Overcoming Authors’ Reticence. Or, How to Make Bookshops Love You and Your Book
A couple of weeks ago I was deeply honoured to be asked to join a panel at the Society of Authors in Scotland to discuss ways in which authors could promote themselves and how it was nothing to be frightened of. Unlike my fellow panel members the wonderful Peggy Hughes from the Scottish Poetry Library [...]
The future of publishing…?
Yesterday I went to the Society of Authors in Scotland’s conference – I was actually honoured enough to be one of their guest speakers but more of that another time. One of the presentations was from a number of industry experts sharing their thoughts on the way ahead for publishing. One was Marion Sinclair, CEO [...]
The Great Big Book Swap – Read It, Love It, Share It
Although we have been highly critical of World Book Night, we do agree with the essence of it – that it’s about sharing great books and celebrating the joy of reading. However, bookshops were marginalised and booksales declined across the trade in the wake of this giveaway in March and whatever happens next year [...]
World Book Night 2011 – really a bit rubbish.
Way back when, several weeks before World Book Night (remember that?) I, along with many other booksellers and interested parties such as authors and publishers, raised concerns that, in the midst of the worst recession since the 1930s, it might not be in the best interests of the trade to give away a million books. [...]
World Book Night 2012 – suggestions
Imagine a project to promote reading which provided entertainment for readers; tempted non-readers to dip their toes into literary waters; emphasised the importance and joy of libraries; encouraged more people to venture into bookshops; boosted the income of publishers, authors and booksellers and made sure that books and the wonders that they hold were something [...]
Bookworm in The Scotsman, 12.2.11
This was in The Scotsman’s book supplement at the weekend. I’d post a link but can’t find it on their website…
World Book Night – Am I alone? Not so much…
In the last few weeks, I’ve been told quite often that I’m wrong to be worried about World Book Night and the giving away of £9 million of stock. I’ve been told that it doesn’t further devalue the book as a purchase; that it doesn’t reinforce the notion that authors should work for free; that [...]
World Book Night – misguided and misjudged?
As you know (or may not – it’s amazing the number of people who haven’t heard of this most trumpeted event), 5th March has been declared World Book Night, emanating from an idea put forward by Jamie Byng of Canongate. Even the title is hubristic – there is nothing global about the project. 20,000 ‘givers’ [...]
Don’t let books be marginalised – save Bookstart
I could write a great deal here about the need to encourage in children the habit of reading for pleasure and the need to help parents to start reading with their children. There is masses to say about the folly of government plans to remove funding from the brilliant Bookstart scheme which has since 1992 [...]
Sometimes the personal is the political
A common refrain I’ve heard during the current election campaign is that none of the main parties really inspire voters – we haven’t had a “Yes We Can” moment from any of the leaders in their TV debates and with public borrowing etc at the current levels, everyone seems resigned to the fact that life’s [...]
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