were up more than 500% on 2010.

Audio Book Sales Continue To Grow

2012-01-04T07:56:00.001Z

Below is the Audio Publishers Association just-released annual Survey Highlights for Audio Books.

Unit sales were up nearly 10% in the past year, showing continued consumer interest in audiobooks.
Based on the companies who reported (representing 61% of industry), total net sales (after returns) are up by 2 million units and $2 million.
The total number of audiobooks being published doubled in the past three years, from 3,073 in 2007 to 6,200 in 2010.
Audiobook downloads continued on a growth trend representing 36% of dollar volume (up from 29% in 2009) and 52% of unit sales (up from 48% in 2009)
In the past 5 years, downloading has grown 300% by dollar volume (from 9% in 2005) and 150% in terms of units (from 21% in 2005).
The CD format still represents the largest single source of dollars but showed slight declines overall in 2010 – 58% of revenue (down from 65%) and 43% of unit sales (down from 46%).
Unabridged editions (89% of the market by dollars; 85% of the market by units) continue to lead in sales.

I'm delighted to add that four of my DI Andy Horton marine mystery police procedural crime novels are published as unabridged audio books by Isis Publishing and my sales, marketing and communication books are also available as audio books.

For more information visit my website

People in Publishing

2012-01-03T07:24:00.001Z

Macmillan President, Brian Napack, has left the company, where he had also served as Chairman and CEO of Scientific American. He will announce plans early in 2012.

Also at Macmillan, Kingfisher has hired Brian Buerkle as Associate Publisher, Director of Marketing, replacing Angus Killick who has been named VP, Associate Publisher, Macmillan Children’s. Buerkle was Senior Marketing Manager at Marshall Cavendish.

At HarperCollins: Carrie Thornton will join the company in January 2012 as Executive Editor for It Books. Hilary Redmon has joined Ecco as Executive Editor, focusing on non-fiction titles. She was Senior Editor at Free Press. Casey McIntyre will be joining HarperCollins Children’s Books as Publicity Manager on January 9th. She was at the Penguin Young Readers Group.

Shannon Welch will join Scribner as a Senior Editor on January 9. She was previously an Executive Editor at Rodale.

Roger Labrie has left his position as Senior Editor at S&S and will be providing freelance editorial services to agents and authors. He is based in Summit, NJ, and may be reached atrlabrie311@comcast.net

Josalyn Moran, who left her job as children’s publishing director at Chronicle Books to become VP of publishing at Albert Whitman in 2010, will step down from that role at the end of the year. Whitman head John Quattrocchi said in a memo that “having achieved all preset goals,” Moran will transition to an advisory role from St. Louis.

Peter Miller has been hired as Director of Publicity at Liveright Publishing, the new division of W.W. Norton. He was formerly with Bloomsbury and Walker.

William Kiester is leaving his position as Publisher at Fair Winds Press after five years. In 2012 he will be pursuing a new publishing venture. He can be reached at williamkiester@gmail.com.

Dystel & Goderich Literary Management has hired Morris Shamah as the agency’s new Royalties Director and Junior Agent. Shamah previously worked at Writers House and the Carol Mann Agency as an intern.

Marcy Goot is leaving Kaplan, where she was Executive Director, Sales and Marketing, and moving to California to be Marketing Director, Literacy Program, at non-profit Benetech. She may be reached at marcyg@benetech.org

At Grand Central, Ben Greenberg has been promoted to Executive Editor; Alex Logan moves up to Editor; and Latoya Smith is promoted to Associate Editor.

Vanessa Mobley is being promoted to Executive Editor at Crown, reporting to Molly Stern.

Paul Whitlatch has been promoted to Editor at Scribner. He was previously an Associate Editor.

Deborah Aaronson has been promoted to Associate Publisher, Abrams adult trade, with responsibility for editorial resources and the adult art and design department. Both Aaronson and Publishing Director for lifestyle Leslie Stoker will report to Tager. Jennifer Levesque moves up to Editorial Director, reporting to Aaronson, where she will oversee Abrams Image.

Lauren Shakely, who stepped down last month as Senior VP, Publisher, Clarkson Potter, is reachable at lshakely@earthlink.net

Anna Quindlen has been named honorary national chairperson for World Book Night US. World Book Night is a campaign to give away a million free books across America all on one day — April 23, 2012 — by enlisting 50,000 volunteer book lovers to help promote reading by going into their communities and distributing free copies of a book they especially enjoy. World Book Night US has opened the registration process for those wishing to become volunteer book givers. They can go to www.us.worldbooknight.org and register through February 1, 2012.

Checklist for writing a good crime story, writing tips and National Crime Writing Month 2012

2011-12-21T07:34:00.001Z

I've got a new page on my official website entitled 'Writing Tips'. At the moment it comprises of a checklist for writing a good crime story, but this might be added to in due course. There are also interviews and further tips on the blog on my website.

I drafted this checklist to help those entering the CWA's ( Crime Writers' Association) Young Crime Writers' Competition 2011 so it is angled slightly towards writing a short story rather than a crime novel. Sadly the Young Crime Writers' Competition is not continuing for 2012, which is a shame because I felt it was just gaining momentum.

However there is going to be a National Crime Writing Month in June 2012 with lots of author and writing events taking place across the UK. I'll post more details here and on my website in due course but you can check this out and other events by visiting the CWA website

How to write a good crime story by Pauline Rowson

There are many different types of crime stories and many different types of crime novels from gritty gruesome, cosy comfortable to cops, robbers and gangsters, racy, action-packed thrillers, historical or contemporary, detective or private eye…

Then there is the setting: the city, the sea, countryside, mountains, home or abroad, and the theme – what message are you trying to get across? And whose story is it anyway?

So -
Choose your location
Choose your type of crime story
Think about a good theme or message you want to get across in your story
Choose who is going to be your main character or characters

Checklist for a good crime story

It should be well written with a truly surprising ending.
You need to plant clues throughout the crime story – not too many but just enough to get the reader thinking.
One critical piece of information is usually held back until just before the ending.
The best stories are those that have a theme/message and are firmly based on character.
Beginning: the main character is introduced immediately, so is the tone and setting and the problem
Middle: Build the motivation and tension.
The climax – this is the worst possible moment of the story.
The ending
If you are writing a short story then there should be unities of time, place and action which means that the story should take place over a very short space of time, in the same place and ideally through the main character’s eyes. This results in tight construction and a successful short story.

Bloomsbury Institute enters reader events market and Tindall Street Press launch Creative Writing Programme

2011-12-20T07:47:00.001Z

Bloomsbury Publishing has set up a literary events arm called Bloomsbury Institute, hosting literary salons, lectures and book clubs, as well as providing sessions for unpublished writers.

Claire Daly, previously festival co-ordinator for the Soho Literary Festival, has been appointed as Bloomsbury Institute events manager, with upwards of 30 events planned a year, in addition to new events and masterclasses expanding the established programme for unpublished writers offered under the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook brand.

The events will largely be hosted at the publisher's offices in Bedford Square, central London.

Man Booker-shortlisted Stephen Kelman will be among the first to speak at a Bloomsbury Salon event. He will be interviewed, alongside In Darkness author Nick Lake, by Julia Eccleshare on 31st January.

The first Bloomsbury Institute Lecture will be given in February by Slow Finance author Gervais Williams.

The Bloomsbury Book Club will begin with a William Boyd event on 29th February, held in partnership with debating forum Intelligence Squared.

Salon events and lectures will cost £8 to attend, with the Book Club charging £30, sending readers signed, first edition copies of the relevant book ahead of the meeting.

The Writers' and Artists' Yearbook events, offering guidance to unpublished authors, will include a one-to-one "Beat the Rejection Clinic", priced £199, and a "How to Hook an Agent" lunch, price yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, Birmingham independent Tindal Street Press has launched its own creative writing programme, Tindal Street Masterclasses, with Beginners Level and Academy Level courses, priced £400 and £450 respectively for the first 10-week term, led by author Josie Barnard.

The Crime Writers' Association to launch exciting new initiatives for crime fiction fans in 2012

2011-12-19T07:54:00.001Z

The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA), is to launch a new initiative, the Crime Readers’ Association (CRA) in 2012 and is expanding the Crime Writing Week to an entire month in June.

The CRA will launch in February 2012 with a new website, the url is yet to be confirmed. The site will offer readers information about forthcoming crime books, interviews with crime authors and features by CWA member authors. An e-newsletter is also lined up, with plans to organise events for readers to meet authors.

National Crime Writing Week is also set to expand to a month of activities in bookshops, libraries and arts centres. Last year I was delighted to run a Crime Writing Workshop at the Quay Arts Centre in Newport on the Isle of Wight.

National Crime Writing Month will begin at the Bristol-based Crimefest event, where I will be appearing on a panel. Crimefest runs from May 24th-27th 2012. National Crime Writing Month will conclude with the CWA Dagger awards. The date for the event is to be confirmed. I was also very proud to have been longlisted for the Dagger in the Library Award.

Pauline Rowson centre on the panel at Crimefest 2011

I'm looking forward to both these initiatives and will certainly be posting further details here and on my web site as soon as I have them.

Sales and profit drop at book wholesaler Gardners

2011-12-16T07:19:00.001Z

Sales and profit have fallen in the last year at book wholesaler Gardners but the company said it was "pleased" to maintain its profitability in an "increasingly competitive and challenging market".

In the year to 28th February 2011, the Eastbourne-based business reported a turnover of £176.5m, down 12% on last year’s reported sales of £200m and an operating profit of £5.7m, down 28% on last year’s figure of £7.8m.

Gardners said despite the reduction in total figures for the year, underlying sales and profit have increased. It said: "The exceptional increase in turnover in the previous year was due to a major competitor (Bertrams) going into temporary administration, which has now been resolved."

The company added: "The directors are also pleased to report that the company’s profitability has once more been maintained in an increasingly competitive and challenging market."

Amazon.com expands publishing arm by acquiring children's books list from Marshall Cavendish

2011-12-15T07:46:00.001Z

Amazon.com has acquired 450 titles from publisher Marshall Cavendish, marking the retailer's publishing arm's expansion into children's books, with the company's vice-president saying this deal could pave the way for similar agreements in other categories.

The online giant will continue to publish the titles from Marshall Cavendish Children's Books in print editions, as well as making them available digitally under an imprint of its New York publishing unit, providing further content for its colour e-reader the Kindle Fire.

Amazon Publishing vice-president Jeff Belle said: "We're excited to acquire the Marshall Cavendish Children's Books titles and expand our publishing business in this area. We believe the children's book market segment presents a unique opportunity to innovate in both print and digital formats.

"And since many of these titles are not readily available as e-books, we see a chance to connect a terrific group of authors and illustrators with more readers. We also see the potential for similar deals across other categories in future."

Larry Kirschbaum, vice-president and publisher at Amazon Publishing said: "We will continue to publish these books in their handsome print editions and we think customers will love reading these books—most of them never available before digitally—with their families, using the brilliant colour touchscreen of the Kindle Fire."

Amazon Publishing is made up of six imprints: AmazonEncore, AmazonCrossing, Powered by Amazon, Montlake Romance, Thomas & Mercer, 47North, as well as the New York-based division under which MCCB will be housed.

Choosing a title for a crime novel - Pauline Rowson, crime author discusses

2011-12-14T07:55:00.001Z

How do you come up with titles for your crime novels?

With great difficulty or considerable ease is the answer. Some titles can come instantly, almost the moment the novel hits the page (or rather the computer screen) Dead Man's Wharf was one such case. Others are like pregnancy, taking months to develop and even when the novel is finished I might still have no idea for a suitable title. A bit like the Horton novel I'm currently working on, number eight in the series. I'm on third revisions and stil no idea what the title of the novel will be.

It doesn’t matter when the title comes to me though, what does is that it must suit the novel, and if possible be memorable, although in my experience people rarely remember the title of a novel unless it's been made into a film or a television series.

Occasionally the publisher will help with the title, or can suggest changing it to one they think more appealing or suitable. And titles are often changed in translation to suit the country, and sometimes even when it is an English speaking country but with different spellings of a word. For example, Deadly Waters started out as Deadly Harbour but was changed because of publication in America where 'harbour' is spelt 'harbor.'

There are many different types of crime novel so equally there are many different types of crime novel titles. The title needs to reflect the mood of the book, as well as its structure and tone.

The Suffocating Sea conjures up the body on the burning boat in a marina on a foggy November night and how Horton feels as the novel progresses and he begins to discover some uncomfortable things about his mother's past.

Tide of Death represents the body washed up on the tide and how one death triggers a series as the killer gets more and more desperate to cover his tracks. Blood on the Sand, reflects the bloody body found in the sand of a bunker on an abandoned golf course on the Isle of Wight and Footsteps on the Shore the fact that Horton is being stalked.

A Killing Coast, the seventh in the DI Horton series, is published on 26 January. This title reflects the fact that the novel is set partly in Portsmouth and partly on the coast of the Isle of Wight across the Solent from the city of Portsmouth, where Horton is based in CID.

All the DI Horton marine mystery crime novels have a ‘sea’ element to the title to reflect their setting and reinforce their branding as marine mysteries. The stand alone thrillers are slightly different. Even though these too are set against the backdrop of the sea it wasn't so essential to reflect this in the title.

In For The Kill was a title that sprang instantly to mind as Alex Albury will fight to the bitter end to discover the identity of the man who stole his identity, framed him and destroyed his comfortable life and reputation. He is out to kill or be killed.

In Cold Daylight started out as The Cold Light of Day. The title represents the fact that Adam Greene, the reluctant hero, emerges from the story a different man than when he started. His journey forces him to relive past traumas and face up to the shame of his mental breakdown on a quest that was forced upon him to discover the truth behind the death of his friend, fire-fighter Jack Bartholomew and several of his colleagues of cancer.

Titles do matter because people can choose a book because of its title, and the look of the cover, especially if it is a new author for them, and one that hasn't necessarily been recommended by someone. And if the book becomes a treasured one then the title will stick, even if the name of the author has been forgotten.

Now it's time to get back to DI Andy Horton number eight and hope that soon a title will come to me.

Publisher Bloomsbury launches online service for unpublished authors

2011-12-13T07:06:00.001Z

Bloomsbury is to offer online services to help unpublished authors learn about the publishing process, as well as access to advice from editors and agents.

The services are an extension of the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook, published by Bloomsbury, and are online at www.writersandartists.co.uk. The scheme breaks the process down into four stages:

Starting Out;
Developing Your Talent and Growing as a Writer;
Emerging and Selling Your Stories;
Promoting and Publishing.

The 'How Strong is Your Book Idea?' service features in stage one, and is priced £99.99. The agents and editors who will be giving the feedback will be freelance.

Product director Eela Devani described the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook as an "independent and impartial brand", adding: "We've responded to the needs of the market by creating simple bespoke services to help and support creative spirits from the early stages of the writing process through to the publishing and promoting phase."We have spent over 100 years supporting writers and artists with our Yearbook and so this is a natural step for us."

Constable and Robinson to launch a new commercial fiction imprint

2011-12-12T07:43:00.001Z

Publisher Constable & Robinson is to launch Canvas, a new commercial fiction list headed by commissioning editor Victoria Hughes-Williams.

The Canvas list will initially publish 12 new titles a year, in print and digital, with its first title to be published in May 2012.

Fiction publisher James Gurbutt said: "Victoria's role and the launch of Canvas form part of a long-term objective to grow the business and to diversify our fiction offerings. The new list will be predominantly women's fiction—focusing on the mass market—an area in which, until now, we have not had a presence."

Hughes-Williams added that Canvas will be experimenting with how they engage directly with readers, saying: "It's an incredibly exciting time to be acquiring, as we develop new ways to shape the form of the books we bring to market."

Constable and Robinson accept unsolicited manuscripts. Please check their guidelines on their web site for full submission details.

Ebury Press appoint editorial director for science fiction and fantasy

2011-12-09T07:53:00.001Z

Ebury Press has appointed Michael Rowley, previously a Waterstone's buyer, as editorial director for science fiction and fantasy.

Rowley was previously a sci-fi and fantasy specialist buyer at Waterstone's head office for seven years, having graduated from the University of Liverpool with an MA in science fiction studies. He initially worked for Waterstone's at the Manchester Deansgate branch, running the sci fi and fantasy section and co-editing the in-house genre magazine, Enigma.

Ebury Publishing m.d. Fiona MacIntyre said: "Michael is recognised as being one of the best in the business and it is a real pleasure to provide a home for him to develop a subject he so clearly loves. His astute understanding of the sf and fantasy audience will help shape an exciting, innovative and profitable list."

Rowley added: "Joining Ebury is a dream job for me, the high point of a long career specialising in genre fiction. To be part of such a wonderful and passionate team is hugely exciting, and I can't wait to get started."

Orbit Short Fiction expands publishing programme from the USA to the UK

2011-12-08T07:02:00.001Z

Orbit is launching its digital short fiction publishing programme internationally, expanding from its US base.
Orbit Short Fiction, which launched in the US in April, will release titles simultaneously in the US, UK and all other markets in which its e-books are regularly distributed from the start of 2012.

Editorial director Anne Clarke said: "The digital short fiction market is clearly gaining momentum, and I'm delighted that we'll now be able to make our authors' stories available internationally. The success of the programme in the US has been very encouraging, and we're very much looking forward to working with our authors and colleagues in the US on this next stage in its development."

