For those who want a modern perspective of how the publishing business is marching into the future, the London Book Fair is now approaching rapidly. The annual fair serves as a timely reminder that publishing is evolving from a solid base, and remains a business still best done in person.

The fair is an antidote to some of the...

Publishing is often not well served by the wider media. Book publishers are too frequently narrowly defined as hit-makers, and yet derided for the hits they make. They are seen as both elitist and too commercial. Digitally hesitant and then digitally wrong. Some of this is rightly greeted with wry amusement in the trade, but sometimes I...

Random House enjoyed a record year in 2012, with worldwide sales up 23% and profits up by 76%. In the UK chief executive Gail Rebuck hailed the performance as the publisher's "most successful year of all time", citing a range of bestsellers as well as e-book sales, now up to 22% of group sales.

Parent Bertelsmann does...

Reference publisher Ilex Press has created what it describes as a "proving ground" for new writers with the launch of Ilex Instant, a community website for writers that will offer access to Ilex's publishing services.

Under the terms of the deal, authors who have their content accepted for the site will receive no...