New Edition May/June 2015

PG 6 NOT TRADTIONALLY KNOWN AS A PUBLISHING POWERHOUSE, BRAZIL IS QUICKLY BECOMING A RISING STAR

PG 16 FIND OUT WHAT DAY TO DAY LIFE IS LIKE FOR RARE AND ANTIQUE BOOK DEALER MEGAN SCAURI

PG 19 AUTHORS TOM ROB SMITH AND JONATHAN HARVEY REVEAL WHAT AUTHORS CAN EXPECT FOR ADAPTATIONS

NEW EDITION CONTEMPORARY

CELEBRATE FATHER’S DAY WITH RON COPE AND HIS COMMEMORATION OF HIS DAD’S GREATEST BATTLE

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ISSUE 25, MAY/JUNE 2015

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WELCOME In this May/June double issue

of New Edition, Kate Appleton talks to author Ron Cope

about remembering his dad’s

accomplishments through his

writing just in time for Father’s Day. Diana Rissetto interviews a book

dealer about how she got started

in the industry and the increasing

demand for collectable books. And Kate and Stephanie go mad at the

London Book Fair. All that and much more in this month’s packed issue!

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HAPPENI N GS June Delacorte Theater in Central Park, New York 27 May -July 5| The www.publictheater.org

Free Shakespeare in the Park: The Tempest

Now in its 53rd year, one of New York’s greatest summer traditions returns with a production of The Tempest. Academy Award nominee Sam Waterston stars in Shakespeare’s tale of young love and magic directed by Tony Award nominee Michael Greif. For tickets, either wait in the free lines outside of the Delacorte Theater and throughout the city or purchase reserved seats through Public Theater’s website.

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Winchester Writer’s Festival

University of Winchester, Hampshire writersfestival.co.uk Three days of networking, workshops, presentations, one-on-one opportunities, competitions and scholarship will be in store for anyone who wishes to attend the Winchester Writer’s Festival. Established in 1980, the festival aims to be “a place of support and celebration for all writers, including those who are just beginning.”

Register through the Writer’s Festival website beforehand or in person the day of.

American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition

San Francisco, California alaac15.ala.org Despite what the name might imply, “librarians, authors, publishers, business professionals, educators and students--anyone who is passionate about books, libraries, and eager to learn and shape the future of the industry” are welcome to attend the ALA’s annual conference . Over 800 companies will exhibit at the event and featured speakers include Gloria Steinem, Haifaa al-Mansour, Sarah Vowell and Nick Offerman.

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News In Brief Gender disparity found in major literary award winners Analysis done by author Niccola Griffith shows that novels written from a woman or girl’s perspective are less likely to win major awards than those written from a male one.

“It’s hard to escape the conclusion that, when it comes to literary prizes, the more prestigious, influential and financially remunerative the award, the less likely the winner is to write about grown women,” Griffith said.

For her research, she analyzed the winners of six fiction awards from the past 15 years and found the Pulitzer Prize to be the least diverse with no winning books coming from the point of view of a woman.

“Assuming the data say what I think they say, that women have literary cooties, why?” she said. “And, more importantly, how do we get rid of them?”

First self published bookstore opens in US

Determined to create a space where it would be easier for independent authors to sell their work, children’s author and illustrator Patti Brassard Jefferson and history author Timothy Jacobs decided to open Gulf Coast Bookstore in Fort Myers, Florida, that would only stock selfpublished authors.

“It’s just hard to compete with Stephen King or Dan Brown in a mega-bookstore that has tens of thousands of books for sale,” Jacobs told Publishers Weekly.

Authors will receive 100 percent of every book sold after renting shelf space for three months for up to 10 copies for $60, plus a $15 set-up fee. They can also use the space for signing and other events.

Currently, the store stocks work from 53 self published authors.

New York Public Library draws support for additional funding The New York Public Library has asked for more than $1 billion for maintenance and renovations and restoration of $65 million in operating expenses to the city’s budget.