What Do Writers Really Earn? A Survey by the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society

2011-12-07T07:19:00.001Z

Bubblecow recently posted this interesting article.

In 2008 the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (UK) commissioned a survey to examine author’s earnings.

Here’s what they found:

The average (mean) annual earnings of a writer: £16,531
The typical (median) earnings of a writer: £4,000
60% of people who saw themselves as ‘professional authors’ required a second source of income
The average (mean) annual earnings of a writer (25-34): £14,564
The typical (median) earnings of a writer (25-34): £5,000
The average (mean) annual earnings of a writer (35-44): £24,533
The typical (median) earnings of a writer (35-44): £18,000
The average (mean) annual earnings of a writer (45-54): £35,958
The typical (median) earnings of a writer (45-54): £14,250
The genres that earned the most money (highest to lowest): TV writing, Theatre/film writing, Audio, internet and other, Books – fiction, Books – academic/educational, Books – children’s fiction, Newspapers/magazines and Books – non-fiction.

Source: What are Words Worth? The ALCS commissioned research carried out by Bournemouth University.

BubbleCow was established in 2007 with the simple goal of ‘helping writers to get published’.You can read more about Bubblecow on their website.

Good Housekeeping launches writing a novel competition with the chance to get published and a £25,000 advance

2011-12-06T07:30:00.001Z

Good Housekeeping Magazine has launched a writing competition for budding novelists in association with Orion and agent Luigi Bonomi.

The competition appears in the magazine's January issue, which is on sale now. Good Housekeeping is looking for previously unpublished writers in any genre apart from children's, with first prize a £25,000 advance, help from the Orion editorial team and Bonomi, and the chance to have the winning book published with coverage in the magazine.

The judges will include Kate Mosse, Bonomi, Orion fiction publishing director Kate Mills and Good Housekeeping editorial director Lindsay Nicholson.

Nicholson said the magazine was "looking forward to discovering the UK's next big literary talent". Mills commented: "I'm always meeting writers who are feverishly working away in isolation and this is a fantastic opportunity to get that hard work read and recognised, with a great prize."

Atlantic Books appoints new editorial director

2011-12-05T07:30:00.001Z

Atlantic Books has appointed Sara O'Keeffe, currently a senior commissioning editor at Orion, as editorial director of Corvus.

O'Keeffe, who has worked at Orion for eight years, will take up her new role at Corvus in January, reporting to publishing director Margaret Stead. She succeeds Nicolas Cheetham, who is to join new publisher Head of Zeus in the New Year.

Atlantic Books do not take unsolicited manuscripts.

Waterstone's James Daunt to be keynote speaker at IPG's 50th conference March 2012

2011-12-02T07:19:00.002Z

Waterstone's m.d. James Daunt will be the keynote speaker at next year's Independent Publishers Guild annual conference, the organisation's 50th.

The 2012 event, to be held from 7th to 9th March at Heythrop Park near Chipping Norton, will also host the sixth presentation of the IPG Independent Publishing Awards.

IPG executive director Bridget Shine said she was "thrilled" to have Daunt presenting the keynote speech. "Waterstone's is a vitally important customer for many of our members, and given James' vast experience we are sure that all independent publishers will be interested to hear his thoughts on the current state and future of our industry," she said.

Stationery retailer Viking moves into bookselling

2011-12-01T07:38:00.001Z

Internet and catalogue stationery retailer Viking has opened an online bookstore selling a range of 3,500 titles.
The company is based in Leicester and said it had decided to begin selling books in a bid to further become “a one-stop-shop for businesses and consumers”.

Its range includes fiction, business and travel. The company said it hopes to expand into educational books to become a future resource for schools, as well as small businesses and consumers.

Viking, which employs 1,300 people in the UK, said: “Early indications show that customers have taken to the new offering and interestingly, the biggest sellers so far are health and safety-focused publications."

Templar unveils ambitious growth plan for young fiction and young adult fiction

2011-11-30T07:05:00.002Z

Templar plans to grow its fiction output to 35 titles by 2013, following its move into fiction last year with an initial seven titles. The biggest growth will be in young fiction, although commissioning editor Helen Boyle said the company will continue to develop its young adult (YA) titles.

Boyle said it is looking at three key areas including young fiction, where it can work with picture book illustrators to develop new series, as well as commercial fiction and will be developing 'hybrid' fiction including illustrated fiction for older readers.

Templar welcome unsolicited submissions. Please read the guidelines on their web site. You can find their submissions guidelines here.

Sci-fi and fantasy specialist Angry Robot is setting up a Young Adult Imprint

2011-11-29T07:50:00.002Z

Sci-fi and fantasy specialist Angry Robot is setting up a YA imprint, Strange Chemistry, with genre blogger Amanda Rutter appointed editor.

The imprint will launch in September 2012, with five titles to be published before the end of the year, with plans to then publish one book a month. Strange Chemistry will co-publish its titles simultaneously in the US and UK, in both e-book and paperback formats, as Angry Robot does.

Angry Robot managing director Marc Gascoigne said: "The key to any truly successful genre imprint is the personality of its editors. In Amanda we've found the perfect mix of editing skills and wild, wild enthusiasm for the subject. We're beyond delighted to welcome her to the team."

Read their submissions policy on their web site.

Also from their web site:

Angry Robot is looking for people to blog about them, their books and authors.In return as well as reviewing their titles, they'll give you free copies of their books (in physical, audio, or electronic format), interviews and features. You can get the lowdown on Angry Robot and sign up at Robot Army Website.

The Romantic Novelists' Association restructures awards and adds new logo

2011-11-28T07:18:00.001Z

The Romantic Novelists' Association has restructured its awards, switching names from the Pure Passion Awards to the RoNAs, and with a new brand identity for the organisation.

The five RoNA categories will be Contemporary Romantic Novel, Epic Romantic Novel, Historical Romantic Novel, Romantic Comedy Novel and Young Adult Romantic Novel, with the RoNA Rose Award, formerly Love Story of the Year, also to be awarded along with the Harry Bowling Prize for new writing, sponsored by Headline. Organisers said the new awards reflected "the modern appetite for romantic fiction which encompasses a variety of genres".

RNA president, author Katie Fforde, called the new logo, featuring a heart and a book, "bright, simple, versatile and memorable". She added: "Together with our new-look RoNA awards, we hope it will help bring the Romantic Novelists' Association to the forefront of the minds of everyone involved in the industry."
The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 5th March 2012, with the winner of each category then entered for the Romantic Novel of the Year award, with the results of that to be announced on 17th May 201

New appointmentst at Quadrille and Harvill Secker Publishers

2011-11-25T07:04:00.002Z

Quadrille has made a series of promotions and appointments within its sales teams, with Melanie Gray stepping up to become UK sales director, joining the board at the independent publisher.

Gray was formerly international rights director. Alex Elliott has been promoted to deputy head of UK sales and head of stationery sales, with Margaux Durigon promoted to head of international sales. Agata Sarnowska has joined the company as international sales executive, having previously worked as a rights manager at Macmillan Children's Books, and at Carlton Books as a foreign rights executive.

Harvill Secker has appointed Alison Hennessey as its senior crime editor. She will begin in the newly created role in January 2012 and joins from Vintage where she was editor and digital media executive since 2010. She will be responsible for commissioning and publishing crime novels in translation, as well as finding UK talent.

World Book Day set for another revamp for 2012

2011-11-18T07:56:00.001Z

World Book Day is set for a 2012 revamp, with new management, branding and digital promotional ideas hoping to achieve more than one million book token redemptions.

WBD will return on 1st March 2012—led by children’s marketing specialist Kirsten Grant as its new director and Penguin’s Joanna Prior as chair—with a new push after what Prior described as a “loss of energy for redemptions” which were not getting children “excited enough”.

Physical book sales down year-on-year in October

2011-11-17T07:36:00.001Z

Printed book sales in October slumped 8% year-on-year, due largely to poor sales within the paperback fiction and biographies/memoirs sectors, Nielsen BookScan data has revealed.

In total, £144.7m was spent on physical books in the four weeks to 29th October, a rise of £14m, or 12%, on the previous four-week period, but down £12.3m on October 2010.

According to an analysis of Nielsen BookScan's Top 5,000 bestseller list, sales within the paperback fiction sector were down 15% year-on-year in October, while sales within the biographies/memoirs genre were down a dire 43% year-on-year, due largely to poor sales of celebrity memoirs.

Due in part to the migration from print to digital, sales within the fiction sector were down 13% in the month of October, due principally to a 15% drop in sales of paperbacks.

Kobo to move into publishing in 2012

2011-11-16T07:31:00.001Z

Kobo is to move into publishing, its c.e.o. has announced, with plans to offer complete publishing services directly to authors, Canadian CBC News reports.

C.e.o. Michael Serbinis told the network that Kobo will roll out its programme sometime in 2012. He said: "It's part of the new market and if you expect to be a number one player in that market globally its table stakes—you have to provide it."

Kobo will offer services including book editing and design to authors, although it is currently unclear whether the e-reader company will publish print books, or just e-books. It is also unclear whether it will be a self-publishing initative or a full-service programme, such as Amazon's, where the company has hired publishers and editors with a traditional publishing background. Amazon's publishing arm now includes six imprints, including the most recent launch, 47North, a sci-fi, fantasy and horror imprint.

Meanwhile, in its reaction piece to the news, Quill & Quire reports that Canadian Booksellers Association president Mark Lefebvre joined Kobo this week in the newly created role of director of self-publishing and author relations.

This follows Kobo and W H Smith's link-up in the UK, with Smith's now stocking Kobo's e-reading devices.

Bernard Shaw Musicals Competition launches to find new writing talent

2011-11-15T07:27:00.001Z

The Bernard Shaw estate, represented by the Society of Authors, has teamed up with Mercury Musical Developments and RADA to launch a competition in search of a new musical based on a Bernard Shaw play, a potential rival to My Fair Lady, Lerner and Loewe’s triumphant version of Shaw’s Pygmalion.

Associates of Mercury Musical Developments are invited to submit an outline treatment consisting of a synopsis, a scene and no more than three songs for a new show based on one of two Shaw plays: Man and Superman, the story of Jack Tanner, Shaw’s very own Don Juan, or The Devil's Disciple, a tale of rebellion and self-sacrifice set against the background of the American War of Independence.

Entries will be assessed by a panel of industry professionals and their shortlist will be judged by an eminent panel of experts.

The winning entry will receive a commission fee of £3,600 and its writers will be commissioned to develop their work into a full draft which will then be given a workshop production at RADA.

The competition is open to all writer associates and professional writer associates of Mercury Musical Developments. Details of how to join MMD are at www.mercurymusicals.com/join.html. Rules of the competition and an entry form can be found at www.mercurymusicals.com/opportunities.html

Submissions deadline: 1 February 2012

Publisher Faber on self publishing bandwagon

2011-11-14T07:23:00.001Z

Publishers it seems are jumping on the self publishing bandwagon or at least some are dipping their toe in the water and seeing if they can make money out of those who wish to self publish. Faber have launched a self publishing academy.

Faber Academy director Jason Cooper says that it does not represent a conflict of interests for the publisher.
"There is a huge amount of interest in self-publishing at the moment, and we would want to make the most of that,' Faber say. They go on to add, 'and help them realise their ambition if that is their path . . . I think as a publisher, if we are worried about self-publishing, the solution is to publish people. I think we can see that there are people in different situations and with different ambitions who will go down different routes."

He added that the three day course was a "bit of an experiment", and it was dependent on the interest the course attracted as to whether it would run again.

The course, "Bring Your Book to Market", will run in February 2012. Author, journalist and social media champion Ben Johncock and writer, blogger and digital self-publishing exponent Catherine Ryan Howard will be the course tutors, with Faber publishing director Hannah Griffiths also giving a one-hour session entitled "Rules for Authors".

People in Publishing

2011-11-04T07:38:00.002Z

Algonquin Books will start publishing young adult and middle grade books by the end of 2012 and has hired Elise Howard, formerly svp and associate publisher of HarperCollins Children's Books, to oversee the program. Howard plans to start the new list with up to a half dozen titles next year and build "gradually" from there. She will work out of Algonquin’s New York office, starting in mid-November.

Anthony Cheetham newest start-up as Head of Zeus is now public. The line is set to debut next summer in the UK with Robert Massie's CATHERINE THE GREAT biography. Cheetham, who is funding the new venture himself along with "close associates" for now, plans for another 10 titles of "general books with a slightly upmarket feel" in print for 2012, along with a separate list of commercial fiction released in ebook first.

Cheetham says, "this is not a blueprint for some huge group. This time I prefer to retain ownership and management, so one is not forced to sell it. I'd like this one to stick around for a while."

Rowland White will return to Penguin UK, where he worked for 12 years, as publishing director for Michael Joseph after two years as nonfiction publishing director for Orion. White will concentrate on nonfiction and thrillers and report to managing director Louise Moore.

As of January, Chris Gillespie is being promoted to svp, associate publisher for Knopf, Pantheon and now Schocken.

Nancy Miller has been promoted to editor-in-chief at the Bloomsbury imprint at Bloomsbury USA, reporting to publishing director George Gibson. Executive editors Anton Mueller and Kathy Belden and senior editor Ben Adams will report to Miller.

Chris Calhoun, who was a vp at Sterling Lord Literistic, has left to start his own company. He will represent a select list of author and poets, but will also work on selling literary archives and rare manuscripts in association with James Goldwasser.

Jennifer Heddle has joined Lucas Books, the publishing division of Lucasfilm, as senior editor, overseeing the adult fiction in their Star Wars publishing programs with Random House and Dark Horse Comics. She was at Gallery and Pocket Books.

Literary scout Lucy Abrahams has been hired by Suhrkamp/Insel in Germany.

Angus Killick is joining Macmillan Children's in the new position of vp, associate publisher, reporting to president Jon Yaged. Killick will coordinate publishing programs across the group's imprints, lead the children's marketing team, oversee key marketing campaigns, and pursue business development opportunities. He was associate publisher and director of marketing at Kingfisher.

Karyn Marcus will join Simon & Schuster as a senior editor starting on October 31, focusing on non-fiction and suspense fiction. She spent the past three years as an editor at Thomas Dunne Books.

At Douglas & MacIntyre, Jesse Finkelstein has been promoted to the new position of director, publishing services and operations, and will continue to be responsible for D&M’s digital and foreign rights programs as well. In addition, Trena White moves up to associate publisher, responsible for the imprint's day-to-day activities in addition to acquiring non-fiction titles.

Agent and author Jeff Herman is launching a social network at waenet.com in November, for writers, agents and editors.

Joseph Calamia joins Yale University Press as an editor, reporting to the executive editor for science and medicine, Jean Thomson Black. Calamia recently earned a master’s degree in science writing from MIT and will acquire for the science list.

HarperCollins has acquired "the majority of titles" published by Esther Margolis's Newmarket Press. The publisher's list comprises over 200 books on film (particularly screenplays and "making of" books that tie in to award-winning movies), theater, and performing arts, as well as over 100 titles on parenting, psychology, health, biography, history, and business as well as some fiction. The only titles not included in the agreement are inactive ones that will revert back to the rightsholders. At one point, HarperCollins had served as Newmarket's distributor.

Barnes & Noble's chief financial officer Joseph Lombardi has resigned his position, and corporate controller Allen Lindstrom will act as interim CFO while the company conducts an executive search. Lombardi will stay on as a non-officer employee until the middle of next year "to assist in the transition."

An especially good series hero with real problems is the key to creating a good crime novel

2011-11-02T07:59:00.000Z

DI Andy Horton in my marine mystery police procedural crime novels has been described as 'an especially good series hero, a likable fellow with plenty of street smarts and the requisite personal baggage - an abrasive supervisor (DCI Lorraine Bliss) and an antagonistic soon to be ex wife.' Booklist (USA). Heroes in detective novels usually have their own set of problems and the key to producing a successful crime novel is not necessarily that the hero saves the world, aka James Bond, although I like a crime novel where the hero gets his guy, but that he also learns something about him or herself by the end of the novel.

At the Bouchercon 2011 crime fiction convention in St Louis last weekend, crime authors agreed that they like to create ordinary people as heroes with real problems and that they write the stories they’d like to read, knowing that it will inevitably strike a chord with readers. That has always been true for me. I write the sort of crime and thriller novels that I like to read, good characters and an intriguing plot that get me thinking. I don't do gratuitous violence. I am not out to shock the reader but to entertain him or her and get them rooting for my hero, even if they do occasionally get frustrated by his actions.

The reason for putting ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances is to build more tension. Readers tend to support characters in which they recognise certain traits they have themselves. In my thriller, In Cold Daylight, Adam Greene is a reluctant hero who throughout the novel has to do things he'd rather not. He has to face his own demons before he can discover the truth about his closest friend's death, fire fighter, Jack Bartholomew. Adam is ill equipped to take up the dead hero's quest to get to the truth behind fire fighter's deaths from cancer, but he finds he has no choice. The aim is to make the reader think would I be strong enough to do that?

An author needs to get the reader caring about the hero and I certainly get great satisfaction when people ask me is Andy Horton going to get back with his wife, Catherine? Will Andy find out the truth about his mother's disappearance? Who is Andy's father? These are not the main strands of the novels - six now in the series with number seven being published in the the New Year - but they are the things that have shaped Andy Horton and made him what he is and therefore affect his decisions and his interactions with his colleagues and the villains.

