South West publishing group seeking submissions
wellington-today.co.uk – Thursday December 19, 2024
NEW and seasoned writers across the south west are invited to submit their work to the Somerset literary group - Axe River Books.
Until the end of January, Axe River Books is requesting submissions of literary fiction that embodies the richness of the region, from writers or manuscripts connected to the south west.
The company is accepting long-form prose fiction, or any genre with a “literary edge” from both emerging writers and seasoned storytellers. Novellas, short stories, poetry and illustrated books are not accepted for submission at this time.
The community interest company (CIC) was founded in 2022 by three literature enthusiasts to offer publishing opportunities to writers in the south west of England, with a focus on those unpublished or unrepresented by literary agents. Inspired by the Mendip Hill’s river of the same name, River Axe Books provides a platform for emerging voices and promotes original talent from the region.
Bloomsbury snaps up academic publisher in ‘game-changing’ acquisition
msn.com – Sunday December 15, 2024
The publisher behind Harry Potter books has boosted its academic publishing arm with the $83 (65m) acquisition of Rowman & Littlefield.
Bloomsbury Publishing, which, as well as JK Rowling’s series, is known for its hits in the fantasy and fiction genres, said the move for the academic and trade publisher “significantly accelerates and strengthens [its] academic publishing in North America”.
The acquisition comes off the set of a bumper set of results for Bloomsbury in which the publisher’s success in fantasy fiction helped it to record profits of £41.5m and hiked its dividend by 25 per cent.
The transaction is structured as a sales and purchase agreement, and of the $83m (£65m) cost, $76m (£60m) has already been satisfied, the firms said in a statement to markets. The remaining $7m (£5.5m) is expected to be satisfied post-completion.
Rowman & Littlefield is a privately-owned independent publisher that publishes more than 40,000 academic titles. The firm will add to the Bloomsbury’s already-successful academic publishing division, which releases titles in fields as diverse as Law, Film & Media, Engineering History and International Development.
Edinburgh 900 – entries invited for a new poetry writing competition
theedinburghreporter.co.uk – Thursday December 12, 2024
To mark the 900th anniversary of Edinburgh becoming a royal burgh, Edinburgh Libraries has launched a poetry writing competition.
Locals are invited to share their love of the capital through poems they write themselves in a contest which will celebrate Edinburgh’s history, culture and community spirit. The six winning poems will then feature on bookmarks to be distributed throughout the city’s libraries.
The Rt Hon Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for the city’s poets to showcase their creativity and contribute to Edinburgh’s special celebrations.
I’m excited to hear voices from all over the city capturing the spirit, beauty and history of our remarkable capital.
English Department launches first literary magazine
uiargonaut.com – Monday December 9, 2024
On Wednesday, Dec. 4, students, professors and friends gathered in the Brink faculty lounge to celebrate the official launch of “brink.,” the latest undergraduate student magazine produced by UI’s English department. The celebration featured pizza, sparkling cider and live readings from student contributors. The magazine is the product of the English 490 capstone course, in which seniors spent the entire semester brainstorming, organizing and producing content together. The result? A colorful, witty and heartfelt magazine demonstrating the skills and experiences these students obtained during their time in the English program. It contains self-reflections, fiction, poetry, photography and much more.
“brink.” is intended to be informative and inspirational. Articles within, such as “Top Ten English Classes at UI” and “What to Tell People When They Passive Aggressively Question Your Major,” are fond reads for those that have undergone the English program. They also contain valuable information for incoming UI students. There are playful mock advertisements for on-campus resources, such as the Writing Center. There are even activities such as a “Major Reads” word search, playlists to listen to as you read each section and writing prompts for fiction, nonfiction and poetry.
Giulia De Biase joins Andrew Nurnberg Associates, Milan
thebookseller.com – Monday December 9, 2024
Senior editor Giulia De Biase will join Andrew Nurnberg Associates (ANA), based in Milan. ANA Milan opened on 1st March 2024, and De Biase will be joining as an associate agent from January 2025. De Biase will be responsible for new business for the agency, children’s and YA titles, and film and TV rights. The agency added that she will also build a "selected list of domestic authors and strengthen the agency’s representation of international clients selling into the Italian market".