According to the NYPL, city funding for the library has been cut nearly 20 percent and its staff slashed by nearly 1,000 workers over the past decade, despite the fact that the number of visits has never been higher.

The library’s efforts have received a fair amount of attention, drawing interest and support from patrons and authors like Judy Blume and Junot Díaz alike.

In an email with the subject “Are you there Mr. Mayor? It’s Me, Judy Blume,” the author urged readers to call Mayor Bill de Blasio and members of the City Council to demand more money be spent on the system. ”If that funding was restored to the City’s three library systems, the total budget for public libraries would be less than half of one percent of the total City budget. Seems like a no-brainer to me,” Blume said in an email urging members of the City Council to demand more money is spent on the system.

A report by The New York Times found the city’s three libraries saw more visitors per year than all of New York City’s major sports arenas, museums, performing arts centers, botanical gardens, zoos, and historical sites combined.

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When the UK Green Party called to radically change the copyright system they sparked outrage across the literary community.

Authoright’s Josh Hamel examines the controversy and wonders whether there wasn’t at least some merit in their proposal.

When a line of text proposing a revamped copyright system with a maximum term of only fourteen years was discovered in Green Party documents, the publishing world immediately reacted negatively, criticising the short timeframe.

Philip Pullman called the idea daft and many other authors lamented the effect it would have on their ability to make money from of their work as many are not able to until years after their publication date.

“I got my first [royalty] two years ago, from books that came out 12 years ago,” tweeted author Jenny Colgan.

At first, party officials denied they had any plans to reduce the period of copyright that drastically, first claiming it wasn’t the party line and anyone could add to the policy, then saying the document had meant to reflect a length of 14 years after the authors death. This would certainly be a change from the UK’s current system of 70 years after the death of the creator, but one far more tolerable for those upset with the change.

Since then though, the Green Party has agreed to review their plan to reduce copyright length altogether.

A weaker copyright, especially one that is so greatly reduced in length, may appear crazy, and it certainly draws ire from those that make their living from royalties. However, there may yet be some sense in this approach in the grand scheme of things.

According to research undertaken by Rufus Pollock at the University of Cambridge, the optimal length for a copyright should only be around fifteen years from when the work was published, much less time than the current terms and right around the Green Party’s initial proposal. This takes into account the balance of increasing the accessibility of information to the public and the creator’s desire to profit from their

work for as long as possible.

The reality, according to Pollock’s study, is that while some artists gain more from their work over the years, and others do not start earning money until long after it is published, as is in Colgan’s case, the majority make all of their money within months and years of release. Because of this, the gain to the public domain that comes with allowing those works to lapse exceeds any future profit an artist may make after what is considered only a relatively short amount of time.

In theory, this fast track into public knowledge would also spur innovation and more creative output as people are allowed to build on material established much quicker and artists driven to produce more. But fundamentally authors spend years of their lives writing and should not have their living taken away from them while there is still any opportunity for profit.

According to Copyright Clearance Center’s Victoriano Colodrón, whose presentation at the London Book Fair 2015 focused on just this topic, stronger copyright laws actually encourage more innovation than do weaker standards.

He argues that output increases as author’s are compensated more for their work and more likely to pursue new outlets as a result.

Regardless, as has been seen by the reaction to the similar Green Party proposal, a reduction to this theoretical optimal length of time doesn’t have the support it would require even to pass.

But maintaining an open discourse - and open minds to the prospect of change - is surely critical across all walks of publishing and creative life? As long as the UK’s copyright lasts, the protections in the US last even longer, stretching out to ninety-five years after the original creator’s death for works published after 1923. While the terms used to be similar to that of the UK’s, a 1998 law extended it to its current length. The bill has been

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Copyright protection for Mickey Mouse rests at the heart of the issue in the US.

dubbed by many as “The Mickey Mouse Protection Act” because of Disney’s heavy lobbying effort at the time to protect its trademark character from entering the public domain. While copyright began as a way to protect artists and allow them to benefit from their creations, the primary beneficiary of extended terms are corporations.