One of the conclusions from Bouchercon this year was that the crime genre can show us the realities of ordinary people in everyday lives. Readers want to learn about people, and in my view they also want to get stuck into a good crime to solve, a puzzle. They want to feel for the characters, and urge them on just like you do when watching a good movie. And no matter the format of a crime novel, printed book or e book, that will always be the case.

The CWA Announces Debut Dagger Competition 2012 for budding crime writers

2011-11-01T07:47:00.000Z

The Crime Writers' Association has announced that the 2012 Debut Dagger Competition will be open from October 22nd, 2011 through January 21st, 2012.

The Debut Dagger is open to anyone who has not yet had a novel published commercially. All short-listed entrants will receive a generous selection of crime novels and professional assessments of their entries. The first prize is £700 plus two tickets to the CWA Awards, which will be held in July 2012.

Entrants are required to submit the first 3000 words of their crime-themed novel plus a 500-1000 word synopsis of the rest of the novel. The short-listed entries are circulated to all the editors and agents who are members of the Association, and also to an increasing number who contact the CWA asking to see the list. Since its inauguration, over two dozen winners and short-listed authors have obtained publishing contracts.

For more information, including the application form, visit the Debut Dagger page on the CWA website.

The Book Depository and Amazon Cleared to Merge

2011-10-31T07:53:00.001Z

The Office of Fair Trading in the UK has cleared Amazon to take over The Book Depository, ruling the merger would not lead to a lessening of competition within the UK book industry.

The OFT decided there was limited pre-merger competition between the two companies and found that competition within Amazon Marketplace would continue to be strong after the takeover. It said The Book Depository only accounted for between 2-4% of the online market for physical books, and that TBD had most of its growth in overseas markets rather than the UK.

During its investigation, the OFT looked at the levels of competition between top selling titles and “deep range”, less popular books. It found for popular titles Amazon would face strong post-merger competition from bricks and mortar booksellers, supermarkets and other online retailers, including other Amazon Marketplace sellers. For deep range titles, the OFT decided Amazon would face rivalry from other online retailers and Amazon Marketplace sellers.

read more

People in Publishing

2011-10-28T07:12:00.001+01:00

Little, Brown UK science fiction and fantasy imprint Orbit has appointed Jenni Hill, previously of Solaris Books, as commissioning editor.

Hill will report to editorial director Anne Clarke, and will take up her post on 31st October. While at Solaris, she worked with authors including James Lovegrove, Gail Z Martin and Emily Gee.

At Crown, Rica Allannic has been promoted to executive editor, Clarkson Potter, and Kate Tyler has been promoted to publicity director, Crown Illustrated, which comprises the Clarkson Potter, Potter Craft, Potter Style, Watson-Guptill, and Amphoto Books imprints. Kim Small has also been named publicity director for Potter Style, in addition to directing publicity for Potter Craft, Watson-Guptill, and Amphoto Books.

Laura Meyer will join Harper UK as chief information officer in mid-January 2012, tasked with the responsibility of upgrading the publisher's systems to deal with the change towards digital.

Katie Shea has joined the Donald Maass Literary Agency, specializing in fiction (especially women’s fiction and commercial-scale literary fiction) and memoir. She was previously an agent with Johnson Literary Agency.

At Hachette UK, Matt Wright has been promoted to managing director, distribution, responsible for all aspects of the group's logistics operations, including customer service and credit control.

Bethanne Patrick has joined Book Riot as executive editor.

Amazon profits crumble after heavy Kindle investment

2011-10-27T07:16:00.003+01:00

Amazon’s profits have dropped by 73% in its third quarter, with the company's investment in its Kindle e-readers blamed for the slump.

In the three months to 30th September, net income fell from $231m (£144.4m) to $63m (£39.4m) year on year. Sales rose by 44% to $10.88bn (£6.8bn), in comparison to $7.56bn (£4.7bn) in 2010. In its international arm, including sites in the UK, Germany, Japan, France, China, Italy and Spain, the company reported sales were $4.94bn (£3.1bn), up 44% from third quarter 2010.

Following the release of the financial results, shares in Amazon fell 14.25% to $194.77 (£121.75). Analysts put the slump in profits down to investment in its new Kindle devices, Fire and Touch. However, Amazon was gloomy about the months ahead, suggesting it could make between a $200m (£125.0m) loss and $250m (£156.3m) profit in its fourth financial quarter.

Evercore Partners analyst Ken Sena told Reuters: "We're not seeing the investment pay off yet, but I think investors are impatient as to how long will it take before you will start to see this pay off." He added, "When are we going to start to see some signs?"

read more

Expansion for publishers with new lists and staff appointments

2011-10-26T07:29:00.001+01:00

Alma Books is planning to hire more staff and expand its non-fiction and YA lists, after reversing a loss made in its 2009 financial year.

For the year ending 31st December 2010, turnover grew nearly 70% to £629,361. Profit after tax was also up to £104,646 at the end of 2010, after making a loss of £10,437 in 2009. Managing director Alessandro Gallenzi said in the first half of 2011 sales reached £91,336 in June, up from £34,846 in January. Export sales have also grown by over 80%, according to the publisher, due to its sales and distribution agreement with Bloomsbury getting underway at the start of 2011, and with Gallenzi anticipating further growth in this area once distribution begins in the US in the near future.

Alma is looking to recruit an additional editor as well as another member of marketing staff, upping staff levels to seven full-time employees, with plans to publish a more varied non-fiction list and more YA titles and boost its digital publishing programme.

Overall, Alma will publish 20 books in spring 2012, up from 12 this year. The companys also aims to have all its backlist of titles available as e-books..

read more

Digital publisher Open Road is launching a new imprint, Iconic E-books, with Erica Jong's Fear of Flying and Alice Walker's The Color Purple to be among its first titles.

The Iconic E-Books titles will be those that have "universal name recognition whether as memoir, popular fiction, literary fiction, or non-fiction".

Open Road co-founder and c.e.o. Jane Friedman said: "A core mission of Open Road is to bring many of the most influential and acclaimed books to 'e' to connect them once again with readers."

Ticktock Books placed in Voluntary Liquidation & New Holland lays off staff

2011-10-25T07:08:00.003+01:00

The Bookseller of 14th October reports that Ticktock Books and Ticktock Direct (whose names were recently changed to TTB Kent and TTD Kent), have both been placed in voluntary liquidation. Tick Tock Media went into liquidation in March of last year.

Ticktock Entertainment Ltd is continuing with a new publishing imprint, Wise Walrus.Members of The Society of Authors are advised to consult the Society before signing any new contract with Ticktock Entertainment, Wise Walrus, or any other company under the control of Tick Tock’s MD John Twiggs.

read more

llustrated publisher New Holland has undergone its third round of redundancies in four years, with nearly half the company’s UK staff leaving the publisher, including its managing director.

Eleven employees (out of 24 in the UK) will leave the business on 28th October, with m.d. Steve Connolly to leave in December. Connolly said: “Effectively the UK trade side of the business is continuing to shrink. The coedition and non-trade market is growing quite significantly, but that is not compensating enough for the drop in trade sales. Looking at the next two years, we couldn’t see any reason it would get any better very quickly. We thought it better to manage operational costs, so it has a smaller publishing plan and is more coedition driven.”

He added: “The UK high street is not only down, but it is very erratic—it is very hard to plan a stable business when you don’t have a reliable revenue stream.”

He said the coedition sales team—comprising five full-time and two freelance staff members—would remain unaffected, but the main losses would be within the production, design and editorial teams. He said the work of these departments, for the publisher’s general interest and international travel list, will now be handled in-house at New Holland Australia, “which will hopefully give better economy of scale”.

The company is owned by South Africa media company Avusa, and Connolly will be moving to Cape Town to become m.d. of fellow Avusa company Random House Struik, where he will succeed Stephen Johnson, who is retiring.

Meanwhile, the remaining staff at New Holland UK will report to New Holland Publishers Australia m.d. Fiona Schultz, who will be responsible for the company’s international business from its Sydney office.

Frontlist commissioning for the UK company will drop from about 60 titles annually to around 25 to 30 books a year.

New talk added to CSI Portsmouth event - Crime Author Pauline Rowson on Writing the Crime Novel

2011-10-24T07:30:00.002+01:00

Unfortunately owing to personal circumstances Dr Neil McCaw whose talk was to be on Victorian Crime Fiction at CSI Portsmouth on Saturday 5 November has had to withdraw from the programme. I will be stepping in to take his place in addition to being on the panel event in the afternoon. I won't be talking about Victorian Crime Fiction though but about writing a crime novel. My talk will take place in the morning of Saturday 5 November between 10.00am - 11.00 am and again between 11.30am - 12.30pm. Sorry to disappoint all those who were looking forward to Dr McCaw's talk but hopefully I can make up for it in some small way.

Here are the details:

Writing A Crime Novel - plotting, researching and writing the crime novel

If you've ever wondered where crime writers get their ideas from, how they turn those ideas into complex plots and sub plots, how they research for their novels and how the fiction compares with the fact now is your chance to find out.

Pauline Rowson is the author of the DI Andy Horton Marine Mystery Crime Novels set in the Solent area. She is an accomplished and entertaining speaker and draws the inspiration for her popular crime novels from the Solent area where she lives. Her crime novels have been highly acclaimed both in the UK and the USA and have been translated into several languages. She is also the author of two thrillers one of which the award winning In Cold Daylight was voted by the public as the third best read for World Book Day 2008

CSI Portsmouth Morning Programme 10.00 - 12.30 am - choose two sessions to attend, one between 10am- 11am and another between 11.30am - 12.30pm

Forensic psychology – How realistic is the forensic psychologist portrayed on television detective programmes and in crime novels? Lucy Wainwright will discuss this and many aspects of her fascinating work

Fingerprinting – Fact versus Fiction – Jane Aston from the Fingerprint bureau at Police Support Headquarters, Hampshire, gives an intriguing insight into how it really works.

True Crime – In Charge Of Murder – How a real murder case is worked, former Detective Superintendent Bob Bridgestock tells it like it is.

Writing A Crime Novel - plotting, researching and writing the crime novel, using the Solent area for setting and inspiration - Pauline Rowson author of the DI Andy Horton Marine Mystery Crime Novels

CSI Portsmouth Afternoon Programme 2pm - 5pm

Join International best selling crime authors, Mark Billingham, John Harvey, Michael Ridpath and Pauline Rowson, and police and forensic experts: Dr Claire Nee, Dr Paul Smith, an expert in crime scenes; Hampshire Police – Major Crime Team Senior Investigator and Scene of Crime Officer for this lively panel debate where crime fiction meets crime fact.

4pm Book Signing and a chance to talk with the crime authors on an individual basis

CSI Portsmouth Tickets

Tickets on sale from the Box Office + 44 (0)23 9268 8685.

Tickets cost £5 for the morning and £7 for the afternoon with a discounted ticket of £10 for the whole day and includes £3 off the price of a book bought at the event.

People in Publishing

2011-10-21T12:49:00.001+01:00

At Scholastic's trade publishing division, editorial director David Levithan has been promoted to publisher and editorial director. In other promotions, Charisse Meloto moves up to executive director of publicity for print and digital publishing; Bess Braswell is now director of marketing; Victoria Tisch is director of marketing operations; Maria Dominguez is executive editor and manager, Scholastic en español; and Paul Banks moves up to executive art director, licensed publishing and school market originals.

Simon & Schuster's children's imprints Aladdin and Simon Pulse will co-publish Beyond Words Publishing's children's list. S&S will handle sales, distribution, and fulfillment of their 10 to 12 titles annually worldwide, starting in 2012. The agreement parallels the relationship Beyond Words struck with Atria for their adult titles in 2006. Publisher of Aladdin and Simon Pulse publisher Bethany Buck says in the announcement, "Their unique and inspirational books will be a nice complement to our upcoming and backlist titles, as we are seeing these types of books proving to be a strong category for young readers."

At Headline, John Wordsworth has joined as editor, focusing on science fiction and fantasy titles. Previously he was an editor at John Blake Publishing. In addition, Ben Willis will join as publicity manager starting November 7. Previously he was a senior press officer at Transworld.

Warren Adler on Books to Movies

2011-10-20T07:46:00.000+01:00

This article first appeared on Huffington Post.

Warren Adler is the author of 32 novels and short story collections published in numerous languages. Films adapted from his books include "The War of the Roses", "Random Hearts" and the PBS trilogy "The Sunset Gang." He is a pioneer in digital publishing. For more information please visit www.warrenadler.com.

"I recently served as a speaker on a panel discussion organized by the Book Publicists of Southern California under the irrepressible founder and Chairman emeritus Irwin Zucker on the subject of "Books to Movies."

Beside me, there were two other panelists, Ron Bernstein, a savvy and powerful senior agent at ICM, and Barbara Schiffman, a much admired and experienced script consultant. I was chosen, I suppose, because I had either sold or optioned a dozen of my books to Hollywood producers and studios.

There were about 150 people in the audience. Most, because of proximity, had some knowledge of the film and entertainment business. Many, as I later learned, had self-published memoirs and books on various subjects as well as fiction. Some had books published by traditional publishers.

All were anxious to know how their offering could be adapted to a movie, which for them, was the gold standard of literary achievement, the holy grail of their efforts. I am talking primarily about big screen movies, those shown in popcorn palaces, touted by big ads and endless promos, the movies that make people famous.

Bernstein, who is on the daily firing line of selling books to the flicks, opined that many movies today were designed for a very young demographic and were made to sell ancillaries like toys and video games. There were, he noted, adult movies being made but fewer than in the past. He did acknowledge that many movies headed straight to cable television or DVDs and streaming sites.

Schiffman, an acknowledged expert on the technique of film stories was what one might characterize as a strict constructionist. She knew how stories could best be told on film, but admitted that it was impossible to predict marketability in advance in a constantly changing environment.

In my talk, I recounted the difficulties, complications and disappointments of getting a book adapted to a movie and the long odds that followed an option or even an outright sale of finally getting the book to the silver screen. I attributed my own experience to pure luck since I have never written a book with a movie in mind and my talk centered around my "war" stories of dealing with the clashing opinions and egos of the Hollywood creative and business community.

I cited the nightmare of the so-called collegial experience, of having to confront not only producers, directors, actors, their spouses or significant others, all of whom had their own views about how the movie should proceed. For a novelist, used to being king of his mind-made mountain, the process is terrifying.

One can easily understand why Ernest Hemingway said something to the effect that the best way for an author to handle Hollywood was to stand at the Nevada border, throw the book over the fence to California, have them throw the money back, then run like hell.

What astonished me in the question period at the event and the aftermath, was that many of these self-published authors were absolutely certain that their books were big movie material.

Some were convinced that the public needed their take on this or that cause, and that their book "deserved" a movie. People lined up to flack their books on such subjects as life in New Caledonia, autism, social justice and other areas designed to "inspire" movie goers and help save the world. It was futile to cite movies as mere entertainment.

A number of people flashed their self-published book covers, which featured entertainers long gone written by middle to old age offspring convinced that the world was waiting for their filmed resurrection.

Some bold people thrust manuscripts at Bernstein who very politely and with great tact, refused them. I made the mistake of dismissing one eager questioner with "But who would come to your movie?" which he took as an insult.

If there was a takeaway from this experience it was that there is a giant groundswell of traditionally published and self-published wannabe recognized writers out there who really believe that their work deserves not only to be read and lauded, but adapted to big Hollywood films. They fantasize that they have created works that demand attention in this media. Indeed, many have been bolstered by relatives and close friends out of genuine love or ingratiation and lavish encouragement that their work is a surefire movie.

In that room I saw first hand what it meant to these people to believe absolutely in their work, most of which probably passed through countless rejections before ending up as a self-published book. These were, indeed, true believers. They were not to be dissuaded.

That said, I continue to admire their pluck and self-confidence. It is really, really hard to write a book. Whether it be fiction or non-fiction the investment in time is enormous. If not self-confidence and commitment, what can sustain a determined writer to spend long hours alone spurred on by the absolute belief that their work is worth doing despite rejection after rejection?

Suddenly digitization and the e-book phenomenon has opened the doors wide to their creative efforts and the old stigma of vanity publishing has disappeared, giving them confidence that they could compete with writers and publishers everywhere on the planet.

One can forgive them for being convinced that their effort is well worth the candle. They have to embrace the idea that after such a massive effort it surely is a psychic thrill for them to hold a book in their hands with their name emblazoned on the cover, or see their work in digital form on a reading device. They must believe that they have not only enriched themselves but the world at large, and yearn for others to lionize and praise them.

In a society where people without achievement or portfolio are publicized as public heroes and given dubious celebrity status, surely a long form book writer deserves some sort of honors, at the very least, for his or her heroic effort to create a book.

In a profound way, seeing their work adapted to the silver screen in an auditorium filled with rapt, attentive people concentrating on their ideas, characters and conception can offer the thrill of a lifetime. I've experienced it and know its power.

Fortunately, the future for the committed writer who believes that his or her work demands a visual moving picture component is not all that bleak. A sister technology to the digitization that made his or her self-published work possible is also available to adapt the work to moving images. It may not offer the Hollywood treatment, complete with massive advertising and distribution treatment, but it is quite possible to create a respectable product available through various outlets on the Net in a similar way as a self-published book.

