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U.S. Authors, Nonfiction Hot
The #5 book in Italy in May, Gianluigi Nuzzi’s His Holiness. The Secret Documents of Benedict XVI, has caused international news since its publication. Pope Benedict XVI’s butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested late last month on suspicion of releasing dozens of embarrassing letters to Nuzzi disclosing corruption and nepotism at the Holy See.
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Overlook Press to Publish New Russian Literature Series
Overlook Press and the Russian Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communication plan to launch a series of classic and contemporary Russian literature in English translation in print and digital editions.
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Google Settles With Authors—In France
How do you say “opt-in” in French? According to statements, Google and the French publishers association have agreed to a "framework" settlement that will allow Google to scan and sell copyrighted but out-of-print French books.
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Publishing in Russia 2012: An Alliance for a Stronger Industry
From the list of activities it has held or participated in within Moscow, in the regions or even outside of Russia, one would think that the Alliance of Independent Booksellers and Publishers is an old and established organization. Nothing is further from the truth.
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Publishing in Russia 2012: Corpus Books on Cover Design
In the Soviet era, when distribution and publishing were state-owned operations, there was little need to distinguish one book or publisher from the next. Today, a vastly different picture has emerged: it is that of a fully privatized Russian book industry, a crumbled distribution network, and an increasingly competitive marketplace flooded with new titles. Limited shelf space and shorter shelf lives means books have to fight for consumer attention. Content by itself is no longer enough to sell a book. Design and presentation sells too.
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Arch Tait on translating Russian works: Publishing in Russia 2012
Winner of the inaugural English PEN Literature in Translation award in 2010 for Anna Politkovskaya's Putin's Russia (Harvill Press), Arch Tait has worked with many well-known Russian writers including Ludmila Ulitskaya, Vladimir Makanin, Victor Pelevin, Peter Aleshkovsky, Andrey Volos and Anatoly Kurchatkin. He was the UK editor of Glas New Russian Writing translation series from 1993 to 2000, and still translates for the Moscow-based publishing house.
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Big Names Top The Charts
The top three titles on Sweden’s fiction list in April were all in new positions, including Kristina Ohlsson’s Hostage. Ohlsson published her first book in the U.S. in February 2012 with Atria—Unwanted, a mystery cited for “superior prose, plotting, and characterization” in its starred review from PW. Sweden’s top title, Sacrifice to Moloch, is by Åsa Larsson, who has also published in the U.S., including 2008’s The Black Path (Delta), which received a star from PW.
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Generating Positive Energy and Results at Sunmark Publishing
Guided by the mission to put life’s energy in the hands of readers, Tokyo-based Sunmark Publishing publishes books about self-help/improvement, health, and general well-being. Company president and publisher Nobutaka Ueki says, “Everything that works in accordance with nature is important. A book to us is a form of energy. After working with an author to create an energy-filled book, we carry out a series of promotional campaigns to boost the book with even more energy.” Sunmark, he adds, produces positive-energy books that advocate the joy of living and seek to provide relief from the stresses of life. “A book based on scandals may sell like hot cakes, but will ultimately produce negative energy. This is not for us.”
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International Bestsellers May 2012: Big Names Top The Charts
The top three titles on Sweden's fiction list in April were all in new positions, including Kristina Ohlsson's Hostage. Ohlsson published her first book in the U.S. in February 2012 with Atria—Unwanted, a mystery cited for "superior prose, plotting, and characterization" in its starred review from PW. Sweden's top title, Sacrifice to Moloch, is by Åsa Larsson, who has also published in the U.S., including 2008's The Black Path (Delta), which received a star from PW.
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Content Services 2012: Balancing Aesthetics and Subjectivity in Creative Services
Producing a biblical-themed illustrated English alphabet book is nothing new. But outsourcing its production to the largely Hindu India, where vendors are known for their prowess in the SSTM segment, is something else. It shows how much the Indian content services industry has expanded over the years, moving from the technical to the more creative side of the business.