“To suggest that the monopoly use of copyrights for the creator’s life plus 50 years after his death is not an adequate incentive to create is absurd,” wrote Sen. Hank Brown of Colorado in a 1996 report for the Senate Judiciary Committee. “The real incentive here is for corporate owners that bought copyrights to lobby Congress for another twenty years of revenue—not for creators who will be long dead once this term extension takes hold.”

As a result of the extension, there will be no new works entering the public domain in the US until 2019, according to the Center for the Study of the Public Domain, and that is only if there is not another increase lobbied before then. The Chronicles of Narnia and The Bell Jar are just two examples of works that would have been scheduled to enter the US public domain recently under the old rules. This deprives the public of more accessible information and other creators material from which to draw from.

The effects of this policy are evident. A study

by University of Illinois law professor Paul Heald found that there are “twice as many books from the 1850s being sold on Amazon right now as the 1950s,” despite the fact it is likely more books were published in the latter decade. In other words, more books in the public domain

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means more readily available knowledge.

Copyright is an essential tool that encourages progress and innovation in all fields, not just publishing. It incentivises creators to produce by ensuring they will be remunerated for their work.

However, it should not exist in perpetuity for a corporation’s benefit. Extended copyright does just the opposite of what the law was originally meant to do. This not only harms the public; it is detrimental to artists, too, depriving them of material to work with.

As US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Alex Kozinsky said, “Creativity is impossible without a rich public domain. Nothing today, likely nothing since we tamed fire, is genuinely new: Culture, like science and technology, grows by accretion, each new creator building on the works of those who came before. Overprotection stifles the very creative forces it’s supposed to nurture.”

While the Green Party’s proposed limits may not be palatable, the length of current protections does not reflect the benefits of a more expansive public domain. Shouldn’t copyright protection balance the need for artist’s to see a return from their work with the public benefit of increased access to ideas and information rather than serve to ensure corporations continue to profit from their pasts?

CONTEMPORARY PUBLISHING MAGAZINE

Cover Conundrum They say you should never judge a book by its cover. But that’s exactly what readers do when deciding whether to pick up your book or to leave it languishing on the shelf.

Quality, character and a hint to the story are what you should be aiming to evoke. James Wharton asks what makes a good cover and reveals how to make yours stand out.

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What makes a great book cover?

Well, there might not be a formula, but there are some rules that can be applied which can put the design of a cover into the realm of what’s generally accepted as ‘good’. But perhaps it is easier to explore what makes a bad cover as it seems there are more bad covers knocking about on shelves and online these days than ‘good’.

Mail Online recently ran an article highlighting covers originating from Amazon’s Kindle publishing platform. Their is also a dedicated blog online called Kindle Cover Disasters, which is certainly well worth a look if you are planning to design your own cover on Kindle… but our strong advice is DON’T. As authors, we naturally have a vision of what our cover should look like. We imagine it sitting on a bookshelf and we picture the colours and the title adoringly etched across the front. But a common mistake many of us make is over-complicating this essential element of

the book.

Make no mistake, your cover one of the most important factors of your book’s production. It has one job, and one job only; it has to sell you book. And what’s more, it has about four seconds to win at this job. If we think about our own behaviour when buying anything, we absolutely do judge a product by its packaging. And your book is the same.

If people are turned off by your book as soon as they set their eyes on it, how can we expect them to pick it up and then actually consider putting it in their basket? Simply, we can’t and they won’t.

Many authors often feel they have the skills to produce their own covers, and every now and again an author may produce a cover which is palatably okay, but graphics designers and illustrators spend a long time mastering their talent; it is always advisable to bring in a professional designer to work their magic.

What’s more, to hire a designer doesn’t cost the

James Williamson’s cover design before (left) and after (right) the redesign.

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earth.