The process is bound to get easier and cheaper as it matures, and I predict many will avail themselves of the opportunity as time goes on and more and more Net producers and writers seize the opportunity, producing documentaries or fiction stories on their own. There are also rumbles that the future of the standalone theater auditorium is doomed as more and more people shift to the technologically enhanced and economical home experience.

Marketing and distribution opportunities may be severely limited but there is, as it is with a book, a great psychic satisfaction for a creator to see his or her work adapted to a "film." Granted its audience will be severely limited as it competes for recognition in a vast sea of other productions, but it may, however long the odds, offer a way into the more lucrative world of the big movie.

Of one thing I am certain. Technology has unleashed ever-expanding opportunities for the creative mind. It is surging and unstoppable."

www.warrenadler.com.

Amazon expands its publishing arm to include Sci Fi, Fantasy and Horror Novels

2011-10-19T07:03:00.001+01:00

Amazon.com has announced its seventh imprint, a science fiction, fantasy and horror brand called 47North, which has launched with 15 books.

The imprint name is based on the latitude co-ordinates of Seattle, where Amazon was founded. The launch list includes e-book star Stephen Leather's new series Nightingale, which launches in March 2012 with supernatural cop thrillers Nightfall, Midnight and Nightmare.

The 47North titles will publish original, previously published and out-of-print works. The books will be available to English readers as Kindle, print and audiobooks from the company's website and at national and independent booksellers. The list also includes The Mongoliad: Book One, the first in a five-book, collaborative Foreworld series by Neal Stephenson and Greg Bear.

Victoria Griffith, publisher at Amazon Publishing West Coast Group, said: "Amazon customers have a huge appetite for science fiction, fantasy and horror books, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce readers to new and established voices in these genres.

"We are especially happy to have a diverse list at launch, and look forward to publishing across a wide range of subgenres."

Other imprints published by the company include AmazonEncore, AmazonCrossing, Powered by Amazon, Montlake Romance, Thomas & Mercer and the New York imprint.

Chance to win a free place on a Guardian Creative Writing Masterclass

2011-10-18T07:03:00.002+01:00

The Guardian Newspaper is offering the chance to win a place on their newly launched Masterclass Programme.

A spokesperson says, "Our classes bring together some of the most respected names in creative writing whose courses blend practical exercises and techniques with invaluable advice."

The Guardian is offering one reader the chance to win a course for free. The winner will be entitled to attend one course in the 2011/2012 Guardian Masterclass programme worth up to £4,000.

Forthcoming highlights include a variety of intensive weekend courses in London as well as residential courses in Norfolk

To view a full list of upcoming masterclasses, click here.

For full terms and conditions click on the link below.

The Prize draw closes at 23.59 on 29 October 2011. Entries received after that date and time will not be considered.
Win a Guardian Masterclass:

Publisher Atlantic makes losses in "dreadful" 2010

2011-10-17T07:03:00.001+01:00

Publisher Atlantic Books made a loss of £1.8m on turnover of £6.9m in 2010, the company has confirmed. But chief executive Toby Mundy said the publisher was likely to grow 15% on 2010's figures this year and had also reduced its costs by 15%.

Mundy said the 2010 losses came about after Atlantic increased its overheads to push ambitious growth plans, including with the launch of its Corvus imprint, while the economy flatlined. The company's 2010 turnover was flat year-on-year, at £23,773 below its 2009 total.

While he described himself as "extremely pleased" with the performance of Corvus itself, Mundy said that Atlantic's contract publishing business had "not played out as planned", with a lack of customers both at home and in the US and South Africa in the tough economic climate.

Atlantic also "rigorously" wrote off unearned advances and stock provision during 2010, in what Mundy called "a very big one-off write-off exercise" that would not be repeated. "2010 was a dreadful year but there are encouraging signs for 2011," he said.

Anthony Cheetham, who headed up international contract co-edition Callisto, as well as having executive responsibility for Corvus, left the company in June, saying: "There wasn't a huge amount for me to do at Atlantic, and the projects that I had envisaged working on were not really happening because it has been a difficult year for the company."

People in publishing

2011-10-14T07:47:00.004+01:00

Canongate has promoted senior editor Francis Bickmore to editorial director. His recent publishing includes the Man Booker-shortlisted Jamrach's Menagerie.

At Scholastic, Dani Nadel has been hired as chief digital marketing officer for Scholastic book clubs and e-commerce, reporting to Judy Newman. She was most recently president at digital agency Publicis Modem since 2008. In addition, Tom Burke has been promoted to chief e-commerce officer, book clubs and e-commerce.

Scotland-based publisher Barrington Stoke will be distributed by Lerner Publishing Services in the US and Canada under the Stoke Books name starting in spring 2012.

Matt Weiland will join Norton as senior editor on October 24, reporting to editor-in-chief John Glusman. He has spent the past three years as senior editor for Ecco.

Ethan Nosowsky has been named editorial director of McSweeney's, responsible for acquiring and editing fiction and nonfiction for the company's book publishing arm as well as overseeing other publications. Nosowsky spent the past four years as editor-at-large for Graywolf and he starts on October 31.

Suzie Townsend joins Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation as a full-time agent, concentrating on fiction from middle grade to adult. She spent the past three years at FinePrint Literary Management.

Niki Papadopoulos has joined Portfolio, Sentinel, and Current as a senior editor. She will acquire and edit primarily for the business and science lists. Most recently she was an editor for the business group at McGraw-Hill Professional.

Eileen Lawrence will join Little, Brown Children's as executive director of marketing on October 19, reporting to deputy publisher Andrew Smith.

At Chicago Review Press, Lisa Reardon has been promoted to senior editor, acquiring children’s and YA nonfiction as well as selected adult nonfiction.

Tara Walker will join Tundra Books as editorial director on November 1. Previously she was an editor for Kids Can Press.

At Melville House, Kelly Burdick has been promoted to executive editor, overseeing the editorial department. Ellie Robins has been hired as an acquiring editor. Her duties will include overseeing their Neversink Library. (She was managing editor of Hesperus Press in London.)

Elda Rotor is being promoted to associate publisher of Penguin Classics, while continuing to serve as editorial director as well.

Alessandra Lusardi has joined Rizzoli as senior editor for its Ex Libris imprint, dedicated to upmarket transatlantic literary fiction and non-fiction and set to launch officially in Fall 2012.

Barbara Jones will join Henry Holt as executive editor on October 24, concentrating on acquiring fiction as well as some memoir and narrative nonfiction. She spent the past three years as editorial director of Hyperion and Voice.

Adam Wilson will join Gallery Books as editor on October 10, reporting to Jen Bergstrom. He has been at Harlequin for the last seven years, working on Harlequin's Teen, Mira, and Luna lines.

2010 profits fall at Canongate

2011-10-13T07:20:00.000+01:00

Profits at Canongate for its 2010 financial year fell by 42.7%, which the publisher said reflected the cost of acquiring specialist audio publisher CSA, as well as investing in staff and systems.

In accounts recently filed at Companies House, the independent revealed sales were largely level with 2009 at £13.39m, down from £13.89m for the year ending 31st December 2009. Profits for the 2010 financial year were £1.06m, down from £1.85m in 2009. However, Canongate noted it was the third consecutive year profit exceeded £1m. E-books accounted for 5% of total sales during the 2010 year.

Jamie Byng, Canongate m.d., said: "2010 was a challenging year for our whole industry and so it was satisfying that Canongate managed to turn in another good set of results and to do so while continuing to publish books of real quality and originality. The list has never been stronger, nor the outstanding team of individuals who help to make Canongate what it is."

Independent Publisher Beautiful Books enters administration

2011-10-12T07:02:00.004+01:00

Independent publisher Beautiful Books entered administration on11th October. The company has ceased to trade and four members of staff have been made redundant.

A spokesperson for London firm Leonard Curtis, the administrating company, said those handling the case would now evaluate Beautiful Books and creditors would receive a report. In a statement, the publisher said: "All the employees at Beautiful Books would like to thank everyone with whom we have worked over the past six years."

Last week David Lewis, director of The Beautiful Group PLC, warned authors that the administration was likely, saying that the company had experienced cash flow difficulties, and that discussions to find a buyer, or another publisher prepared to keep some or all of its titles in print and pay royalties under current contracts, had not borne fruit.

Faber Academy launches new website with creative writing tips and videos

2011-10-11T13:22:00.001+01:00

Faber Academy has launched a new website to support students on its writing courses, which will include videos, articles from tutors and alumni and an area where students can share their work with classmates.

The website, faberacademy.co.uk, will also be a way for prospective students to select and sign up to courses.

Faber Academy head Catherine Heaney said: "As the academy continues to grow, it is wonderful that we have a space online for writers to share. The strength of our courses comes from the combination of great tutors and dedicated students, and we want the new website to be a place where that sense of community can grow. It's also a great way of introducing new writers to what we offer."

Several new courses are either underway or scheduled, with a hundred students taking part on courses in London and Dublin this week including "Becoming a Poet" and "Memoir and Life Writing".

In January, further new courses will include "Writing Family History" and "Write a Play in Three Months" with Rebecca Lenkiewicz, with new courses in crime fiction and narrative non-fiction starting later in spring 2012.

Publishers should not make the same mistakes the record industry made

2011-10-11T08:03:00.003+01:00

Publishers should not be too quick to write off physical products and should encourage competition between a number of digital players to avoid the mistakes the record industry made, the director general of the Entertainment Retailers Association has said.

Kim Bayley gave a presentation to more than 100 indies at the Booksellers Association’s Independent Booksellers Forum conference in Coventry on 26th September and discussed the Record Store Day initiative. Record companies provide independent stores with exclusive products, mostly vinyl albums and singles, created especially for the day. It is now in its third year, and 180 stores took part in 2011.

The number of independent record stores has plummeted from more than 700 in 2005 to just under 300 in 2010, as customers have shifted more to digital. Bayley said there were parallels with the digital changes the book trade is experiencing. She told The Bookseller: "The music industry probably got it completely wrong and is fighting a losing battle. The danger is for the publishing industry to write off physical products too early. It was the music industry who decided it was not going to produce CD singles any more so it just stopped. And now it’s iTunes that dominates that market."

She said publishers had to encourage competition between retailers in the growing digital market, as once it has fully established "it is very hard to introduce new players of note".

If booksellers and publishers were to adapt Record Store Day for the trade, it would be a way of selling limited edition products at full price and making them valuable. She said: "Where the music industry went wrong is it has almost devalued the price of CDs, and made them cheaper and cheaper."

Printed book sales rose in September on August, but down on 2010

2011-10-10T13:57:00.001+01:00

Printed book sales in September rose by 10% on August, but were down 10% on last year, Nielsen BookScan data reveals. In total, £118.4m was spent on physical books in the four weeks to 1st October, an increase of £11m on August, but a decline of £14m on September 2010.

According to an analysis of BookScan TCM Top 5,000 data for the period, which accounted for 55% of all book sales, hardback sales in September were significantly down on 2010 levels—by 35% in the fiction sector and 30% in non-fiction.

Hurt by the migration to digital, paperback fiction sales through the TCM Top 5,000 were down 15% year-on-year last month, although paperback non-fiction and children's sales out-performed the overall market, with sales down 4% and up 3% respectively.

Meanwhile, after a poor first half of the year, sales within the specialist non-fiction/academic sector have improved, and were up 1.5% for the month.

Although the migration from print to digital can be partly blamed for poor physical book sales year-on-year, booksellers were not the only retail sector suffering a September sales slump. Almost 40% of retailers that contributed to the CBI's recent Distributive Trades Survey reported that sales in the month of September were below last year, while figures from footfall monitors Experian revealed that footfall fell 8.1% year-on-year in the week commencing 26th September—the biggest fall since December 2008. Fashion and footwear retailers in particular suffered badly, with sales falling to their lowest level in more than two and a half years, Drapers magazine reports, as shoppers shunned the shops in favour of enjoying the recent mini heat wave.

Crime author Pauline Rowson to appear on Angel Radio and Vectis Radio Isle of Wight

2011-10-10T10:00:00.002+01:00

Crime author Pauline Rowson is to appear on Angel Radio and Vectis Radio on the Isle of Wight to talk about the exciting event, CSI Portsmouth, which is being held on Saturday 5 November at John Pounds Centre, Queen Street, Portsmouth where crime fiction meets crime fact.

On 13 October Pauline Rowson will be talking to David Nove on Angel Radio Isle of Wight, along with fellow crime writers Bob and Carol Bridgestock, who are also appearing at CSI Portsmouth. The show is being broadcast between 1pm and 2pm and they'll be chatting about their crime novels as well as CSI Portsmouth, part of Portsmouth Bookfest.

And at 3pm Pauline Rowson will also be on Vectis Radio Isle of Wight talking to Peter Walkden about her DI Horton crime novels.

Angel Radio accentuates the positive aspects of being an older person, providing a radio station for older people to run themselves and is unique in that it specialises in records made before 1960. The station has a huge following across the ages and has listeners all over the World including Europe, Australia and the USA. It is well worth tuning into.

CSI Portsmouth is on 5 November at John Pounds Centre, Portsmouth and there is a great line of speakers including police and forensic experts.

Beautiful Books facing administration and Literary agent Georgia Garrett has left A P Watt

2011-10-08T10:03:00.000+01:00

Indpendent publisher Beautiful Books is facing administration. An administrator for Beautiful Books is expected to be appointed by close of business on Monday (10th October)

In a letter to authors, David Lewis, director of The Beautiful Group PLC, said the company has had cash flow difficulties, and discussions to find a buyer, or another publisher prepared to keep some or all of its titles in print and pay royalties under current contracts, have not borne fruit.

Lewis told authors that notice of intent to appoint an administrator has been given and it was likely that that would take place on Monday.

read more

Literary agent Georgia Garrett has left A P Watt for Rogers, Coleridge & White on the eve of Frankfurt Book Fair.

Georgia Garrett joined A P Watt in September 2000 and was deputy managing director. Before that she ran Andrew Wylie's London office, having been editorial director at Picador. At RCW she will join former Picador publisher Peter Straus, as well as David Miller.

People in Publishing

2011-10-07T07:06:00.002+01:00

At Basic Books, editorial director Lara Heimert has been promoted to editorial and publishing director. In her new role she will play a larger role in the presentation and publication of the imprint's books while freeing Basic Book Group publisher John Sherer to concentrate on the new Perseus digital marketing initiatives and to focus on the efforts at Westview Press and Nation Books.

At Little, Brown Children's, both Connie Hsu and Kate Sullivan have been promoted to editor.

Liz Gately begins scouting for De Boekerij and Meulenhoff in the Netherlands as October 1.

Red Wheel Weiser is launching the Weiser Books e-Collection, comprising two lines to start: Paranormal Parlor and Magical Creatures. Each aims to issue five titles per month, and both are curated by author and Huffington Post Blog of the Bizarre columnist Varla Ventura. Future collections Create the Life You Want, Witchcraft, Psychic Phenomenon, and Aleister Crowley/Western Mystery Traditions. As with Weiser Books in print, the ebook lines focus on "forgotten and out-of- print material, using knowledgeable editors and writers to curate the collections and provide introductions."

Ben Sevier has been promoted to editor-in-chief at Dutton, effective Octboer 3.

Tom Dussel will join Penguin Group as director of sub-rights on November 7, responsible for the Putnam, Berkley, Portfolio, Tarcher, Avery and Perigee lists, reporting to svp Leigh Butler. He has been sub-rights manager at Simon & Schuster, selling rights for the Free Press, Scribner and Howard Books imprints.

Robert Wheaton will join Random House Canada, overseeing the digital department in the new role of vp, strategic digital business development.

Robert Wheaton will join Random House Canada in the newly created position of vp, director, strategic business development, reporting to ceo Brad Martin. Wheaton was previously director of inventory management for Indigo Books & Music.

Lulu.com will make available its catalog of self-published works to Barnes & Noble's Nook platform.

At rDel Rey Spectra, Ticia Pasternak has been promoted to editorial director, where she will oversee both the editorial department in Del Rey’s traditional sf and fantasy publishing and content for the imprint's IP business. Keith Clayton will add the additional responsibility of associate publisher to his existing role of director of creative development for the IP group. Anne Groell moves up to executive editor, and Frank Parisi joins as in-house coordinator for all of the imprint's Star Wars titles, while also leading Del Rey Spectra's licensed tie-in initiatives.

At Palgrave Macmillan, Karen Wolny has been named editorial director of trade and professional books. Previously she was editorial director of LearningExpress. In addition, Luba Ostashevsky has been promoted to senior editor, trade, and Samantha Hasey moves up to editor for the academic Business and Economics list.

In the UK at Bonnier's start-up Hot Key Books, Emily Thomas has been hired as publisher and Sara O'Connor will be editorial director print and digital, with their starting date to be named later. Both have been at Hodder Children's.

Amber Hoover has been promoted to associate director of international scouting at Franklin & Siegal Associates. She joined the company in 2005.

Victorian Crime Fiction, Sherlock Holmes, the modern detective novel and TV programme - Neil McCaw at CSI Portsmouth - 5 Nov.