De Biase has nearly 20 years of experience in commercial and upmarket fiction across Italy’s publishing houses and throughout her career Giulia has managed authors such as Jeffery Deaver, Column McCann and Michael Connelly. She played a role in launching Paula Hawkins in the Italian market, and has worked as a film and TV script adviser, speaks French and Russian and is a literary translator from English and Polish.
Barbara Barbieri, director, ANA Milan said: "Giulia is in a league of her own, combining an erudite spirit with a killer commercial eye. Her editorial vision, multilingual background, and flair will greatly benefit the agency. We have had a really successful first year so far and I look forward to the next chapter for ANA Milan with Giulia on board."
Royal Literary Fund’s hardship grants for writers see applications increase by 400%
theguardian.com – Tuesday December 3, 2024
Charity cites AI and cost of living among reasons for a nearly fivefold increase in grant applications between last year and this year
Applications for the Royal Literary Fund’s (RLF’s) hardship grants for professional writers increased by 400% between last year and this year, the charity has said.
There was a nearly fivefold increase in applications in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2023, RLF CEO Edward Kemp told the Guardian.
The RLF’s grant applications are open to writers who need short- or long-term financial support because they are, for example, facing an unexpected bill, reduced income, or are unable to write due to a “change in circumstances, sickness, disability, or age”, according to the RLF.
The grants are given as a donation towards the “removal of distress for the applicant”, rather than to help complete literary works. Writers must have published (via a traditional publisher, not self-published) at least two books in the UK or Ireland to be eligible for a grant.
Human Kinetics buys Lotus Publishing for undisclosed sum
thebookseller.com – Tuesday December 3, 2024
American trade and academic publisher Human Kinetics has bought Lotus Publishing, a small Sussex-based press focused on highly illustrated titles in anatomy, sport and health.
The list of roughly 50 titles will be added to the Human Kinetics portfolio as a new imprint: Lotus Books. The price of the sale has not been disclosed.
Human Kinetics, based in Illinois is the leader in physical activity, health, and sport publishing, including titles such as Strength Training Anatomy and Yoga Anatomy. The employee-owned company is also the publishing partner of organisations as the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE America), the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR), and Toronto-based canfitpro.
Ed Wood leaves Sphere editorial to become agent at The Blair Partnership
thebookseller.com – Tuesday December 3, 2024
Sphere’s Ed Wood is joining The Blair Partnership as fiction agent and director of fiction development.
Wood joins from publisher Little, Brown, where he was Sphere fiction publishing director for brands and creative partnerships and Little, Brown IP director.
The news follows Emily Barrett and Liane-Louise Smith joining The Blair Partnership as agents from Little, Brown and the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, respectively, in 2023.
In his role as fiction agent, Wood will be responsible for finding the best in new writing talent, continuing his specialism in crime and thrillers, while as director of fiction development he will have a broader remit to uncover and nurture IP opportunities across publishing, as well as in film and TV, brand licensing and other areas.
Mubi Moves into Book Publishing with Mubi Editions Imprint
publishersweekly.com – Tuesday December 3, 2024
Mubi, the film distributor, production company, and streaming service founded in 2007 by Efe Cakarel, will launch a publishing arm, Mubi Editions, next April, focusing on titles on cinema and the arts.
Based in London and New York and led by Daniel Kasman, VP of editorial content at Mubi, the imprint will publish two to three titles in its in inaugural year, with plans to expand its list in future years. Distributed Art Publishers will distribute for the imprint in the U.S. and Canada, with Thames & Hudson distributing to the rest of the global market, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Turkey.
Startup Mocked for Charging $5,000 to "Edit" Book Manuscripts Using AI
futurism.com – Monday December 2, 2024
A startup called Spines apparently wants to use AI to edit and publish 8,000 books in 2025 — though no word on whether they'll be any good.
There are several issues with the premise. First, AI is a notoriously untalented wordsmith. It will undoubtedly struggle with the myriad tasks Spines assigns to it, including "proofreads, cover designs, formats, publishes, and... distributing your book in just a couple of weeks," according to the venture's website.
Oh, and then there's the issue of Spines embarrassing itself publicly.
"A great example of how no one can find actual uses for LLMs that aren't scams for grifts," short story writer Lincoln Michel wrote of the flap on X-formerly-Twitter. "Quite literally the LAST thing publishing needs is... AI regurgitations."
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