Sales & Publishing

To what extent should we have a creative licence?

By Francesca on March 16, 2022 • ( Leave a comment )

‘Public Domain Day’, otherwise known as New Year’s Day , marks the expired copyright on texts entering the public domain. A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises and Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd to name a few released in 2022. The significance of giving way to creative licence can be seen in the development since The Great Gatsby’s release in the US in 2021, with 34 new print editions published in the past year and the development of a television adaptation by Michael Hirst.

Once Upon a Time in Carrotland: A Study of Youtube Stardom, Autobiography and Ghost-Writing

By annatwilcks on March 15, 2022

It is by no means uncommon that famous people get the chance to write books about themselves and their life stories. However, have you ever heard of a celebrity autobiography that was ghost-written entirely without the knowledge of the nominal author?

The ‘David Walliams Phenomenon’

By annatwilcks on March 15, 2022

If I could recite a list of celebs-turned-children’s-authors, we would be here all day. From actress Julianne Moore, to footballer Frank Lampard, there are no limits as to who can give it a go. But what are the downfalls of this? And is it always ethical?

‘the industry could and should do a lot more’: Interventions and their necessity in Diversifying Publishing

By florencerolstonashford on March 14, 2022

Leah Golder discusses why the publishing industry urgently needs to do more to diversify its workplace.

Stories within Stories: Secondhand Books

By ameliachambers07 on March 9, 2022

Secondhand books don’t often have much financial value. However, last year 54 million used books were sold online in the UK. So, what is the appeal? Don’t get me wrong, I love a shiny, previously unopened paperback from time to time but there is something about secondhand books that captures me more.

‘whether it actually was or not’ : The truth about book shop displays

By EG on March 5, 2022

The bold covers and big names entice us, but just how authentically impartial are the bookshop displays that influence our book buying habits?

The Brave New World of Cover Design and Audience

By mjb661 on March 4, 2022

We are living in an age of book covers that pander to social media users, viewing their prospective purchases on small smartphone screens. Publishers have to know their particular audience, and their books must be able to catch your eye immediately. But must universal success always come in the form of bold strokes of bright colour and block titles that swallow up the page?

Whose Responsibility is Representation?

By ameliachambers07 on March 2, 2022 • ( Leave a comment )

Following a recent article published by The Guardian, detailing Monica Ali’s depression caused by the reaction to her novel Untold Story, the conversation surrounding who is responsible for representation in literature resurfaced. Should the role fall solely on the same people who are under-represented? Or should society, as a whole, strive for equal representation for all writers and experiences?

Clothbound Classics: New Aesthetics and Old Assumptions

By annatwilcks on March 1, 2022

2008 marked the official release of Penguin UK’s clothbound classics – a collection of 10 classic literary works, each wrapped in its own delicate, linen case, specially designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith. 14 years later, the project’s popularity has grown exponentially, as too has its contents.