Recently, author James Williamson re-published his debut title, a memoir based upon his childhood called They Can’t Touch Him Now, and decided to give his book a facelift by bringing in a professional cover designer. James’ initial cover, although fit for purpose when originally released had since dated and become tired.

Authoright produced two original concepts for James Williamson, and after spending some time weighing up which he preferred, he made a decision on one of the designs which then became his new book cover.

They Can’t Touch Him Now, released in April

by Clink Street, has gone from looking out-dated and plain, to holding a strong rhetoric in its front cover, and now fulfils the need to look refreshed and relaunched.

“I really like how the new cover is less busy, more modern and in one image captures the essence of the book’s main theme.” James Williamson on his new cover.

But what else matters?

In almost all cases, a cover should be simple, straightforward and not overly busy. The eyes of a potential reader don’t want to have to work to grasp what it is they are being presented with. They want to see something that’s equally curious. You don’t have to tell you entire story on the front cover.

An easy on the eye pastel background, a singular image or design that states something central about your book and the use of a straightforward font is the simplistic approach a professional designer will take when tackling a cover concept. The best covers are the most simple covers, yet time and time again, covers are designed with the opposite in mind.

At Authoright, we work with award winning cover designer Samuel de Ceccatty who, to date, is responsible for designing almost 100 beautiful cover concepts for our clients. Samuel works tirelessly to get his authors cover design concepts as visibly stunning and engaging as possible. He recently designed a cover for the the soon-to-be-released Descent Into Paradise, a cover he is particularly pleased with.

“You don’t have to tell your entire story on the front cover.”

“When approaching this project I had to bare in mind the audience are adults 30+ so I thought a subtle message and darker palette could work. I used an image of the bomb to symbolise the bombings that have been emblematic of the Israel - Palestine relations - the central theme to the book. I added graphic element to frame the image and add a sense of speed. I’m really happy with it.”

If your cover is the most direct way consumers are going to interact with your book, it has to be as professional as it possibly can be. It has to sell you and your book, and more… it has to do it immediately. There is no middle ground where your cover design is concerned.

Our advice is to resist the urge to buy a ready-made cover from the internet or to use an online template based program which allows you to design your own cover in a matter of minutes. Engage with a professional designer and take your time when deciding on the finished version.

Remember… people DO judge a book by its cover. Get it right!

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CONTEMPORARY PUBLISHING MAGAZINE

Tribute to a Father As another Father’s Day approaches, it’s the perfect time to celebrate dads everywhere. What better way is there to do that than to write a book about their life? Kate Appleton talks to author Ron Cope who honored one of the most significant events in his father’s life with his book, Attack At Dawn: Reliving the Battle of Narvik in World War II. After six years of research, writing and tracking down various WW2 veterans like an amateur Poirot, author Ron Cope finally published his historical masterpiece, Attack at Dawn: Reliving the Battle of Narvik in World War II, in memory of his father, Cyril Cope, a then twenty-one year old torpedo man who fought in the battle, and the young brave naval officers men who stood alongside him and just in time for both the battle’s 75th anniversary and Father’s Day. Fresh from his publicity campaign, and a quick flit to Malta - to conduct further super-sleuthing and enjoy the sunshine - I caught up with Ron to see how he was feeling since he since he started working with Authoright on his book earlier this year.

Where did the motivation / inspiration for ‘Attack At Dawn’ come from?

From an early age I knew some of the background history to the ‘Battle of Narvik’ and the part played by my father.

Over the years having followed him into the Royal Navy, I began to to learn more about the part the battle played in WW2.

This was through the stories he had gathered subsequent to him instigating the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla of Narvik Association.

I knew he had started to write his account and hoped to have it finally published.

However, the ‘Association’ took over a lot of his time not only as the Honorary Secretary but also making arrangements for bi-annual reunions. As the ‘Association’ membership began to decrease, through old age it finally had to be disbanded in the 1990s. My father, sadly having passed away in 2003, left me his memorabilia and documents.

At the time I was still in full time employment as a Probation Officer, but I knew it was a story that eventually needed to be told.