2011-10-06T08:00:00.001+01:00

CSI Portsmouth on Saturday 5 November 2011 where crime fiction meets crime fact, has a great programme of speakers lined up including international best selling crime authors, Mark Billingham, John Harvey, and Michael Ridpath who will be appearing with Pauline Rowson on a panel debate in the afternoon along with police, scene of crime and forensic psychology experts. In the morning there are some interesting and entertaining speakers and one of these is Victorian crime fiction expert, Dr Neil McCaw.

Sherlock Holmes fans are in for a treat because Dr Neil McCaw will be talking about Victorian crime fiction: the influence of Holmes and Conan Doyle.

Where did modern crime fiction begin? What or who kick-started the craving for the fictional detective both in novels and latterly on television? Whatever your ideas on this, unarguably one of the greatest fictional detectives is Sherlock Holmes.

Dr McCaw is Academic Director of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, Lancelyn Green Bequest, one of the largest collections of Holmes/Conan Doyle material in the world. He provides a fascinating insight into the role of Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes in the development of detective fiction as a genre in the C19th and C20th centuries.

Neil McCaw is Reader in Literature and Culture at the University of Winchester. His books include 'George Eliot and Victorian Historiography' (2000), Writing Irishness in Nineteenth-Century British Culture' (2004), 'How to Read Texts' (2008) and 'Adapting Detective Fiction: Crime, Englishness and the TV Detectives' (2010) in addition to a number of articles and chapters on C19th and C20th literature and culture.

See more information on CSI Portsmouth and the full programme. Saturday 5 November at John Pounds Centre, Queen, Street, Portsmouth

Tickets on sale from the Box Office + 44 (0)23 9268 8685.

Tickets cost £5 for the morning and £7 for the afternoon with a discounted ticket of £10 for the whole day which includes £3 off the price of a book bought at the event.

Children's book sales outperform the rest of the market in first half of 2011

2011-10-05T08:02:00.002+01:00

Children’s books sales outperformed the rest of the market in the first half of 2011, down just 1% year on year to £143m, due to blockbusting brands and the delay in children adopting digital content in this area.

According to Nielsen BookScan figures presented at the Bookseller Children’s Conference, the total consumer market was down 3.5% year on year to 16th July. Across the entire TCM, fiction sales were down by 7% to £210m, with non-fiction sales down by 2% to £376m.

In children’s general non-fiction, sales were up by 6% to £14.6m, boosted by brands such as Moshi Monsters. Sales within children’s fiction were up by 8% to £42.7m.

However, sales of annuals were down by 52%, or £1.1m, with YA fiction sales also down by 38%. However, if sales from the top five paranormal romance authors are stripped from the YA category, sales would then be up by 20% to £11.7m.

Publishers said the children’s market could be benefiting from spending on children being prioritised in tough economic times, with Hachette Children’s m.d. Marlene Johnson adding the middle-class baby boom was really boosting pre-school sales. She said: "What is interesting is that they are buying old books; with the downturn of libraries, and the fear in bookselling at the moment, what everyone is doing is playing completely safe. It is concentrated in a very few books."

Publishers were confident YA would remain a strong category.

The top genres among e-book owners are crime and thriller which is seeing an increase in sales

2011-10-04T08:00:00.002+01:00

The top genres among e-book owners are crime and thriller (47%), with science fiction (25%), literature (23%) and romance (23%) says Aptara's third annual e-book survey of more than 1,300 book publishers from the trade, education, professional and corporate markets.

The survey reveals that one in five publishers is now generating more than 10% of their revenues from e-books, with the vast majority of book publishers (85%), across all market segments, producing print and e-book versions of their titles including my own publisher Severn House, who have released Footsteps on the Shore, the sixth in the DI Andy Horton crime series, recently in paperback and e book available on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk.

Amazon.com was still listed as the biggest generator of sales by 56% of trade publishers, and by 38% of all publishers, with their own websites the second biggest category.

The overwhelming percentage of responding publishers across all market segments were from English-speaking countries including United States (70%), United Kingdom (8%), Canada (3%), and Australia (3%).

Meanwhile the number of Americans using an e-book reader has almost doubled during the last 12 months, according to another survey. The Harris Poll also revealed one in six Americans who do not have an e-reader intend to buy one during the next six months. This may be welcomed by publishers as e-reader owners are reading more books, according to the survey with the top genres among e book owners being crime and thriller novels.

All my marine mystery crime novels featuring DI Andy Horton and my thriller novels are available in paperback and e books.

Chick lit sales suffer as recession bites in Britain

2011-10-03T07:45:00.001+01:00

A squeeze on consumer spending in supermarkets and the migration to digital are being blamed for the spectacular falls in sales suffered by many of the UK’s biggest commercial women’s novelists in 2011.

Sales of the most recent mass-market novels by the likes of Marian Keyes, Jodi Picoult, Veronica Henry, Catherine Alliott, Louise Bagshawe, Dororthy Koomson, Maeve Binchy, Harriet Evans, Jill Mansell and Lesley Pearse are all down by more than 20% on their previous mass-market publications over comparative sales periods.

Overall, the top 20 commercial women's fiction authors were down 10% in like-for-like sales of their most recent mass market title against the previous one.

Nielsen BookScan's Total Consumer Market shows volume sales for the first eight months of this year in the Supermarket and Mixed Multiples channel are down by 9% compared to 2010, from just over 29 million copies to just over 26 million.

Headline director of publishing Marion Donaldson said: "It's possible budget-conscious women doing the weekly shop are denying themselves a purchase they'd have made happily a couple of years ago."

Supermarkets are thought to have cut back book stocks after several years of expansion. One trade insider said some were halving order numbers, reducing stockholding and using cardboard fillers on shelves.Analyst Robert Clark at the Retail Knowledge Bank said: "What's going on across the supermarkets is that sales and volumes are flat generally. Because there is food inflation, probably at a higher level than non-food, the assumption is it is non-food being cut out in the weekly shop. The statistical evidence does suggest customers are concentrating on the essentials."

Nick Bubb of Arden Partners said: "Consumers are cutting back on most forms of discretionary spending, as they operate to tighter budgets, and that does seem to be affecting the supermarkets' relentless march into non-food."

Curtis Brown's Sheila Crowley said she thought increasing supermarket prices were a "huge" part of the downturn. "Consumer buying habits are changing, and women are probably more conscious of spend." However, she urged the trade to stay positive: "I've been through three recessions and we always bounce back. It's just unfortunate that this time of austerity is coupled with the transition to e-books."

Some suggested fashion has turned towards "dark women's fiction" and psychological thrillers, while packaging for commercial women's fiction was criticised. Eithne Farry, literary editor for Marie Claire, said she detected a "swell of discontent" around jackets, with authors and readers feeling packaging no longer reflected content. She said: "People are getting a bit sick of the chick lit look, and the term as a genre label—it seems to cover such a wide range. The jackets make it seem frothy and light, but a lot of books with those covers actually deal with quite serious things."

Crime author Pauline Rowson and fingerprint expert Jane Aston team up on Portsmouth Live TV

2011-09-30T10:42:00.000+01:00

Getting ready to go on air

Crime author Pauline Rowson will be appearing on Portsmouth Live TV on the Adrian and Sally Show on Friday 30 September at 4pm with Fingerprint expert, Jane Aston from Hampshire Constabulary. They'll be chatting to Adrian and Sally about crime fiction versus crime fact in this short taster of what will be on offer at the exciting forthcoming CSI Portsmouth event at John Pounds Centre, Portsmouth on Saturday 5 November.

Jane Aston is one of the experts on hand during the day and she will be giving a fascinating talk in the morning, providing an intriguing insight into how the fingerprint bureau really works.

Jane will reveal how fingerprints are formed and how they are unique and therefore ideal for identification. She will point out some of the clues they use to discover which digit or part of the palm or even foot they are looking at and describe how they make identifications. She’ll cover the processes used in the Fingerprint Bureau and the use of Ident1 the National Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) and how the facts compare with the fiction frequently seen in television detective dramas and featured in crime novels. Do fictional detectives really get the results of fingerprints within hours? Join Jane Aston on Saturday 5 November at CSI Portsmouth to discover the answer to this question and many more.

Join crime author Pauline Rowson and Jane Aston on the Adrian and Sally Show on 30 September at 4pm chatting to Adrian Knight and Sally Cronin . You can tune in to watch it at Portsmouth Live TV.

People in publishing

2011-09-30T07:19:00.001+01:00

Square Peg editorial director Rosemary Davidson has been promoted to publishing director.Davidson joined Random House in 2007 from Bloomsbury and set up Square Peg in 2008, concentrating on eclectic and commercial non-fiction in humour, cookery and parenting.

Kelli Martin has joined Amazon Publishing in Seattle as senior acquisitions editor at Montlake Romance. Most recently, she was a senior editor at Harlequin, and has also held editorial positions at HarperCollins and Disney-Hyperion.

Penguin Group publishing coordinator Matthew Boyd has been promoted to publishing manager and manager of special marketing initiatives. He "will continue to look for innovative ways to promote Penguin’s books, processes to better communicate information between imprints and departments, and partnerships to help Penguin Group reach new audiences."

Kate Gales has joined Simon & Schuster as a senior publicist. Previously she worked at Overlook Press.

Literary Platform founder and digital and communications consultant Sophie Rochester has joined Pan Macmillan in the UK to help devise and execute a content strategy for its suite of web sites, including PanMacmillan.com. She will stay with the company until early 2012.

Amazon has made books for the Kindle available across 11,000 local libraries in the United States.

2011-09-29T07:20:00.001+01:00

Customers can search for books on their local library's website and choose a book to borrow. Once selected, customers can choose to send it to their Kindle device after they have signed into their Amazon account. Readers can make notes in the margins on their Kindle which are saved and reproduced when a reader checks the same book out again or chooses to buy it.

Earlier this week, Amazon launched a test in two libraries in its hometown of Seattle. Marcellus Turner, city librarian for the Seattle Public Library, said: "This is a welcome day for Kindle users in libraries everywhere and especially our Kindle users here at The Seattle Public Library. We're thrilled that Amazon is offering such a new approach to library e-books that enhances the reader experience."

Jay Marine, director for Amazon Kindle, said: "Starting today, millions of Kindle customers can borrow Kindle books from their local libraries. Libraries are a critical part of our communities and we're excited to be making Kindle books available at more than 11,000 local libraries around the country."

Publishers see increase in revenue from e books and the number of Americans reading e-books doubles

2011-09-28T07:22:00.001+01:00

One in five publishers is now generating more than 10% of their revenues from e-books, with Amazon slowly decreasing in importance.

The numbers are revealed in Aptara's third annual e-book survey of publishers, representing more than 1,300 book publishers from the trade, education, professional and corporate markets.

The vast majority of book publishers (85%), across all market segments, are producing print and e-book versions of their titles. The percentage of trade publishers producing e-books has risen from 50% to 76% in two years.

Amazon.com was listed as the biggest generator of sales by 56% of trade publishers, and by 38% of all publishers, with their own websites the second biggest category. Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo all ranked much lower, with just 2% plumping for Apple's iBookstore and 1% for the Nook and Kobo.

The main drivers for producing e-books across all publishing market segments are "increasing revenue" (42%) and "increased customer demand" (36%). However, two out of three e-book publishers have still not converted the majority of their backlist titles to e-books.

The overwhelming percentage of responding publishers across all market segments were from English-speaking countries including United States (70%), United Kingdom (8%), Canada (3%), and Australia (3%).

Meanwhile the number of Americans using an e-book reader has almost doubled during the last 12 months, according to another survey. The Harris Poll also revealed one in six Americans who do not have an e-reader intend to buy one during the next six months. This may be welcomed by publishers as e-reader owners are reading more books, according to the survey.

Overall, 16% of Americans read between 11 and 20 books per year with 20% reading more than 21. However, a third of those who own a Kindle, Nook or other device read 11-20 books a year with 27% reading more than 21. E-reader owners are also more likely to buy books, with 17% purchasing between 11 and 20 and 17% buying more than 21 over 12 months.

The top genres among e-book owners are crime and thriller (47%), science fiction (25%), literature (23%) and romance (23%). In non-fiction, biography is most popular (29%), then history (27%) and religion and spirituality (24%).

Harris surveyed 2,183 people during a week in July 2011. It found 8% of adults used an e-book reader 12 months ago, compared to 15% now.

Six reasons why today is the ideal time to be an author-Arielle Ford

2011-09-27T07:59:00.001+01:00

Arielle Ford on Why Books Are Alive and Well

"Great news, writers! Recently released statistics about the book biz show that the sky is not falling. In fact, sales have been on the rise for quite some time.

Here are a few of the facts, according to a report from the Association of American Publishers (AAP):

Publishers' net sales revenue has grown annually; 2010's $27.94 Billion is a 5.6% increase over 2008. And, publishers' 2.57 Billion net units sold in 2010 represent a 4.1% increase since 2008.

Americans, young and old, are reading actively in all print and digital formats

2010 total net sales revenue in the consumer-focused Trade market is $13.94 Billion, increasing 5.8% since 2008 (and excluding 2011's e-book sales surge). Both Adult Fiction and Juvenile (non-fiction and fiction) have seen consistent annual gains.

Click here to view the full report on the AAP website.

As a successful author, and someone who has worked with dozens of top-selling authors over the past 20+ years, I can't say I'm surprised by these numbers. This is, after all, the Information Age, and what better way to share information than through books? In truth, I've never known a better time to become an author. Here are six reasons why today is the ideal time to pursue your dream of being an author:

It's all you. Thanks to the Internet, you can now control your destiny to a greater degree than ever before. Between Facebook, Twitter, online book launches, YouTube, and far more online resources than I can list here, you've never had as much power to spread your message, grow your audience, and build a rewarding career as an author/speaker/expert.

All the secrets are out. When I first started in publishing, discussing the How To's of succeeding as an author was like flashing your g-string at the company party. Today, industry insiders like me are happy to share the strategies and tactics successful authors use to get their books in as many hands as possible.

Being you has never been so valuable. Self-expression is in. Personality pays. These are the fundamental truths of today's wild world online. If ever there was a time to hone your expertise and build your following, it is, most certainly, now.

Everyone's nobody until they're Somebody. Tim Ferriss, Deepak Chopra, Suze Orman -- they all experienced the ultimate in anonymity until the day they became Somebody. Thankfully, the Internet has placed those reins firmly in your hands. Look at Justin Halpern, who got a major book (and sitcom!) deal, thanks to his outrageously popular Twitter feed.

Your book opens doors. A successful book can be your gateway to bigger, better opportunities. From growing your business to leveraging media attention to launching a new career, a top-selling book gives you far more credibility, and your expertise far more value.

Success is not a magic pill. When you're not where you want to be in your career or your life, it's easy to idolize people who have achieved what you aspire to. The truth is, people like you become bestselling authors every week. They didn't suddenly land on the New York Times bestseller list. They dedicated themselves, usually over a period of years, to achieving their dreams.

It's no secret that the publishing industry is facing a tidal wave of change. Kindles, iPads, social media, and countless other factors are quickly changing how we consume information, which affects when, why, and how the industry delivers content.

For authors, however, the bottom line is simple: the more available books become--whether on our bedside tables or our iPhones -- the more we thirst for them.

Rather than sitting on the sidelines waiting for The Answer, I urge you to jump in and share your wisdom with the world. We honestly can't wait to hear what you have to say.

Arielle Ford has launched the careers of many NY Times bestselling authors including Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Neale Donald Walsch & Debbie Ford. She is a former book publicist, literary agent and the author of seven books. She hosts an annual book marketing conference every fall where writers network with top publishing experts: http://www.21stcenturybookmarketing.com//

Advice to authors whose agents wish to publish their clients' works

2011-09-26T07:18:00.004+01:00

Agents who wish to publish their clients’ work must offer them a detailed explanation of what they will personally gain from the arrangement and obtain their full and written agreement, the president of the Association of Authors Agents has said.

Anthony Goff said: “Certain members of our community came out strongly and said it was illegal for an agent to publish their own clients. The association is very well aware of potential conflicts of interest and while it is definitely not illegal for an agent to publish their own client, there are hazards or risks. We’ve taken steps to find out exactly where they are and to give advice to members who wish to go down this path.”

Goff said agents were duty bound to give their authors “the very best advice” and had a primary duty “to make it absolutely clear to the author what you stand to gain from it as the publisher and exactly what the alternatives are”. Agents must also get “full and written agreement” from authors, he added. “This is the right way to protect the author and to protect yourself from any comeback against the charge that you’ve set up an arrangement from which you are profiting in a way you wouldn’t usually.”

But agent Peter Cox, an outspoken critic of the development, said for an agent to publish their client’s work came under the heading of “self-dealing” in civil law. “The big problem is that when an agent becomes a principal in a transaction, you are no longer an agent,” he said. “You are wearing two hats and how can you advise an author on what is a good deal?”

People in publishing

2011-09-23T07:40:00.001+01:00

Faber finance director David Tebbutt was killed early Sunday morning and his wife, Judith, was taken hostage by suspected Somali extremist militants at a tourist lodge in the Kiunga marine reserve on the Lamu archipelago off Kenya's northern coast. Tebbutt and his wife had been on holiday and had only arrived at the resort a few hours before the attack. Tebbutt joined Faber in 2002 and was previously managing director of The Harvill Press and finance director of Routledge. The Bookseller is collecting tributes to Tebbutt from trade colleagues.

