Lessons for book publishers as Jewish-American journal Forward abandons print editions to go digital only

Posted onJanuary 20, 2019Leave a comment

The Jewish-American journal Forward has just announced that it will print its last edition this spring. Publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen said in a statement that the print editions are, no longer financially sustainable. The Lebanon Express, reporting the story, explained that, Forward, founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily newspaper serving the American Jewish community, Read More …

Digital library downloads are hurting Amazon’s bottom line. The Hot Sheet reviewed

Posted onDecember 11, 2018December 12, 2018Leave a comment

The Hot Sheet is a publishing industry news-sheet for authors, produced every two weeks by Porter Anderson and Jane Friedman, and reviewed here every other Sunday (when possible) as one of the best bi-weekly industry overviews available to authors. We’re not interested in delivering breaking news, but perspective on stories that are likely to retain meaning for your Read More …

Bhutan’s Mountain Echoes Literary Festival to celebrate 50th anniversary of the Beatles in India

Posted onJune 20, 2018Leave a comment

Fifty years ago this year the Beatles made their first visit to India, and among the highlights of the Bhutan Mountain Echoes Literary Festival in August will be a tribute to that event. This will be the ninth incarnation of the three day Bhutan festival (August 23-25), headed by Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak and Usha Read More …

Sweden’s Nextory wants to be the biggest ebook player in Scandinavia even as Amazon prepares its Nordic launch. Suicidal? No. Once again books are not on Amazon’s agenda

Posted onMarch 18, 2018March 18, 20181 Comment

There are three big digital book players in Sweden – Storytel, Bonnier’s Bookbeat, and Nextory. And this week comes news that Nextory has raised SEK 51 million ($6.2 million) as part of plans to become the biggest ebook operator in Sweden, and beyond. The fresh money (on top of SEK 50 million previously raised) comes Read More …

The Hot Sheet Reviewed – second February 2018 edition

Posted onFebruary 25, 2018February 26, 2018Leave a comment

The Hot Sheet is a publishing industry news-sheet for authors, produced every two weeks by Porter Anderson and Jane Friedman, and reviewed here every other Sunday as one of the best bi-weekly industry overviews available to authors. We’re not interested in delivering breaking news, but perspective on stories that are likely to retain meaning for your long-term decision Read More …

Arab Renaissance 3: Baghdad’s Al Mutanabbi Book Street thrives again

Posted onFebruary 10, 2018February 10, 2018Leave a comment

After a devastating car-bomb attack in 2007 Baghdad’s famous book street, Al Mutanabbi, has been a shadow of its former self, but a revival began in 2015. As we enter the eleventh year since the devastation, Al Mutanabbi Street, which reaches almost to the Tigris, is thriving again. In March there will be special readings Read More …

Arab Renaissance 2: Eager readers buy books by the suitcase at the Cairo International Book Fair

Posted onFebruary 10, 2018February 10, 2018Leave a comment

After falling visitor numbers in recent years due to the devaluation of the Egyptian pound, making books seem a lot more expensive, this year’s event, which finishes today, is looking to be a record breaker. Cairo International Book Fair – 2.5 million visitors and only half-way through? Book discounts offered at the fair are an Read More …

Afghan government moves slowly to combat piracy as Afghanistan book trade booms

Posted onFebruary 4, 2018February 4, 2018Leave a comment

Growth is always relative, so we shouldn’t get too carried away by the headline here – a variation on the headline run by the New York Times – “Most Afghans Can’t Read, But Their Book Trade Is Booming” – which is accurate to the extent that growth from a low start can seem like a Read More …

Amazon Forums to close Friday?

Posted onOctober 3, 2017Leave a comment

Amazon, it seems, will be closing its forums this Friday, and is sending interested parties to Goodreads. Across the indie-orientated publishing blogs the reaction is overwhelmingly one of dismay. Nate Hoffelder at The Digital Reader said, “If Amazon does follow through and kill its forums, it will b a loss to the local community but Read More …

The New Publishing Standard

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