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Meshcheryakov on Cooking and Children's Books: Publishing in Russia 2012
Cooking up a storm while chattering about children's books on TV may sound like a strange match. But Vadim Meshcheryakov, who loves to cook, thinks his "A Book Kitchen" idea makes perfect sense. "Cooking takes place in a convivial atmosphere, where friendly chats are most conducive. You can talk about anything—including books—while dishing up some good stuff to eat."
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Publishing in Russia 2012: Peter Mayer on Publishing and Promoting Russian Works
When it comes to publishing Russian translations, no one has done it longer—or more successfully—than Peter Mayer. During his tenure as chairman and CEO of Penguin, from 1978 to 1997, the publishing house launched a series of Russian classics that any budding bookworm should read from cover to cover or purchase for his or her library.
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Publishing in Russia 2012: The Debut Prize and Young Russian authors
Launched in 2000, the Debut Prize is an independent literary award for authors under 35 years of age. It is supported by the Pokolenie Foundation, founded in 1996 by politician and philanthropist Andrei Skoch. So far, 73 works have won from the 50,000-plus entries received each year.
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Content Services 2012: Journal Production Services: Changes, Trends and Future Directions
In the past 15 years, much has changed in journal production services, the first segment outsourced to India. New technology, publishing models, and workflows have created a demand for ever more automation and faster production. And for Bangalore-based MPS Limited, the pioneer in journal services, tracking the segment's shifts and trends is standard business.
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Publishing in Russia 2012: Piotrovsky and Bookselling in Perm and the Urals
Perm, Russia's 14th most populous city, with around one million people (called Permyaks), is home to the two-year-old Piotrovsky Book Store. Named after the city's first bookseller, Yuseff Yulianovitch Piotrovsky of the 19th century, the store was the brainchild of four friends: a historian (Denis Korneevsky, director of Perm's inaugural book fair last year), a philosopher (Dmitriy Vyatkin), a philologist (Mikhail Maltsev), and a poet (Sergey Panin).
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Vendor Selection 101: Content Services in India 2012
Onshore, offshore, hybrid, oh, my! Vendors are coming up with various collaborative methods to serve you better without shaking your comfort zone. But it is natural to feel jittery about outsourcing. After all, there is nothing simple about transferring your content (i.e., asset) to another person who is tens of thousands of miles away. So take a deep breath. Here are 12 practical steps to get you started on your vendor selection journey.
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PW Talks with Jan Barsnes: Content Services in India 2012
Most content services vendors are after the big game, aka the U.S. market, which usually brings in more than half of their business. This tends to be supplemented by several major accounts in continental Europe, mostly from Germany, where the STM and journal segments are established and mature. Only a few are tapping into the Scandinavian market, despite its reputation for having avid readers and prolific authors. PW talks to Jan Barsnes, co-owner of eBokNorden and Prograph in Norway, about the Scandinavian e-book industry and how he goes about outsourcing his projects.
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Ongoing Coverage of the Content Services Industry
In conjunction with the Content Services in India 2012 print report (published on April 23), PW will be adding new articles every other week on the state of the content services industry. Check back here regularly for interviews with content services vendors, product developers and publishers that will unveil new services, solutions and technologies.
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‘The Hundred Year Old Man’ Adds More Countries
Spain’s fiction list, which placed newcomers in the top three spots in March, saw Kate Morton’s The Distant Hours take the top position. The book, published in the U.S. by Atria, received a starred review from PW back in late 2010, stating the revelatory secrets in the book “will stun readers.” Spain’s #3 book, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, has also seen success in Germany, where it’s been in and out of the top spot since January. The book was first published by Piratförlaget in September 2009 in Sweden, where it was the bestselling book of 2010. A Swedish film adaptation is expected to begin in summer 2012, and Hyperion will publish the book in the U.S. in September.
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Product Showcase: Content Services in India 2012
Messy source files? Check. Short turnaround? Definitely. Complex work flow? That goes without saying. Multiple deliverables? Double-check. (And, really, do you need to ask?)
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