David vs Goliath at Digital Book World

07.02.12 | Gayle Feldman

The schizoid nature of today’s business – the electronic/print divide amid the electronic/print marriage of necessity – was anatomized, predicted upon, and everywhere in evidence during two packed days of trade-centric Digital Book World in New York.

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VAT plea

03.02.12 | Damien Seaman

At the time of writing, this online petition asking the government to scrap VAT on e-books has gathered 4,566 signatures . As an e-book author, I sympathise, but these campaigners are wasting their time. The government is refusing to consider the move, citing EU law.

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The last chance

03.02.12 | Desmond Clarke

The forthcoming Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry into library closures is perhaps our last chance to save the public library service for many communities. At least 600 libraries are threatened with closure or transfer to volunteer groups, and one in five librarians are expected to face redundancy. Access to a comprehensive and efficient service as prescribed by the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 is fast becoming a postcode lottery.
 

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Return to Rotherhithe

01.02.12 | Philip Downer

The news from the public library sector has been pretty grim in recent months, with short-sighted councils seeking to curtail—sorry, “streamline”—their library services in ways that are often antithetical to the 1964 Act. So it was a relief to turn away from the gloom towards an unabashed good news story—the opening of the new Canada Water Library at Rotherhithe.  

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Making a noise

01.02.12 | Charlotte Williams

Penguin India celebrated its 25th anniversary last week, with what sounded like a glittering party at the Jaipur Literature Festival—about 1,000 people apparently turned out, some invited, some just hoping to squeeze into the star-studded event. A highlight was a new Hindustan Ambassador car decked out in those famous orange and white stripes.

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Best of both worlds

30.01.12 | Damian Horner

The retail world is reeling from the double whammy of a global crisis and a simultaneous lurch towards e-commerce across all sectors. The new buzzwords in retail strategy are “Omnichannel”, “Next Best Offer” and “Experiential Advantage”:

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Charting the future

26.01.12 | Scott Pack

The editor asked me if I would like to write a column about my hopes for the book world during 2012. As someone who is notorious for his positive and chirpy outlook on life, I found it hard to resist. So here, if I may, are some hopes, dreams and wishes for the year ahead.

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The power of prizes

24.01.12 | Cat MacNeill

The 16th January saw the Society of Young Publishers (SYP) 2012 a.g.m. at Stationers' Hall in London.

This year’s Publishers Question Time debate covered the subject of prizes. The panel was chaired by William Alden, Stationers’ Hall clerk, and comprised: Booksellers Association c.e.o. Tim Godfray; prizes and awards manager at Booktrust Claire Shanahan; prizewinning author Keren David; and editor and co-founder of Slightly Foxed Gail Pirkiss.

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Jewel in the crown

20.01.12 | Paul Smiddy

The US book retail giant Barnes & Noble announced its “holiday” sales a few days back (Christmas seems to have become a dirty word over there). They made for interesting reading. Digital content revenues rose 113% and sales of the Nook, its proprietary e-reader, were up 70%. Digital content is heading for 10% of B&N’s overall revenues by the end of its financial year in April.

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Share the passion

18.01.12 | Jamie Byng

Giving someone something that you love is almost always a satisfying experience. And it is an experience that all of us working in the book industry have had on plenty of occasions when it comes to literature. For sharing your passion for a book with another person who has yet to go on that reading journey is one of the joys that drives our business and motivates us as people. The personal recommendation is one of the essential wires by which we are connected to one another.

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