So it was that in 2009 having taken a part time position, I decided it was the right stage to begin and carry on the task my father was unable to complete.

What was your strategy for researching and seeking out individuals at the heart of the story?

It was obvious that my father’s account (both audio tapes and written) although very thorough and extremely interesting, it was of insufficient length to produce a reasonable size book. So I realised I would need to do a lot more researching than I at first had imagined.

Hence, I set myself a two year project which turned into a six year of toil.

I had always thought the book should be

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about the men, in this case sailors, their experiences and to some extent families left a home. The search was on to track down as many crew members of HMS Hardy, or more likely their families. Initially, I found names and addresses of his shipmates from his ‘Association’ records.

However, the first stroke of luck came when I found a website ‘submerged.co.uk’ which had a specific section on the Battle of Narvik. Comments were left by survivors or survivors families and I was able to make direct contact by E Mail. From these contacts it was obvious that I had their backing to complete my book and finally have it placed into the public domain. We all had the same cause and it spurred me on to find more families related to this famous battle.

Why did you decide to focus on the social history?

The majority of families I received accounts of their father or grandfather, once I had a set list of questions, they were able to provide an immense amount of additional relevant information. This included education, employment before joining the Navy, size of the family, deprivation issues and humuorous memories. Basically, personal accounts of life just before the war.

I also provided a picture of life on board a destroyer at the time, the good and the bad. I tried to capture the reactions by the families left at home, on hearing of the battle and not knowing if their ‘loved one’ had survived or not. Finally, the emotional feelings when those fortunate ones arrived back to Britain and how they celebrated in differing ways.

What has been the feedback from families, including your own?

Firstly, my wife was extremely relieved to know I had finally finished the book, until I told her there was a sequel. But she was the first person to read the Kindle copy and gave me the thumbs up. Subsequently, it appears from the response that it has has gone down well.

There are many more ‘well done’ sentiments, but here are quotes from two of my father’s granddaughters. Caron,

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“Wow, that is amazing, Granddad would have been so proud. It was just as though he was there telling his stories again.” Emma, “So very proud of your achievement and cannot wait to hold it in my hands!”

What do you think your father would say if he was here to see the finished book?

I have had some strange coincidences, especially at times when I was struggling with the book. I believe he and may be others of his shipmates have helped me along to fruition.

Suffice to say on numerous occasions I have felt his presence. So I take this as being his emphatic approval.

How are you celebrating this Fathers Day? Probably a Sunday roast, unless my son and granddaughter come up with a better option.

Shame if there is not footie on the telly to go with it.

Why did you decide to self publish the book?

My aim was to have the book published by the 75th Anniversary (10th April 2015). I was running out of time so I decided to go down the self publishing route.

In the end Authoright also offered a speedy process. They kept to their word and the book was ready within three months, two weeks before the anniversary. In fact, what seemed like only days co-founder Hayley suggested a slight change from my previous ‘working title’ with the present result. Then the excellent design team came up with the front cover options, one of which was quickly sanctioned.

How have you found the overall experience of self publishing?

I wanted to be some part of the professional team and was willing to do my bit, being at home throughout and ready to go. So the advice is; let the team get on with what they know best and take on board their guidance.

What do you take from the experience now that six years of work is finally complete?

Once you have finished your book and decided to go down the self publishing route, yes, an immense amount of responsibility has been

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taken away. It has been hard work keeping focussed and disciplined but it is not yet over, until you have the final product in your hands. However when that occurs it is the one of the best feelings you will ever experience in your life time.

What was your must-have writing companion/habit?

I found I had to keep my brain functioning in top notch and needed to get plenty of exercise and fresh air. In my case, after forty years, I was still playing squash two to three days a week and on the other days spend an hour in the gym. Or as my wife Alison calls it “going round and round the hamster wheel”.

Once I have done my sporting bit I feel much less guilty to partake in my poison, which is a pint or two of a cold lager and lime. During which I am able to put in another couple of hours work in the evening.