Joerg Pfuhl is leaving his position as ceo of Random House Germany (and member of the Random House executive board) at the end of this year. The German unit's chief operating officer since 2005 Frank Sambeth will take over as ceo January 1.

Vintage senior editor Jennifer Jackson has been named senior editor, Knopf and Doubleday. She has been with the group since 2002, and became an editor at Vintage in 2006.

Terra Chalberg and Rachel Sussman have launched Chalberg & Sussman, a new literary agency representing a wide range of literary and commercial fiction and nonfiction authors. The agency will also sell foreign rights to selected titles from independent publishers Milkweed Editions and Ig Publishing. Chalberg was previously director of foreign rights for the Susan Golomb Literary Agency, and before then was an editor at Simon & Schuster. Sussman spent six years with the Zachary Schuster Harmsworth Agency.

Jessi Cimafonte has joined Mary Evans Inc. as director of foreign rights, where she will also be developing her own client list. She was previously an associate agent at Kuhn Projects.

At Pan Macmillan in the UK, Jenny Geras and Trish Jackson have been promoted to editorial directors in the adult fiction department.

The new children's publishing company for Bloomsbury Children's executive Sarah Odedina is starting up for the Bonnier Group in London will be called

Hot Key Books is launching in late 2012. The publisher aims to issue 30 to 50 titles a year, focusing on children's fiction for kids 9 and up.

Allison Verost will join Macmillan Children's on September 26 as publicity director, reporting to president Jon Yaged. She was the assistant director of publicity at Harper Children’s.

Barbara Scott has joined WordServe Literary Group as an agent. In 30 years of publishing she has worked at Zondervan, McGraw-Hill, Honor Books, and most recently, started the fiction arm of Abingdon Press.

Crime Author Pauline Rowson on the business of writing crime fiction and the DI Andy Horton Marine Mystery Series

2011-09-22T07:34:00.002+01:00

I've often been asked whether I get writer's block, i.e. staring at a blank page on my computer screen without any idea of what to write and whilst I have not suffered this there are days when the words flow and the inspiration seems to come from an unknown source within me, and there also days when it's a struggle to find the right words and know how to advance the plot. On the latter occasions there are three ways I deal with this.

One is to keep on writing, bashing anything out on the keyboard even though I know it will be rubbish because often at some stage in the process it will start to improve and inspiration will come to me. Another technique is for me to pick up my knitting needles and knit, allowing my mind to wander and mull over the characters and the plot, until something strikes me and refreshed I can go back to the keyboard. The third is a similar method but this time I put on the walking boots and strike out. Physical exercise helps to stimulate the little grey cells and it's also good to get away from the computer for a while.

I've been working on the next in the DI Andy Horton series, (number eight, as yet untitled)) and have finished the first draft. This now needs a great deal more work on it before I am anywhere near satisfied with it, but it is slowly but surely coming together. Over the next three months I will be revising the plot and sub plots, developing the characters and making sure that everything hangs together, before going through it again and checking the structure, the phrases, the words.

Meanwhile, at some stage this autumn A Killing Coast (number seven in the DI Horton series) will be returned to me by my editor for checking the copy edits and proof reading. It is some time now since I read it, I only hope I don't want to change it all! Until then it's on with DI Andy Horton number eight.

A Killing Coast is scheduled for publication in hardback by Severn House in January 2012.

Waterstone's to group stores according to size and profile of customers

2011-09-21T07:27:00.001+01:00

Waterstone's is thought to be organising the management of its stores into groups of bookshops with similar profiles by splitting the 300 Waterstone's bookshops into 40 smaller groups, categorising them according to size and the socio-economic status of their customers.

Each of the new small groupings will have its own commercial manager, who will be responsible for up to 10 shops. The managers will tailor shops with local campaigns and be responsible for all mass merchandised areas, including title selection in the front of stores, feature space on tables and stock replenishment. The commercial managers will be managed by three divisional commercial managers.

In a letter about the new central buying process sent to publishers this week, Sarah Clarke, Waterstone's range manager, and Simon Burke, campaign manager, said: “We are currently developing a new core range tool that will allow us to build unique ranges for each store type. All titles will be reviewed considering criteria such as market (upmarket, general, mass), locality (metropolitan, rural, seaside, tourist, etc.), and customer type (professional, student, etc.).

“Local interest titles can be added to core at store by store level or geographical area. Titles in this group will include books on the local area, local authors, and titles set locally.”

The new central buying process is expected to begin during October and be completed by end of year. The company is recruiting for its campaign and range teams.

ThrillerFest/CraftFest VII Registration Now Open

2011-09-20T07:24:00.002+01:00

Registration for the 2012 ThrillerFest, CraftFest, and AgentFest are now open. You can sign up now to take advantage of the Extra Early Bird discount, which will last until September 30th. Appearing: Thriller Masters Jack Higgins and RL Stine as well as Spotlight Guests Ann Rule, John Sandford, and Lee Child.

On Line Registration

CraftFest—NYT Bestselling authors will share their secrets on the craft of writing.

AgentFest—The top agents in the business will be on hand to hear your pitches.

ThrillerFest—Network with other writers and meet industry professionals at the fabulous panels. Special guests will be announced soon.

July 11-14 2011 in NYC for ThrillerFest VII.

Mills and Boon launch X factor to find new Romance Authors

2011-09-19T07:20:00.001+01:00

If you fancy writing for Mills & Boon now is your chance. The publisher has announced a search for new writers.

The following is taken from their web site.

"New Voices is the search for some more glittering writing talent to join our galaxy of romantic fiction writing stars! And we need YOU!

Get writing! Fancy showing us your skills? We’d love to read them! So why not enter the first chapter of your romantic fiction novel and give it a go!

Get commenting! We’d love to know what you think of all of the entries (and so would the entrants!), so if you’re a lover of romantic fiction, get involved!"

People in Publishing

2011-09-16T07:59:00.003+01:00

At Penguin, Molly Barton has been promoted to vp, digital publishing and business development and strategy. Earlier this year she was responsible for launching the writing community website Book Country and was also responsible for developing Penguin eSpecials, expanding the publisher's relationship with Starz, and spearheading Penguin's enhanced ebook app program.

Meagan Stacey has joined Crown as editor, trade paperbacks, reporting to Tina Pohlman. Previously she was an editor at Mariner Books.

In the UK, Ebury will launch a new digital-first romance imprint, Rouge, with eight titles on September 29. Four titles will appear monthly thereafter in six categories, with all books priced under £5.

Jenny Heller will join Quercus as publishing director on October 10, continuing to focus on nonfiction. She has been a publishing director at Harper UK.

Rebecca McNally, whose departure from Macmillan Children's Books in the UK was announced yesterday, is joining Bloomsbury Children's UK on October 31 as publishing director and international editor-in-chief for children's books. She will report to Emma Hopkin.

Kate Moore will join Virgin as editorial director in mid-September. Previously she was a commissioning editor for Michael O'Mara. In addition, Virgin has promoted Hannah Knowles to senior editor.

Scott Pack has been named publisher of Harper UK's community writing site Authonomy. He will still keep his role as The Friday Project publisher and director of digital content development. In addition, Rachel Faulkner has been named digital project editor for Authonomy. The company intends to find more books suitable for publication from the site (having published a big six titles since Authonomy began in 2008).

In Ireland, Eoin Purcell is joining New Island as commissioning editor. But he will continue editing Irish Publishing News and to work with his existing consultant clients from Green Lamp Media as well.

Photography site FotoLibra is creating the Heritage Ebooks line, officially launching at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. The first 40 Kindle and EPUB titles cover the architectural follies of England. As founder Gwen Headley readily admits, "though the actual content of our ebooks as English architectural county guides won't be of great interest to non-Brits, the way we integrate live online location finders into eguidebooks will be, as well as our cost-saving method of acquiring images."

At Orion, Kate Mills has been promoted to publishing director, fiction, and Genevieve Pegg moves up to editorial director, fiction. Mills replaces Jon Wood, who is relinquished his responsibilities to focus on his other role as deputy group publisher. In addition, Amanda Harris has been promoted to publishing director, non-fiction.

Also in the UK, at Macmillan Children's Books, Ruth Alltimes takes over immediately as publishing director, fiction. She will report to incoming publisher Belinda Rasmussen, who joins the comapny this autumn.

CSI Portsmouth where crime fiction meets crime fact - meet best selling crime authors and crime experts in a packed day's events

2011-09-15T08:20:00.002+01:00

Join four internationally acclaimed crime authors: Mark Billingham, John Harvey, Michael Ridpath and Pauline Rowson and experts from the Crime Scene Investigation team and Fingerprinting Bureau of Hampshire Constabulary and experts from the International Centre for Research in Forensic Psychology to discuss crime fiction and fact in a packed day of events at John Pounds Community Centre, Portsmouth UK on Saturday 5 November.

These top crime authors will be appearing on a lively panel discussion with crime experts to debate crime fact versus crime fiction. There will be a chance to put your questions to them and meet them afterwards.

There are also talks featuring Dr Neil McCaw, Academic Director of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, Lancelyn Green Bequest, one of the largest collections of Holmes/Conan Doyle material in the world. Come and enjoy his fascinating insight into the role of Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes in the development of detective fiction as a genre in the C19th and C20th centuries.

Fingerprinting expert, Jane Aston will point out some of the clues they use to discover which digit or part of the palm or even foot they are looking at and describe how they make identifications. She’ll cover the processes used in the Fingerprint Bureau and the use of Ident1 the National Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) and how the facts compare with the fiction frequently seen in television detective dramas and featured in crime novels. Do fictional detectives really get the results of fingerprints within hours? Join Jane Aston to discover the answer to this question and many more.

Discover how top forensic psychologist, Dr Claire Nee's work compares to that of the fictional forensic psychologist often portrayed in television detective dramas and written about in crime novels. Her research has included a variety of forensic areas including crime specific research (burglary and car theft); interventions in prisons; criminality in children; electronic monitoring of offenders; intensive probation; self-reported offending; female violence; and racism and sexism within the police force. Her current research projects include reducing risk in very young persistent offenders; and decision-making in burglars. One of her main research interest is the origins on criminal behaviour.

Plus hear how former Detective Superintendent Bob Bridgestock has used his experience of twenty-six murder investigations, and countless investigations to shape his crime novels featuring Jack Dylan, written in partnership with his wife Carol, who also worked with the police as a support worker for seventeen years.

There will be a chance for you to see how the fingerprinting bureau works and have your fingerprints taken, view a crime scene, and talk to the crime authors to find out how they come up with their intricate plots and research their novels.

A mobile bookshop, provided by The Hayling Island Bookshop will be selling signed copies of the authors’ books.

Portsmouth CSI 2011 is on Saturday 5 November at John Pounds Community Centre.

Tickets cost £5 for the morning and £7 for the afternoon with a discounted ticket of £10 for the day, which includes £3 off the price of a book bought at the event.

Tickets are on sale from the Box Office at + 44 (0) 23 9268 8685.

The event is part of Portsmouth BookFest is a festival of popular literature organised by The Hayling Island Bookshop and Portsmouth City Council and runs from October 17 to November 13.

Booksellers Update- Waterstone's to launch own e-reader, buying team, book discounts and The Works to expand operations

2011-09-14T07:09:00.001+01:00

Waterstone's is to launch its own e-reader in 2012 inspired by Barnes & Noble's Nook.Waterstone's m.d. James Daunt says he wants to rival Amazon's Kindle and that the project is "well down the planning line", and would launch in spring next year.

Daunt said he believed US bookselling chain Barnes & Noble had managed to win market share back from Amazon by linking the electronic product with its high street stores. Nook owners are allowed to read for free in Barnes & Noble stores for up to one hour each day.

Waterstone’s is calling for a higher discount flat rate on books in exchange for scrapping its promotion fees, which is a move that has been described as “fairer and more transparent” by some publishers. Indie publishers are particularly in favour.

James Daunt has been carrying out margin negotiations with publishers, proposing the general principle of increasing the percentage of discount it gets for books while dropping charges for promoting titles. This would enable Waterstone's to have more autonomy over the products it showcases. Last week The Bookseller reported that the chain was dropping its decade-long three-for-two promotion, a move that has also been welcomed by publishers.

It is believed Daunt has asked some publishers for discounts of around 59%–60%, a significant increase for some, although it is thought the terms vary between companies, with many still to reach a final agreement.

The Waterstone's m.d. is also thought to be taking a tougher line over discount levels with the larger publishers than with smaller companies. A publisher liaison team of eight people is also being established which will be separate from the buying team.

Waterstone’s has also recruited people to the new roles in the campaign and range teams, brought in as part of m.d James Daunt’s plans to introduce a new central buying system.

Kate Skipper, formerly children’s buyer, is now campaigns manager. She will support Simon Burke, campaign buying manager, "on all aspects of campaign planning and new title buying".

Janine Cook, formerly fiction buyer in the campaign team, has been promoted to senior fiction campaign buyer and Chris White, previously assistant buyer in the campaign team, will now become genre fiction campaign buyer.

Andrew Lake, previously an academic buyer, will now become academic range manager, with responsibilities for campus and academic strategies as well as core range.

John Lewis has been promoted to non-fiction range manager and has accountability for a team of buyers and all trade non-fiction titles and Clare Randle is the new children’s range manager.

The company will also be recruiting a new children’s campaign buyer.

Discount retailer The Works has said it hopes to expand its stores in the UK by nearly 150, as well as growing its e-commerce business with the sale of e-books.

The retailer has opened 43 new stores this year—bringing its total to 304—but Garry Wilson, m.d. of parent company Endless LLP, said the chain could increase its overall portfolio to 450—an increase of 48% on 2010's figure

read more

Ebury launches digital first romance list

2011-09-13T07:14:00.001+01:00

Ebury, part of Random House, has announced the launch of a new straight-to-digital romance list, Rouge, which will launch on 29th September with eight titles, and four titles per month thereafter, to satisfy the reading appetites of romance readers. Ebury have also designed a dedicated and interactive website, www.rougeromance.co.uk, where readers can discuss the books, read extracts and enter competitions.

The first eight e-books will be released on 29th September, with plans to publish four titles per month subsequently. The list will be split into six sub-genres—Regency, Historical, Suspense, Contemporary, Paranormal and Occasions—with every title to be available for under £5.

Ebury editorial director Gillian Green said: "We knew that romance readers have been among the first to embrace e-books and we want to bring them the best romantic fiction out there."

'Ask an author' questions on Kindle

2011-09-12T07:36:00.001+01:00

Amazon.com is offering a new feature to Kindle readers enabling them to ask authors questions directly via their Kindle devices.

@author is currently on limited release with only a handful of authors participating so it will be interesting to see how this develops. I have an Author page on amazon.com and on Amazon.co.uk where my DI Andy Horton marine mystery crime novels, my thrillers and my business books are available on Kindle. Over the last year I have seen Kindle sales (and ebook sales generally rise phenomenally). I've had a look at the questions being posted to the authors already participating in this new feature and wouldn't mind being one them myself. Wonder if Amazon will role this out.

Under this new feature readers can ask the authors questions, limited to 100 characters, via their Kindle, as well as being able to post queries to Amazon's various author pages via an "Ask a question" button. Anyone who has bought a book from Amazon can reply to an existing question or ask a new one, and all questions and responses can be viewed by others.

Here are the guidelines

I'll let you know if this feature is added to my Author Page.

Pauline Rowson has an Amazon Author Page on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

People in Publishing

2011-09-09T07:53:00.002+01:00

Bloomsbury USA chief operating officer Peter DeGiglio is leaving the company after six years in that position. The position will be filled by Robert Marsh, formerly cfo of Continuum, which Bloomsbury recently acquired.

Laura Tisdel will join Reagan Arthur Books/Little, Brown as an Editor, effective mid-October. She was previously an Associate Editor at Viking.

Grove Atlantic has hired Judy Hottensen, who will rejoin the company as associate publisher, beginning September 6. She spent the past six years at Weinstein Books, most recently as publisher, but was at Grove/Atlantic from 1992 through 2005.

Elisabeth Schmitz has been promoted to VP, editorial director, and she and publicity director Deb Seager will both serve on Grove/Atlantic's executive management committee, along with Hottensen. In addition, Stephanie Giraldi has been hired as senior publicist. Previously she was a publicist with The Penguin Press.

Jessica Tribble has been promoted to publisher of Poisoned Pen Press. Tribble has been with the company since 2004 and replaces Robert Rosenwald, who will continue as president, while Barbara Peters will remain editor-in-chief.

At Red Sofa Literary, Jennie Goloboy has been promoted to associate literary agent. She will represent paranormal and science fiction/fantasy, children's middle grade, young adult and some nonfiction (history and biography).

How to Write from the BBC World Service

2011-09-07T07:13:00.001+01:00

How to Write on the BBC World Service web site provides some interesting tips and advice to writers on the following:

Writing a radio play,
Writing a screenplay,
Writing a novel
Writing your memoirs.

Writing is a craft and different skills are required for different mediums. There are tips from accomplished writers in each writing genre.

Bookselling Brief - Waterstone's, Amazon, The Book Depository and Indie Bookshops

2011-09-06T07:23:00.008+01:00

Waterstone's, Britain's biggest bookseller, is ending its long running three-for-two promotion, which has been a key plank in the company's marketing effort for more than a decade.

