9 October 2017 - What's new
9 October 2017
- Are American literary novelists ‘less feverish about pecking order' than the British? Martin Amis, now resident in New York, says: ‘They're more realistic about it. Berryman, when Robert Frost died, said, ‘It's scary. Who's number one?' Very unsentimental. At least status anxiety is overt here. And I think writers have a better time from the press here than in England... (where) they think writers are just pretentious egomaniacs.' Martin Amis, author of London Fields, Money and The Rub of Time in the Guardian. Our Comment.
- Our 19-part Inside Publishing series gives you an insider's take on the publishing world, covering everything from subsidiary rights to the world English language market (but, you may be asking, where does the author stand in relation to all this neat carving-up of the world? What's in the author's best interest and how much control does the author have over who sells their book in which country?), from advances and royalties to the writer/publisher financial relationship.
- International publishing seems to be flourishing, to judge from the reports coming out of the Frankfurt Book FairWorld's largest trade fair for books; held annually mid-October at Frankfurt Trade Fair, Germany; First three days exclusively for trade visitors; general public can attend last two., and Amazon Crossing now champions translated fiction in a remarkably effective way. It's all go at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where publishers are immersed in half-hour meetings with other publishers, but there is positive news coming back - if, that is, big advances can be viewed as positive! Publishers are flourishing their cheque-books and there have been a run of big deals agreed at the Fair. News Review
- Our links: whether you're an emerging author or one who is well-established, it can be challenging to figure out, What Belongs on an Author Website Homepage? 4 Key Elements | Jane Friedman; a review that caused great offence, Romance readers are not in love with the New York Times » MobyLives; united - not divided - by culture and mulitlingualism, Frankfurt Book Fair 2017: Macron, Merkel Speak of a Europe United by Culture; and birth of a poet, War baby: the amazing story of Ocean Vuong, former refugee and prize-winning poet | Books | The Guardian.
- Get some professional help. If you're self-publishing, you need good quality copy for the cover. Our Blurb-writing service can provide a professionally written piece of cover copy. Submitting to agents but finding it difficult to write your own synopsis? Commission a synopsis which will present your manuscript in the best possible light for submission.
- More links: more than a million poetry books were sold in the UK in the last year, the highest number on record, as the popularity of social media sensations continues to reinvigorate the art form, 'Now it's the coolest thing': rise of Rupi Kaur helps boost poetry sales | Books | The Guardian; showing just what a difference a big prize can make to international rights sales, Ishiguro's Nobel win leads to 20 global renewal deals | The Bookseller; the object of immense international interest across both academic and popular registers, Africa: New African Literature Is Disrupting What Western Presses Prize - allAfrica.com; and a bestselling writer going back to his teenage hero Alex Rider, Four Questions for Anthony Horowitz.
- 'The only way to learn to write is to write.' Peggy Teeters in our Writers' Quotes.