In the early days I found it difficult to stop treading the keyboard until a piece of work still in my mind was completed. I now discipline myself and stop and leave till the next morning.

What’s next from Ron Cope?

Early last year John Warburton-Lee, himself an author and travel magazine feature writer, asked me how many words I had completed.

My calculation showed 250,000. His words later were, “You’re going to have to write two books.” Looking at this positively, I was able to easily do this because there were two Royal Naval destroyers out of five that never came back. As the focus of attention in the first book is HMS Hardy then the second is naturally about HMS Hunter. Utilising the remaining 100,000 words the book it is almost completed.

Going back to some strange occurrences, over a six week period in 2010, out of the blue I became inundated with families associated with ‘Hunter’.They wanted or needed to offer their father or grandfather’s accounts of their experiences of surviving the sinking of the ship. Some contacts were also from those ‘loved ones’, who were one of the 100 crew members that had perished in the cold fjord at Narvik. Perhaps once the book

is out it will give them a feeling of closure, knowing their deaths were not in vain.

Attack at Dawn: Reliving the Battle of Narvik in World War II by Ron Cope (published by Clink Street Publishing RRP £11.99 paperback, £6.99 ebook) is available to purchase from online retailers including amazon.co.uk and to order from all good bookstores.

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Spending A Year Some have called the idea of only publishing books written by women for an entire year drastic. For others though, the idea doesn’t seem that different from what they are already doing.

Josh Hamel talks to one critic who has dedicated 2015 to only seeking out art made by women.

Author Kamila Shamsie made many take notice of publishing’s diversity problem with her call for the industry to only publish women authors for all of 2018.

“Now that the gender problem has been recognised, analysed, translated into charts and statistics, it is time for everyone in our literary culture to sign up to a campaign to redress the inequality for which all sectors of the culture bear responsibility,” she said.

While the industry probably won’t stop publishing men anytime soon (and neither will any other creative medium) some have decided to take matters into their own hands.

Marya E. Gates is a critic who has decided to dedicate the entire year to only watching films written or directed by women and blogging about her experience. I talked to her about her A Year With Women project and why she thinks equal representation in the arts is so crucial.

What were your motivations for starting the project?

In 2013, I saw two documentaries that deeply affected me: Judy Chaikin’s The Girls In The Band and Sini Anderson’s The Punk Singer. In both films, the women who were interviewed talked about how when they looked for artists, filmmakers, musicians who reflected who they were as artists, they mostly had influences that were men. Upon reflecting, they realised that men were often the default taught for great art in any form, that they had to search to find women who had done what they were now doing.

That made me take a deep look at my own

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past and I realised that so much of what I was presented with growing up - in school and just out in the world - was art, movies, books, music, etc. by men and I got really angry.

So in 2014, I started in earnest seeking out more films by women and wrote about one film directed by a woman a week. About halfway through the year, I realised that wasn’t enough and starting looking around at streaming services to see if I really could watch nothing but films by women for a whole year.

What have you taken away from A Year With Women?

One myth I have definitely put to rest is that women mostly make romantic comedies.

Maybe within the studio system that’s true, but within the indie and foreign film industries, women are making every kind of film - from drama to romance, to slapstick comedy to surreal horror and more. It’s wonderful.

Women filmmakers also often tend to have a more gender-balanced cast, so I haven’t been overwhelmed by male-centric stories all year and that has been a huge relief.

What do you hope other people learn from it?

I hope to help people see that even though we may not be able to change the way Hollywood works, we can support the women who are creating films despite it. Every Friday I post what films directed by women are opening and where they can be watched. I’m even setting

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With Women up a database where you can find all the films directed by women on various streaming services like Netflix and Hulu and Amazon Prime. The films are out there and I hope through this project more people will take the time to find them.

I think I’ve gotten so used to female narrative voices that when I try to read a book that’s clearly by a man my system rejects it.

What’s the feedback been like so far?

