Independents | The Bookseller

New tradition

Publication Date: Thu, 09/05/2013 - 10:53

I have three children, and they all love reading and being read to. As my eldest daughter, now 10, began to read more and more, tearing through the classics of my childhood (mostly American) and British books, I began to look further afield.

I was surprised to discover just how few children's books (beyond picture books,...

blogs | children's books | Home | Independents | Pushkin Press | translated fiction
Comma strikes twice on Edge Hill shortlist

Publication Date: Thu, 09/05/2013 - 06:30

Small independent publisher Comma Press has had two titles shortlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize.

The books, by Adam Marek and Jane Rogers, are shortlisted alongside titles from Jonathan Cape, Pan Macmillan and Bloomsbury, which also has two nominations.

The award, now in its seventh year, is given for a published...

Bloomsbury | Comma Press | Edge Hill Short Story Prize | Home | Independents | Joshua Farrington | Prizes
Exclusives offered to indies for IBW

Publication Date: Fri, 03/05/2013 - 09:26

An essay by Ann Patchett written in praise of bookshops, prints featuring handwritten texts by authors, and competitive deals from Penguin and Orion are to be offered exclusively to indie bookshops for Independent Booksellers Week.

So far, a record 350 shops have signed up to take part in the promotion, which runs from 29th June...

Ann Patchett | Booksellers Association | Home | Independent Alliance. Tolkein | Independent Booksellers Week | Independents | Lisa Campbell | Meryl Halls | Penguin | Retail
Comma launches free lit app Gimbal

Publication Date: Mon, 29/04/2013 - 07:15

Not-for-profit publisher Comma Press has produced a free app aimed at helping commuters escape into fiction.

Gimbal, which is released via iTunes today (29th April), is an interactive app which contains 30 stories set in cities around the world. Readers will be able to read the stories with an accompanying map showing the progress of...

apps | Bookseller Staff | Comma Press | commuters | digital | Gimbal | Home | Independents | iTunes | Literature Across Frontiers | Ra Page | Sean O'Brien | Tramlines Residenct
Indies’ Amazon petition heads for Downing St

Publication Date: Fri, 19/04/2013 - 09:17

Public Accounts Committee chairman Margaret Hodge has called on the government to “listen and take action” on a petition signed by more than 110,000 people to protest...

10 Downing Street | amazon | Frances and Keith Smith | Home | Independents | Lisa Campbell | Margaret Hodge | Public Accounts Committee | Retail | Warwick and Kenilworth Bookshops
Indie Alliance creates Independents Day

Publication Date: Wed, 17/04/2013 - 11:20

The Independent Alliance consortium of UK publishers is partnering with the ICA to launch a one-day festival “to celebrate and explore independence across the creative industries” in Britain.

The event, which will run on 6th June, will feature publishers such as Faber’s Stephen Page and Atlantic’s Ravi...

Independent Alliance | Independents | Joshua Farrington | LBF | London Book Fair | Stephen Page
Route Publishing signs Fall bassist

Publication Date: Tue, 16/04/2013 - 11:15

Independent Route Publishing has signed a memoir by musician Stephen Hanley, the bassist in post-punk band The Fall from 1979 to 1998.

Publisher Ian Daley signed world rights in The Big Midweek directly with the author. The title will be written with Olivia Piekarski and published in hardback in spring 2014.

Hanley...

Ian Daley | Independents | Katie Allen | Rights deal | Route Publishing | Stephen Hanley | The Fall
Indie publisher staff see pay and benefits rise

Publication Date: Mon, 15/04/2013 - 12:00

Staff at independent publishers have seen increases in pay and benefits over the last three years, according to the IPG's most recent salary survey.

The survey, conducted in February and March with 72 IPG companies contributing data, showed that two out of every five IPG member directors were paid in the £60,000-plus range,...

amazon | Audible | Bridget Shine | Gardners. | Home | Independents | IPG | Kobo | salary survey | tom tivnan | Waterstones | Wordery.com
'Rewarding' upturn for Canongate

Publication Date: Fri, 12/04/2013 - 09:24

Canongate has seen steep rises in profits and turnover for the year ended 31st December 2012, with publisher and m.d. Jamie Byng describing the upturn as “hugely rewarding”.

In 2012 the company had a turnover of more than £9.6m, a rise of £1.9m (25%) on 2011’s turnover, adjusted for the sale of its 70%...

Canongate | digital | Financial | Home | Independents | Jamie Byng | Joshua Farrington | Kindle | Life of Pi | Results | WikiLeaks
Authors campaign to save Venice's bookshops

Publication Date: Thu, 11/04/2013 - 09:30

British novelist Michelle Lovric and Strega Prize-winner Tiziano Scarpa are among a large group of authors backing a campaign to save Venice's bookshops.

There have been several recent losses due to rising rates and rents.

Around 100 authors have signed a manifesto with ideas to save bookshops in the city and at a public...

Authors | City of Readers | Home | Independents | International | Lisa Campbell | Michelle Lovric | Mondadori | Retail | social media | Tiziano Scarpa | Venice