The decision follows the sale of the chain to Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut, and the appointment of independent bookseller James Daunt as managing director in June.

The 296-store Waterstone's business is now said to be looking at introducing money-off deals for individual books from September, instead of the blanket three-for-two, either pricing campaign books at £5, or introducing a "staggered" offer for paperbacks at £3, £5 and £7. The news was greeted positively by a book trade that has largely welcomed the change to Waterstone's ownership.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has pushed back its decision on whether to refer the Amazon takeover of The Book Depository to the Competition Commission.

The decision was expected to come on 2nd September but an OFT spokesman said a date for the decision was now "to be confirmed". He said the timetable for an announcement could change for "any number of reasons", but declined to go into specifics.

Amazon announced in July it had agreed a deal to take over The Book Depository, which led to the Booksellers and Publishers Associations, the Independent Publishers Guild and the Bookseller Group voicing opposition to the merger. The Irish Competition Authority cleared the deal in late July.

Four UK independent bookshops with a combined total of 175 years on the high street have announced their closure within a week, blaming their downfall on high rates, competition from internet retailers and supermarkets, e-books and a lack of support from publishers.

The Harbour Bookshop in Dartmouth, founded by Winnie the Pooh author A A Milne's son Christopher Milne, said it was being forced to close after 60 years, and Derwent Bookshop in Workington, Cumbria, is to shut after 33 years. Both are the only bookshops in their towns. The iconic Travel Bookshop in Notting Hill, London, made famous by the Hugh Grant film, will close soon after 32 years of trading, and Pritchard's Bookshop in Formby, near Liverpool, will also shut after 50 years.

Each of the shops' owners said high rent and rates were the main reasons running their businesses had become unsustainable, and the death of local high streets was also a popular cause of blame for decreasing custom and falling sales.

Independent UK Publisher Quercus hoping to compete with Pan MacMillan for fifth place in publishing hierarchy

2011-09-05T07:28:00.002+01:00

Independent UK Publisher Quercus plans to increase its staff within the next three years and become one of the UK’s top five trade publishers hoping to compete with Pan Macmillan for the fifth spot in the hierarchy.

Quercus is looking to increase its staff from its current number of 60 to 100 within three years.The company has recently moved to new premises (55 Baker Street, London) and has appointed a new finance director, Paul Lenton.

Mark Smith, Quercus c.e.o, said: “With Paul’s appointment and a refocusing of our efforts onto the three key opportunities for Quercus—namely: the discovery, nurturing and delivery of world-class intellectual property; digital product innovation and the development of online reading communities; and a global sales and marketing strategy—we feel that we now have in place the most effective management structure to enable Quercus to continue to deliver on its ambitions.”

My note: By 'Intellectural Property' they mean 'Authors Works.'

Quercus Publishing Plc was established by Mark Smith (now Quercus CEO) and Wayne Davies (now Managing Director, Quercus Contract Division) in May 2004. The Directors had previously worked together at the Orion Publishing Group. Read More about their History

The do not accept unsolicited submissions.

People in Publishing

2011-09-02T07:03:00.002+01:00

Gillian Blake has been promoted to editor-in-chief at Henry Holt, effective September 1. She has been with the imprint since 2009, and before then held editorial positions at Bloomsbury and HarperCollins. She replaces former B&N Discover Great New Writers Program chair Jill Lamar, who exits Holt on August 31 after just six months with the imprint. Blake reports to president and publisher Stephen Rubin, and senior editor Aaron Schlechter and editor Sarah Bowlin will report to her.

Anne Tate will join Simon & Schuster as a senior publicist on August 29. Previously she was a senior publicist at HarperCollins.

At Avery, Miriam Rich has been promoted to associate editor.

Ravi Singh will join David Davidar's start-up Aleph Books on September 1 as publishing director. His most recent position was as publisher and editor-in-chief of Penguin India. Singh "will develop his own list" at Aleph, reporting to Davidar.

Robert Podrasky has joined AudioGo as senior acquisitions editor. He was previously senior manager of domestic rights at St. Martin's.

Dan Crissman has joined The Overlook Press as editor, focusing on nonfiction. He was most recently an assistant editor at Hill and Wang.

Trailer Park Publishing has promoted Scott Tobin to senior vice president, and he will run the unit as a standalone division of entertainment marketing agency Trailer Park.

Random House India is launching a speakers' bureau for "international, influential, corporate and celebrity speakers" in India, South East Asia, China and Hong Kong under the Random House Knowledge banner.

Tor/Forge and NASA are joining to create a series of science-based commercial fiction titles under the umbrella NASA inspired Works of Fiction. The idea is to team up authors and NASA experts to boost scientific accuracy in their books and to "raise awareness and inspire the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, in line with the President’s Technology Agenda." Goddard Space Flight Center's Innovative Partnerships Program Office will host a group of Tor/Forge authors for a two-day workshop in November, where they will interact with NASA experts.

World Book Day has appointed Kirsten Grant as director, with Cathy Schofield stepping down from her position as co-ordinator which she has held since October 2000.

Grant, who was previously Puffin marketing and campaigns director, will lead the strategic planning and execution of WBD, as well as building relationships with partners to broaden its reach. She will also oversee all marketing and communications activities.

Warren Adler: E-Books: Unintended Consequences

2011-09-01T07:03:00.001+01:00

Warren Adler is the author of 32 novels and short story collections published in numerous languages. Films adapted from his books include "The War of the Roses", "Random Hearts" and the PBS trilogy "The Sunset Gang." He is a pioneer in digital publishing. For more information visit Warren's website at http://www.warrenadler.com/.

While I have often patted myself on the back for recognizing more than fifteen years ago that e-books would one day surpass the printed book as the ultimate first choice of dedicated readers everywhere, I had not reckoned on the unintended consequences of an unfiltered tsunami of self-published books that would one day overtake the traditional distribution patterns of the publishing industry.

The number of self-published e-books has surpassed and will continue to surpass, by far, books published through the time-honored process of editing and distribution that has been the practice of publishing companies for centuries.

A cottage industry that was once denigrated as an exercise in vanity for wannabe writers who could not get published through established channels, has become a burgeoning industry for entrepreneurs who produce, promote, publish and sell marketing services to those authors who choose to go this route.

Online bookstores such as Amazon, Nook and iPad are eager to publish these efforts, looking to increase the volume of sales through betting that every book published will garner some sales, however miniscule. If every author of a self-published book, for example, sold 25 copies to relatives and friends, that would result in sales of millions of which the online bookstore would get a piece.

Believe me, I am in no way insulting the efforts of such authors who choose this mode of self-expression. There is a lot to say for the psychic joys of creating and publishing a book and hopefully getting it in the hands of a reader. Many of these authors have spent sweat, treasure and time writing and then trying to market their work to agents, editors, publishers, film producers and whoever is in the business of monetizing their efforts. The overwhelming majority have not succeeded in attracting their attention for reasons that are often obscure and baffling.

And while there are countless categories of books being offered within non-fiction and fiction areas, my own authorial interest is in the fate of the mainstream novel, a long form work of the imagination that cannot be defined by any established genre.

Having grown up on a rich diet of reading, studying and writing mainstream novels, a process that I personally consider among the highest forms of artistic expression, I worry that the ever growing glut of novels thrown into cyberspace will make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the reader to differentiate between authors and find those who reach into the heart of their understanding, insight and pleasure.

With the shrinking output of traditional sources of book information and reviews in newspapers and magazines, the fractionalizing of online sites dealing with reviewing books and the collapse of the usual so called quality filters, the methods of book selection, particularly serious mainstream fiction is severely restricted.

The great breakout books by serious authors that gained attention in the last century like Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Joyce, Greene, Maugham, Waugh, O'Hara and numerous others that transcend my personal bias will be tough acts to follow simply because they will be difficult to cut from the giant pack of novel offerings. Authors will be hard put to get their books noticed, reviewed and honestly recommended.

Of course, traditional publishers are attempting a wide variety of marketing experiments and strategies to extend the public reach of their authors, but the impact on advances and sales will be profound. Authors already well branded in the age before e-books will survive, of course, but their readership will diminish in the future as the marketing funnels become clogged and their original enthusiastic fans die out.

There will be opportunities in the film and television markets if authors are lucky enough to have their books adapted to those mediums, especially if the producers keep the book titles intact. But even that will be no guarantee of crossover sales.

Since most things are transitory and unintended consequences can morph into other unintended consequences and corrections, the chances are that authors, publishers, Internet innovators, or various consultants and deep thinkers will find a way to create "differentiation" methods so that readers can find their most meaningful personal reading choices, I am forever optimistic.

For those authors who see this essay as portending gloom and doom, take heart. At the very least, the serious author of imaginative fiction will no longer have to see his or her work live a life of perpetual exile in a computer file or in the bottom drawer of his or her home desk.

Waterstone's is shaking up its buying team as it moves from local to central buying

2011-08-31T07:04:00.001+01:00

Waterstone's is shaking up its buying team, seeking people for its new regional commercial and buying posts as it begins to move from local to central buying.

Current Waterstone's staff have been asked to apply for the posts, which include divisional and regional commercial managers roles, as well as jobs in the campaign and range teams. For new titles, the central buying will begin from September, but it is thought for core and local stock the central buying process will take longer.

Publishers have been urged to help Waterstone's sell books "more intelligently" by providing the company with more information on their titles, including sending jackets and AIs to staff as soon as possible, particularly for non-fiction and children's books.

The chain bookseller has told indie publishers: "Keep talking to us—tell us when we're missing opportunities, and continue to talk to our stores about relevant books." It is unclear how Daunt's new plans will affect the jobs of publisher reps, as it is thought that in general local stores are no longer allowed to place orders for new titles.

All the new roles are on a six-month secondment basis based in Brentford, but it is thought Daunt wants to move the head office to Waterstone's flagship Piccadilly store as early as possible, with its current Brentford head office lease understood to run out in six months' time.

A key priority of Daunt's first few months in charge of the bookseller is understood to be lowering the level of returns.

Daunt previously told staff the chain's infrastructure, from shops to systems, needed a "complete overhaul". As part of this, he moved to reintroduce central buying for new books and replenishment, but added that shops would be able to order the books they wanted, when they wanted. He said: "You will have the autonomy to curate your shops, to be entreprenurial, to exploit the physical individuality of your shops." To help this, he is thought to be dispensing with shop planograms, which dictate how the layout of each store should look.

Staff were also told they were getting a 3% pay rise recently, which will come into effect in the near future.

read more

Alan Watt: Six Reasons to Write Your First Draft Quickly

2011-08-30T08:00:00.001+01:00

Alan Watt is author of the bestselling book on writing, "The 90-Day Novel." He has been running the creative writing workshop LA Writers Lab since 2002. Visit him online at lawriterslab.com.
Some writers struggle for years to complete the first draft of their book. You work on it for a while, get stuck, put it in a drawer, fish it out a few years later, and this goes on indefinitely. It becomes like a scab that you pick at in the vain hope of improving it, while often making it worse.

As a writer, your goal is to create something bigger than you are. In practical terms, this is impossible. But that doesn't prevent you from believing that through decades of bashing away at it, you'll be able to "figure out the book."

Though every writer's process is different, most published authors tend to write their first drafts quickly, in a fevered blast over a scant few months. Here are some reasons why:

1) Without a deadline, there's no urgency. Urgency is crucial because it activates your subconscious, which is the seat of your genius. Haven't we all had the experience of writing something, and then afterwards, stepping away from it and wondering, "Where did that come from?" In fact, you begin to recognize patterns that you could never have come up with consciously. When you don't write on a daily basis, your connection to what you wrote yesterday weakens.

2) By taking your time, you're essentially saying that you're in control of the process, rather than accepting your role as a channel for the story. This is a subtle but important point. If you notice that you're "getting stuck" in the middle, recognize that this "stuckness" is a function of your story's not cohering to your "idea of your story." This is an inevitable aspect of story creation, because the purpose of story is to reveal a transformation. As Einstein says, "You can't solve a problem at the same level of consciousness that created the problem." The solution is to write through the confusion and follow the characters in spite of the story not seeming to make sense.

3) It's only by getting to the end that you really understand what you're attempting to express. You may spend years working on the first 10 chapters, only to discover at the end what your story is actually about. Those first 10 chapters may not survive the rewrite. You can't fully understand your story until you get to the end. The end is where your theme gets resolved. If the desire to write is connected to the desire to evolve, the ending holds the key to this thing you've been struggling to understand.

4) When you have too much time to think, you tend to kill the "aliveness" of your characters' choices through logic. There's nothing logical about human behavior. Your job is not to "figure out" your characters, but to find ways to support their choices. People have affairs on their honeymoon. Bank robbers risk capture to help old ladies across the street. By writing quickly, you tend to loosen your judgments on your characters and allow their natures to be revealed.

5) The first draft doesn't have to make sense. There will be narrative holes, inconsistencies and contradictions; don't get hung up on these. In fact, in the rewrite, you may discover that these "mistakes" were actually leading you to a deeper understanding of your story. They were a necessary part of the journey.

6) Stop doing research! You might be surprised by how much of your research can be done after you've finished your first draft. Certainly research may be necessary, but it often becomes a way to rationalize procrastination. The reader cares more about the characters than she does about the details of working in a Newark glove factory in the 1940s. Much research can be done after completing the first draft, as a way to add detail.

OK, enough. It's time to get back to your first draft.

Pauline Rowson, author of the DI Andy Horton marine mystery crime novels, adds, 'This is excellent advice and happens to be the way I work. Bashing out the first draft as quickly as possible, minimizing research, letting the characters develop as I write and not knowing where the novel is going and 'who done it' until I'm almost at the end.'

People in Publishing

2011-08-26T07:42:00.002+01:00

In the UK Bloomsbury has appointed Charlotte Atyeo to the newly created role of publisher of sport and Wisden within the adult trade division. Commissioning editor Charlotte Croft will move into Atyeo's previous role as head of the sports and fitness department at A&C Black, publishing coaching and reference books.

Atyeo will continue in her role as publisher of John Wisden & Co, and continue to commission with Matthew Engel for the Wisden Sports Writing imprint which launches this autumn with Patrick Collins' Among the Fans.

At Ten Speed Press, Sara Golski has been promoted to editor and Emily Timberlake has been promoted to associate editor, both reporting to Julie Bennett.

The Waxman Agency's Holly Root is relocating to Los Angeles. She will open a west coast office for the agency, and will continue to develop her client list as well as expand the agency’s network of TV and film contacts.

Rachel Mannheimer has been promoted to associate editor at Bloomsbury USA.

Michael Bowles will join Random House Canada as director, eBooks and eProduct development on August 29. Previously he was a content development manager at Kobo.

Sisters in Crime reading challenge for lovers of crime fiction to read and blog about women crime writers

2011-08-25T07:17:00.001+01:00

Sisters in Crime, a non-profit organization with the mission to “promote the professional development and the advancement of women crime writers to achieve equality in the industry” has thrown down the gauntlet for a reading challenge and one for lovers of crime fiction.

Sisters in Crime has 3,000 or so members worldwide and welcomes anyone who enjoys a good mystery. To celebrate its 25th anniversary at Bouchercon, it wants to blow the trumpet for women’s contributions to crime fiction so has thrown out this challenge:

Easy challenge: write a blog post about a work of crime fiction by a woman author; list five more women authors who you recommend.

Moderate challenge: write five blog posts about works of crime fiction by women authors. For each, mention another woman author who writes in a similar vein.

Expert challenge: write ten blog posts about works of crime fiction by women authors. For each, mention three similar women authors whose works you would recommend.

Deadline: whenever.

If you take up the challenge and are on Twitter then you can Tweet, using the hashtag #SinC25.

Arielle Ford: How to successfully promote your book

2011-08-24T07:39:00.001+01:00

Arielle Ford: Book Promotion: The Second Time Around

What does it take to successfully promote the release of your new book? Time, energy, and money? Yes, but the experience you gain from having been down that road before can be priceless when it comes to a successful book launch.

When my book The Soulmate Secret was released in January, 2009 and then the paperback was launched in 2011, I did many of the customary marketing strategies to make the launches successful. But that was two and a half years ago and a lot has changed in the online world.

Now with the impending release of my next book, Wabi Sabi Love (January 2012) , I am taking a different approach. If you are about to launch your next (or first) book, you can save yourself time, money and energy by learning from my missteps and successes. I hope these insights help to shorten your learning curve.

Release content early: This time around I am providing content months in advance of the book's release. Start a conversation and engage people in your concept a couple of different ways. First offer a free excerpt or chapter of your book on your website. For an example, see here. In addition, start blogging on a regular basis with insights and real-life stories related to the content.

Tweak your tweeting: This idea that you should be tweeting 30 times a day is enough to make anyone feel inadequate. I don't subscribe to that notion but what I would recommend is to make tweeting more efficient and effective. I used to go onto Twitter with the intention of posting a link to my blog or tele-class, then I'd end up tweeting replies to people who sent messages or thanking people who retweeted my posts. What I found was my original tweet about my blog was pushed down the page of my profile ('below the fold') and my click through rate was low. When people are making a decision to follow you and begin a conversation they usually only see your latest tweet. What I wanted them to see was the content I hoped would bring them value. Therefore, the tweet about my blog or tele-class became the last tweet I did before I signed off for the afternoon or the evening. That way anyone who visited my page would see the blog post first and foremost. This single change has improved my results.