It’s a radical step, for sure, but sometimes the only way to make something balanced is to go deep in the other direction in order to make it even out. People who buy books will buy books no matter what, just like people who love movies will go to movies no matter what. If there’s only one option, people will go for that option.

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

I’ve done a few podcasts talking about what I’m doing, a few filmmakers have even contacted me to say thanks, which is always delightful. I also have made an effort to watch films from a diverse range of women, and a few of people have thanked me for that. If I was going to do this, I wanted to do it right and not just highlight the films by directors people have heard of, but really show that all kinds of women are telling their stories.

Have you considered continuing A Year With Women through other mediums?

I’ve basically been doing it with books, too. I’ve read 36 new-to-me books so far this year and only six of them have been by male authors.

Gates says the reaction to her A Year With Women project has been overwhelming positive to date.

What are your thoughts on the proposal to only publish women for an entire year?

Do you think it’s important people are conscious of who is producing the art they consume and are experiencing a variety of perspectives?

I definitely think it’s important and I definitely think most people don’t pay attention. Early on in the year, I saw someone tweet about my project and said he’d never paid attention to whether the films he watched were directed by men or women and maybe he should starting doing that. If you don’t point out an imbalance, people won’t know it’s there.

I understand women artists reject being labelled as such, but at the same time if you don’t point out that something is made by a woman, the default thinking is still that it must have been done by a man. That’s the cold, hard truth. That’s why labels are still important.

Until there is no default in people’s mind and until we’ve reached true equality in terms of diversity, it’s imperative that we label things for consumers in order to force their awareness.

Once this awareness is awakened, perhaps then more consumers will seek diversity on their own.

Marya E. Gates is a film critic based in Los Angeles. You can follow her on Twitter @ oldfilmsflicker.

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The rise of Brazil Typically known for its beautiful beaches, carnival flair and success on the football pitch, Brazil is now fast becoming a publishing hot spot. Brazilian native Stephanie Winkler takes a look at the country’s burgeoning literary market.

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Having been the Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2013, Brazil has been attracting considerable attention to its publishing market ever since. While the country faces political and economical difficulties, social protests have led to positive consequences. Reforms in the educational sector as well as government incentives coming from the Pre-Salt fund all directly increase readership and a demand for academic content.

These factors paint a new picture of the publishing landscape of this South American giant. Traditionally being known for having a low literacy rate, the numbers start to decrease as a rising educated middle class yields space for skilled labour. As the importance of education grows, other industries, such as publishing, now have room to flourish.

This becomes evident as traditional and well established publishing houses like Globo, Sextante, Record and Ediouro give way to important new-comers such as Coisac Naify and Editora 34. Cosac Naify started in 1997 and has, over the years, been established as a reference publishing house in the art sector.

In 2009 it gained international recognition by being the first Latin American publishing house to co-edit a title with New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMa).

Editora 34, having a different mission statement as Cosac Naify, was founded in 1992. The first title published was “What is

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Philosophy?” by Gilles Deleuze e Félix Guattari and now, more than a decade later, have over 500 titles published.

Editora 34 publishes books that relate to fiction, philosophy, literary theory, social science, history, psychology, economy, music, poetry and literature. It aims to combine classical and reference texts about contemporary themes in an innovative fashion.

One of its most successful imprints, the East Collection, brings key works of Russian authors to the Portuguese language. The imprint not only focuses on breaking the language barrier, but it also brings to light Russian authors who where perhaps shadowed by Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in the 19th century. The works of Nikolai Leskov are a perfect example of an author who mainly wrote short stories and did not get the respect it rightfully deserved during his life time. For the first time, several titles of Leskov are now available in Portuguese and not only in English and German.

With new publishing houses establishing themselves in the country, it is no wonder as to why the government and other cultural organisations within Brazil are currently trying to promote literature and reading within the population. The Bienal do Livro and the International Literature

Festival of Paraty are some of the many events that take place in order to attract both national and international attention to the Brazilian book industry and all its aspects.

