Category: Publishing Brief

Four in ten books sold in Sweden are through a subscription service. But might both print and ebooks be the casualties of the great Scandinavian experiment?

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Forty percent of books sold in Sweden are through a subscription service. Total book sales revenue in Sweden increased by 6.2% last year but, perhaps unsurprisingly given the rise and rise of the subscription model in Scandinavia, digital is leading the charge. And traditional bookselling outlets are getting hammered. While there are many upsides to Read More …

Big Bad Wolf takes 3 million English-language books to Dubai next month as it debuts outside SE Asia

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It was back in February that TNPS broke the news that the world’s biggest book sale would be heading for Dubai this year. World’s biggest book sale heading to Bangladesh, Dubai, Korea and Taiwan this year Now it’s official. Malaysia-based Big Bad Wolf, the World’s biggest book sale, will debut in Arabic-speaking Dubai, part of Read More …

In Morocco, selling pirated books “is the only way to make a living,” with the help of the Mafia

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Like in many Arab countries, literacy rates in Morocco are not among the highest in the world, but for Moroccans who do read the challenge is finding books they want at prices they can afford. When bookstores are few and far between and offer a limited choice of books at expensive prices it’s not surprising Read More …

Big Bad Wolf Malaysia and Indonesia this month as the world’s biggest book sale gathers momentum

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As we come up to our first anniversary here at TNPS (September 25), one of the recurring themes has been the rise and rise of the international book sale phenomenon known as Big Bad Wolf. In the west it can sometimes seems like the only show in town in Amazon, and no question Amazon is Read More …

A mermaid wearing a bra among the books banned in Kuwait, but protests are gathering momentum

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Censorship is a difficult topic that arouses strong emotions, but of course all freedom of speech is relative. From national security to Holocaust denial to incitement to hatred to advocating underage sex, almost every country censors at some level. But some countries take such censorship to extremes. Kuwait is an example. Kuwait has enjoyed a Read More …

Sao Paulo’s Avenida Paulista bookstore closes – Fnac Brazil now has just one bookstore standing

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From the moment Livraria Cultura acquired Fnac Brazil’s 12 bookstores last July (along with its e-commerce site) there was a question mark hanging over the stores – Livraria Cultura had long intimated intent to be a tech company rather than a bricks & mortar retailer, and was struggling for cash. Despite this, a joint statement Read More …

The Indonesia International Book Fair is underway. An analogue book fair in the world’s fifth largest country by internet users

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With one million books up for grabs at big discounts this year’s Indonesia International Book Fair should pull in big crowds in what I regard as one of the planet’s most exciting publishing prospects. One million books at a book fair may sound like a lot, but it’s small beer compared to the 5.5 million Read More …

Storytel’s royalty model “rigged and manipulated.” Storm brews over Storytel’s privileged agreement with Bonnier

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With Storytel under increasing pressure from rival operators in the Swedish audiobook arena two things were inevitable. First, Storytel’s market share would fall. And consequent on that Storytel would need to review its royalty arrangements for its content suppliers – in this case established publishers, as Storytel does not deal direct with authors as per Read More …

Kazakhstan’s first children’s fantasy novel

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The Moscow International Book Fair has just wound up (Sept. 5-9) and as yet little of interest has come across my desk to warrant coverage beyond noting that 100,000 visitors were expected. But the Moscow IBF encompasses not just Russia but also the Confederation of Independent States (CIS) and it is there that the “headline” Read More …

Ghana International Book Fair mired by analogue pessimism when digital opportunities abound

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As the build up to this year’s Ghana International Book Fair got underway last month is seemed optimism was the prevailing mood, with talk of how Accra might become a regional hub for Africa’s nascent publishing industry. The 2018 theme was “Revitalising the Book Chain for National and International Cooperation.” But reality took hold as Read More …