Double Up on Facebook: Each time a blog was published on Huffington Post or one of my websites, I wrote a status update with the link on Facebook (personal and fan page) that morning. My click through rates were okay but I experimented on making just one change and watched the results. Two days after the first Facebook post, I wrote another status update with the link in the afternoon hours. My thought was whoever missed the Tuesday morning post might be online Thursday afternoon, for instance. I was right. Again, my results improved and in many cases, they doubled.

Bestseller campaign: I will definitely repeat the bestseller campaign, which is when you get everyone you know to send out emails, tweets and Facebook posts at certain times to drive people to buy the book on my website, Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com and other online bookstores. You can see this type of campaign at SoulMateSecretbook.com. Your bestseller campaign sales page should have a welcome video that talks about the book, offers bonuses from you and other well-known experts in content that would be appropriate to your reader. This campaign worked well for me in the past and I will be combining it with national and regional publicity along with my weekly newsletter.

Video Book Trailer: When I launched The SoulMate Secret I spent time, money and lots of effort to conceptualize, create and promote an animated video book trailer and put it on YouTube. I loved it but it was not the most successful way of getting the message out to potential readers. It was adorable and fun and I fully expected it to go viral, which it never did. I no longer have any wild delusions about creating the world's greatest book trailer this time. To take advantage of the fact that YouTube is the second popular search engine (behind Google), I plan to use video to demonstrate the principles of Wabi Sabi Love.

Making the announcement: Reach out to your friends and ask them to tweet, Facebook, email and include in their newsletter the announcement of the website launch. If you have another website with a strong following, blog about it on that site. I did both of these strategies, which included the SoulMate Secret database of 60,000 people, and in the first four to five days, 1,200 people had downloaded the free chapter. My goal is to have 50,000 people signed up by January 5th when the book is released.

I hope these lessons have provided you with new ideas for promoting your book.

Arielle Ford has launched the careers of many NY Times bestselling authors including Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Neale Donald Walsch & Debbie Ford. She is a former book publicist, literary agent and the author of seven books. http://www.everythingyoushouldknow.com

"

Publication of the Paperback and Kindle versions of the DI Horton Crime Novel Footsteps on the Shore by Pauline Rowson

2011-08-23T07:10:00.001+01:00

Footsteps on the Shore, the sixth in the DI Andy Horton series of marine mystery crime novels set on the South Coast of England, is to be published in paperback on 25 August by Severn House Paperbacks and as an ebook on 1 September by Severn House Digital.

Footsteps on the Shore has received some great reviews from the States. It was first published in hardcover earlier this year. It was given a starred review by Booklist who said:

'It deserves mention in the same breath as works in the upper echelon of American procedurals (those by Ed McBain or Joseph Wambaugh for example) and their British counterparts, including the work of Peter Robinson and John Harvey. Procedural fans who haven’t already read Rowson should be encouraged to do so in the strongest possible terms.'

Footsteps on the Shore is number six in the DI Andy Horton series of police procedural crime novels set against the backdrop of the sea in the Solent area on the South Coast of England, in Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

Footsteps on the Shore by Pauline Rowson

Friday the thirteenth begins badly for DI Andy Horton when he wakes to find his Harley has been vandalized and his boss, DCI Lorraine Bliss, has returned early from her secondment to HQ. Then, convicted murderer, Luke Felton, released on licence, is reported missing and a decomposed corpse is washed up in Portsmouth harbour. But before Horton can get a grip on either case, he’s called to a house where a woman he’d only met the day before has been brutally murdered. Is missing Luke Felton the prime suspect, or is it his body in the mud of the harbour? Horton is under pressure to get results, but things are about to get much worse for the beleaguered detective …

Amazon's first major publishing acquisition worries publishers

2011-08-22T07:08:00.002+01:00

Amazon's aggressive move into publishing has continued with its signing of bestselling self-help author Timothy Ferriss. Amazon.com has made the first 'major' acquisition for its New York-based publishing imprint, snapping up rights in bestselling self-help author Timothy Ferriss's new book The 4-Hour Chef.

Amazon's imprints how cover everything from romance to literature in translation and mysteries and thrillers. Earlier this summer it hired publishing bigwig Larry Kirshbaum, former chief executive of the Time Warner Book Group, to head up its New York imprint, and it is Kirshbaum who has spearheaded the world rights deal for Ferriss's work.

Ferriss, whose previous books were published by Random House imprint Crown, said that his decision to move to Amazon Publishing 'wasn't just a question of which publisher to work with. It was a question of what future of publishing I want to embrace.'

Many mainstream publishers are likely to beworried by the latest show of dominance from the online player.

'Amazon's foray into book publishing ... is obviously a concern. They have very deep pockets and they are now a very, very powerful global competitor of ours,' HarperCollins UK's chief executive Victoria Barnsley told Radio 4's The World at One . 'They're this weird thing. We call them frenemies ... They are very, very powerful now – in fact they are getting close to being in a sort of a monopolistic situation. They control over 90% of physical online market in UK and over 70% of the ebook market so that's a very, very powerful position to be in. So yes, it is a concern.'

People in Publishing

2011-08-19T07:40:00.001+01:00

In the UK Cornerstone deputy marketing director Adam Humphrey has been appointed as marketing director for HarperFiction, Voyager and Blue Door.

An exact start date is to be confirmed but Humphrey will begin work in the autumn. He has been at Cornerstone for five years, working on authors including John Grisham, Karin Slaughter, Kathy Reichs, Robert Harris, Ben Kane and Ruth Rendell.

In the USA Joy Aquilino has joined Sixth & Spring Books as editorial director. Previously she was executive editor of Watson-Guptill/Potter Craft.

At Lonely Planet, Gary Todoroff has been promoted to v-p, sales, Brice Gosnell moves up to v-p, publishing, and publisher, Americas, Marc Visnick has been promoted to director of sales, North America, and Avi Martin moves up to national accounts manager, online and e-books.

Egmont UK will launch a new YA imprint, Electric Monkey, starting in March 2012. The imprint, aimed at 12-to-15 year olds, will publish ten YA titles in ts first six months with one or two titles per month thereafter
People, Etc.

Simon & Schuster Children's has announced a number of new hires and promotions. Ariel Colletti has moved to the Atheneum imprint, where she will remain an assistant editor, and editorial assistant Dani Young will also oversee the coordinating of all three imprints’ paperback conversions, repackages, as well as managing the back ad library. In addition, Amy Rosenbaum has joined as an editorial assistant, having recently completed the Columbia Publishing Course

Crime Fiction Festivals - CSI Portsmouth 5 November 2011, Crimefest Bristol May 2012, Harrogate July 2012

2011-08-18T07:17:00.002+01:00

The grime may have settled on Crimfest in Bristol and the dust on the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate but still to come for all you crime fiction fans in the UK is CSI Portsmouth - where crime fact meets crime fiction, and there is a stellar line up of top UK crime authors, to be announced soon.

CSI Portsmouth takes place on Saturday 5 November 2011, so make sure to mark that date in your diary. You can read about last year's highly successful CSI Portsmouth here or on my official web site.

And if you are keen to make sure you don't miss 2012 events then here are some more dates to mark in your diaries. I will be at all these events and am looking forward to mingling with my fellow crime writers and lots of crime fiction fans.

Crimefest, Bristol 24-27 May 2012

2012's featured Guest Authors include Lee Child and Jeffrey Deaver, plus many more great crime writers and lots of fun. Visit the Crimefest web site for more details and to see who is currently appearing.
Email: info@crimefest.com

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate - 19-22 July 2012.

2012 Programming Chair, Mark Billingham, has put together an astounding line-up of Special Guests, with Harlan Coben, John Connolly and Charlaine Harris already confirmed. Visit the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival for more details. Email: crime@harrogate-festival.org.uk

But before the above you might wish to add another date to your calendar of exciting crime fiction events -

Saturday 4 February 2012.

More details to follow. As they say in the film and TV business the project is currently in development. Watch this space.

Alan Watt: Ten Ways to Unleash the Writer Within

2011-08-17T07:25:00.001+01:00

Below is an article by Alan Watt giving sound advice to those who wish to write.

" Creativity is our birthright. This is not just for some people; it's for everyone. We often get stuck in our routine, and when we even bother to think about that book we plan to write 'some day,' we tend to find excuses that prevent us from taking the first step.

These excuses are often vague, because if we were to hold them up to the light, we might see that they don't actually make a lot of sense. Often the real reason we hesitate is simply because we are afraid of the unknown.

Here are ten steps that will demystify the creative process and help you get started on writing your first (or your next) book.

Start today. We often think that we're not ready, that we don't know enough, that we need to do more research, that we don't have enough time, that we aren't yet qualified. These are all great excuses to prevent us from taking the first step. Ask yourself two questions: A) What do I want to create? B) What is the first step in creating it? You may discover that the first step is going to the store to buy yellow legal pads and a pen. Once you've got the tools, the next step to place these tools on a flat surface and begin writing.

Let go of the result. Sure, this might sound like it's easier said than done, but if you can make the thrill of creation its own reward, you will likely be surprised by the result. We can't expect ourselves to be brilliant right out of the gate. If we set the bar too high, we'll never get started.

Be willing to fail. This doesn't mean that you will, but if you're willing to do it imperfectly, you might actually have some fun. What we do consistently, we improve at. Your first attempt may be humble. If you had to do it perfectly, you wouldn't experience the thrill of improving.

Share your writing with people you feel safe with. It's important to receive positive reinforcement at the beginning. Everyone can use a mentor, someone who has walked this path before us. Just because you're married to someone, doesn't mean they're going to understand what you're doing. As crazy as it might sound, our families and friends are not necessarily always the best people with whom to share our work. It's not that they don't love us, but it's possible that they might feel jealous or threatened. They might even want to talk us out of our desire to create with practical advice about the long odds of getting published, and the disappointment we're going to experience by all the rejection. Watch out for this. Don't let logic trump your desire.

Have fun. Remember, this is a choice. Make your writing a game, not a chore.

Make it a habit. The simple act of writing each day will activate your subconscious, and the channel will begin to open.

Keep it simple: It's better to write for five minutes a day than it is to write for three hours ever few months.

Build a community. Find your tribe. If you can find people who share your interests and are willing to support you, it can go a long way to keeping you on track. My seventy-eight-year old father-in-law has been jogging for the past forty-five years. Five mornings a week, he rolls out of bed at five a.m. and runs with the same group of guys through rain and sleet. There is no way he is going to let his buddies down.

Forgive yourself. Drop the old story that you should have done this sooner. This is your time. Remember, you are uniquely qualified to write your book. If you don't do it, it won't exist. Use your fears and anxieties as a way into your story. Inquire into their nature. When you experience self-doubt, rather than making meaning out it, just ask yourself, 'I wonder where this experience lives in my story?' Notice that a character will appear that will be struggling with similar feelings. Your doubts and fears do not need to be overcome, but rather inquired into. This is what makes your work universal and relatable.

Reward yourself. Writing is hard work. It's important to acknowledge this and reward yourself for it. When you complete a goal or meet a deadline, give yourself a treat. Take yourself to dinner. Go on a hike. Buy yourself some socks. When we treat our unconscious with kindness, it rewards us with new adventures.

Now go write! "

International New Media Writing Competition Announced by Bournemouth University

2011-08-16T07:57:00.000+01:00

Bournemouth University’s Media School is delighted to announce the second annual prize for new media writing.

The prize encourages writers working with new media to showcase their skills, provoke discussion and raise awareness of new media writing, the future of the 'written' word and storytelling. The prize is split into two categories: student and professional. The winners in each category will receive a valuable bundle of new media hardware and software. The judging panel are looking for good storytelling (fiction or non-fiction) written specifically for delivery and reading/viewing on a PC or Mac, the web, or a hand-held device such as an iPad or mobile phone. It could be a short story, novel, documentary or poem using words, images, film or animation with audience interaction.

Anyone can apply! Whether you’re a student, a professional, an artist, a writer, a Flash designer or an enthusiast, the competition is open to all. It's an international competition, open to all outside the UK. The deadline is midday on Monday 31 October 2011 and each entry should be submitted by email to submissions@newmediawritingprize.co.uk. Shortlisted entrants will be invited to the awards ceremony on the 23 November where the winner will be announced. There will be substantial media coverage for the Awards, and winners will be given full acknowledgement in all press releases and related material.

For further information please visit the New Media Writing Prize website.

A high profile Awards Ceremony will be staged at Bournemouth University on Wednesday 23 November. An esteemed panel of judges will select winning entries that will be published on high profile new media web-hub, The Literary Platform, the Bournemouth University website and will be showcased at the Awards Ceremony.

Big Green Bookshop to hold riot benefit to raise money for those made homeless

2011-08-15T07:40:00.001+01:00

The Big Green Bookshop in London is to hold a comedy gig to raise money for the victims made homeless by the "appalling behaviour" of rioters in Tottenham last weekend.

London’s Wood Green where the bookshop is based was also hit by looters on Sunday 7th August but The Big Green Bookshop managed to escape unscathed.

In solidarity with those who lost their homes when shops were torched in Tottenham the bookshop will donate the proceeds of its monthly comedy gig on 19th August towards helping them recover.

Tim West, co-owner of The Big Green Bookshop, said: "The rioting is appalling behaviour by a bunch of people who really have no excuse. The proceeds will go towards the individuals who need it first then the independent business owners who lost their shops.”

He added: "We are a community and it is part of our duty to help when help is needed."

The gig is being headlined by Sir Ian Bowler, played by comedian Nat Tapley, and will take place at The Big Green Bookshop venue at 8pm. Tickets cost £5 and can be bought on the night or from the bookshop’s website.

People in Publishing

2011-08-12T07:33:00.001+01:00

Lisa Leshne has formed The Leshne Agency, a new literary agency representing authors of narrative and prescriptive non-fiction, especially on sports, wellness, business, political and parenting topics, as well as commercial fiction and young adult and middle grade books. Leshne was most recently with LJK Literary, and her new agency will also offer services to authors who may wish to explore the self-publishing route via a variety of platforms and in partnership with Author Solutions.

In an interview on Waterstone's intranet obtained by the Bookseller, new owner Alexander Mamut claimed the company's existence was "important for UK society" though was vague on the specifics of ensuring the chain's survival beyond saying that "massive work" was necessary: "If we can make a turnaround, improve everything, have good books properly displayed, a good atmosphere, good recommendations [with] marketing and investment of course, then I think we can compete with a company named Amazon.com. I can’t imagine that life can be replaced with a computer universe. I can’t accept it."

Bella Pagan will join Tor UK as a senior commissioning editor on September 1. Previously she was an editor at Orbit UK.

The successors to Larry Kirshbaum's former agency LJK Literary Management have formally launched their new entity, Einstein Thompson Agency. Susanna Einstein and Meg Thompson are co-directors of the new agency. Sandy Hodgman has been promoted to director of foreign rights under the new banner, and Molly Reese has been promoted to associate agent. She will continue to assist Einstein and Thompson, oversee audio rights, work with the Westlake estate, and help find new clients. The agency will relocate from the LJK offices to new space October 1.

Belinda Rasmussen will join Pan Macmillan as publisher of Macmillan Children’s Books this fall. Previously she was with Carlton Publishing Group, where she has been managing director since 2008.

Mauro DiPreta will join Crown in the newly created position of VP, Editor-in-Chief of Crown Archetype on September 7. DiPreta will be responsible for directing and overseeing the editorial operations for Archetype, Harmony, Crown Business, and Crown Forum. He will report to Crown Archetype svp and publisher Tina Constable.

Crown Trade Paperbacks has hired Amanda Patten as senior editor reporting to Tina Pohlman. She will oversee paperback conversions and backlist development for Three Rivers Press, Crown Business, and Crown Forum. and will acquire and edit original titles in pop culture, humor, and practical nonfiction.

Colin Dickerman will join The Penguin Press as vp and executive editor on September 6, moving from Rodale, where he has been vp and publishing director since 2008.

New Literary and Music Festival Launches in East Anglia

2011-08-11T07:39:00.002+01:00

The Voewood Literary Festival, billed as "The Literary Garden Party of the Year", has been launched by
Clare Conville, director of Conville & Walsh, and close friend Simon Finch, a rare books dealer.

It will take place at Simon Finch's house and gardens, an arts and crafts house in Holt, North Norfolk. Events will be hosted over three days, 27th-29th August.

Hire Intelligence, Conville & Walsh's speakers' agency, is sponsoring one of the tents, with Conville saying further support had come from "private funds". The Guardian newspaper is also hosting a Guardian Masterclass Tent, with authors giving classes on how to write.

Conville said she and Finch had worked on everything together and hoped the festival would become an annual event: "It's going well and I'm just keeping my fingers crossed," she said.

The maximum number of tickets available for any one day was 900, including the musical events, with tickets on sale at http://www.voewoodfestival.com/. Full weekend tickets are priced £145, with individual day, evening and full day tickets also available, for £45, £25 and £65 respectively.

In setting up a festival, Conville joins fellow book-trade figure Ottakar’s founder James Heneage, who held the inaugural Chalke Valley History Festival in Wiltshire in July this year

read more