Your book is written, re-written, checked and double checked and you’re ready to find it a home. But in this ultra-competitive publishing climate how do you ensure your novel escapes from the slush pile? On Litopia After Dark this week our very special guest is Simon Flynn, Publishing Director of Icon Books and we ask him how to sex up our submissions to get them noticed and how publishers themselves package their books to entice the reader.
Libraries are branching out: As Swansea Library declares Friday nights, singles night and Swiss Cottage Library, London introduces a “borrow a person” event, we discuss whether the Libraries should be using gimmicks to attract visitors.
Children’s books (in the UK) are about to be labelled with suggested suitable age ranges by the publishers. Is this a good thing or (as children’s librarian Jake Hope believes) is it a cynical and misguided idea? Also, digital books for kids – should bedtime stories be left to the iPod or is this a step too far? And, My Beautiful Mommy, does your child really need a book to prepare them for your plastic surgery?
And as Richard and Judy prepare to leave Channel 4, taking their book club with them, the panel discuss whether this is the beginning of the end for UK authors? We also talk about the growth of the importance of bestseller lists, embedding your credit card details in your e-book and A-levels in Harry Potter.
On the panel this week are Donna Ballman, Richard Howse and Dave Bartram. Also, our special guest is Publishing Director of Icon Books, Simon Flynn.
The chatroom on Ustream at 8pm (GMT) was off-topic as usual and the panellists were left wondering what show they had been listening to. Join us next week to see how far we go.
Libraries Part 1 – Singles Night
Nick Parry on the BBC website…
Once a month – from 1800 BST onwards – Friday night is singles’ night at the city’s main library.
It is open for business as normal, with organisers stressing that it is just an optional extra and nothing more than a bit of fun.
But anyone hoping to spot a potential partner can pick up a pink badge signalling their romantic intentions at reception.
Then they can stroll the aisles looking for a book, DVD, or something – or someone – else that takes their fancy.
Libraries Part 2 – Borrow a Person
In the Times Online, David Barker…
It was like the school disco all over again. As some unexpected spring sunshine brightened up the Finchley Road last Sunday lunchtime, 15 of us were waiting nervously in a room in Swiss Cottage’s sleek new leisure centre to be borrowed as “books” in the UK’s first ever Living Library.
The idea, which comes from Scandinavia, is simple: instead of books, readers can come to the library and borrow a person for a 30-minute chat. The human “books” on offer vary from event to event but always include a healthy cross-section of stereotypes. Last weekend, the small but richly diverse list included Police Officer, Vegan, Male Nanny and Lifelong Activist as well as Person with Mental Health Difficulties and Young Person Excluded from School. I was there as Gay Man.
Labelling Children
Jack Hope on the Guardian Blog…
Does choosing children’s books make you all of a dither? With 10,500 titles published annually you could be forgiven if it does. Now a group of publishers have decided to print what they consider suitable age ranges on the covers of children’s books.
Beginning at the end of April, several imprints will introduce age classification on their backlist titles with the intention that this will be introduced across all publications later in the year. The motive for this – greater sales and therefore greater profits – is as questionable as the need do it in the first place.
Bedtimes with iPods
Don Katz has a vision for kids: He wants to take the technology that brings the Jonas Brothers to their ears and use it to deliver the Brothers Grimm.
Nearly a third of children ages six to 10 are regular users of digital audio players, according to market research firm the NPD Group. And thanks to entrepreneurs like Katz, they can now use them to listen to bedtime stories.
In March, the Audible.com founder launched AudibleKids.com, where children can download books directly onto their digital audio players.
Introducing Cosmetic Surgery to kids
Nicholas Lezard on the Guardian Blog…
In what seems like a new, even uglier phase in the battle of crassness and decency, a new book has come out, called My Beautiful Mommy. Dr Michael Salzhauer’s heartwarming story deals with the questions that spring to the mind of a 4-7 year old when Mommy decides to go off to the plastic surgeon to make comely the bits of the body that head south or crinkle up after having too many 4-7 year-olds. To help you decide, if you are confused, whether this is a triumph for crassness or decency, bear in mind that the work was written by a plastic surgeon. And that the surgery involved also covers nose jobs, although there is no evidence that having children makes your nose any less attractive than it was before.
Richard and Judy
From Nicholas Clee on the Guardian Blog…
Richard and Judy revealed at the end of 2007 that they were to quit their Channel 4 chat show, but hinted they would continue to present their Book Club on the network. Now they have announced that they are taking the show and the book club to UKTV. On Channel 4, they broadcast to audiences of around two million people. On UKTV, that figure is likely to be quartered, at least.
Bestsellers
John Sutherland in the TimesOnline…
Amazon has one, as do Waterstone’s and the Richard & Judy Book Club. There’s now even a website, www.noveltracker.com , that updates figures and positions of the bestselling books every hour. All will have recorded Delia Smith’s latest cookbook on its way to becoming the fastest-selling title ever. We are fascinated by these charts, but there was a time, not so long ago, when we had none at all.
E-books and DRM
Chris Webb on Publishing, Media and Technology…
I have been thinking about the concept of Social DRM for e-books a bit more lately. It’s a model I believe can work, but I wonder how much is too much information to embed. I think a watermark containing something like “This e-book prepared especially for John Doe (jdoe@jdoe.com)” is perfectly acceptable.
A-level Harry Potter
Daniel Boffey in the Daily Mail…
Harry Potter has taken his place alongside such greats of English literature as Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and is required reading for A-level English students.
J.K. Rowling’s boy-wizard has been added to the syllabus in a move that has prompted fresh claims of “dumbing down” in education standards.
Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone is being offered as a ‘set text’ by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), the UK’s largest exam board, which is responsible for nearly half of the country’s exams.
Icon Books
Special Guest, Simon Flynn talks about Icon Books, the benefits of the internet and how to pitch effectively. He also discusses independent boksellers and the type of book to make it through the submission process. The panel pitch their book ideas and Simon tries to be kind.
Tune into the Podcast to hear Simon answer questions on the Publishing industry.
Photo by DeciaBodden
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