Although the country’s rank in the Index of Economic Freedom is relatively low, and education and literary still present a barrier to the growth of the book industry, the Brazilian government is taking an active role in trying to change its statistics. The Brazilian Book Chamber, or the Câmara Brasileira do Livro (CBL), also actively seeks to promote literature and reading across the country. The CBL was established in 1946 and it aims to promote literature and overcome distribution issues in order to increase access to books.

The Brazilian book market is clearly establishing itself on the international stage as a key player within the industry, and it is certainly preparing itself for the opportunities presented by the digital era by having hosted the Congress for the Digital Book. Poised for the digital revolution and open to change, any barriers to the growth of this market such as literacy, education, distribution or piracy must be addressed in order for the industry to grow to its full potential.

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CONTEMPORARY PUBLISHING MAGAZINE

Antique Ink As digital continues to make gains in the publishing industry, more people are turning to old books as something to collect.

Diana Rissetto interviews rare book purveyor Megan Scauri about how she got started and the growing demand.

I met Megan Malta Scauri when I was in high school and we quickly connected over older Woody Allen movies and the television series Road to Avonlea. In other words, we were both fans of old-fashioned things, and Megan would eventually go on to make working with “old-fashioned things” her livelihood, turning to a career working with rare and antique books. Yes, that’s a thing!

I sat down with Megan to ask her a few questions about her career and where she thinks the rare books industry is going.

Let’s talk about your background a bit!

You have a few Master’s Degrees from some very prominent universities.

Yes, I got a bit carried away! My senior year of college I suddenly had second thoughts about my career plan, which had until that point been to pursue a PhD in Linguistic Anthropology and study Italian dialects. I realised I didn’t want to go the PhD route, but I really wanted to go back to Italy, so I found a Master’s programme that would allow me to do that: Middlebury College’s School in Italy. While working on my Master’s thesis there, I spent a lot of time in the rare book room at the Accademia della Crusca, and realised that the part I loved about the research was the books themselves.

So once I got back to the States I tried to find a job in a rare books library - only to find out that you need a Masters in Library Science! So I worked for a few years in publishing, and then went back to get my MLS at the Palmer School. They gave me the option to do a dual degree with NYU and get another Master’s, so I said, why not!

What kind of background makes one suited to work with rare books?

I’ve met people from all backgrounds who work with rare books. Because there isn’t really one undergraduate major that is ideally suited to working with these amazing materials, and many people don’t even realise it’s a viable career option until after they’ve gone through college, there is a wide range of academic backgrounds represented. A lot of people have studied history or English. As an I undergraduate I was a double major in Cultural/Linguistic Anthropology and Italian Studies, so I may be a bit of an outlier!

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“ As more of our reading is done online, books become more of a specialised commodity, and old and rare books become even more fetishised as collectible objects.”

You could probably make more money going into another field. What is it that kept you working with rare books?

It’s my passion! A lot of people work in jobs they hate, in a field they’ll never like, but make tons of money. I’ve never been driven by money. I’d much rather do a job I love for less pay than make millions and be miserable!

Do you think the demand for owning rare books is going to die down as the years go by or will their always be a demand for them?

If anything I think it may increase. As more of our reading is done online, books become more of a specialised commodity, and old and rare books become even more fetishised as collectible objects.

Libraries collect these books for use by their patrons, this is true, but most individual collectors purchase the books without the intent of reading them. They are there to look pretty on a shelf, or to complete a collection. Rare books have much more in common with works of art than with cheap paperback novels.

Any fun/weird stories you can share about the job?

The strangest thing that ever happened to me was while I was still working in a rare books library. An older gentleman was looking at the manuscript papers of Lewis Carroll, and he asked for help. “Excuse me, but what is all this red sticky stuff all over the papers?!” he exclaimed. We quickly realised he had given himself a papercut and didn’t notice, and was bleeding all over the material. Luckily the material went to the in-house conservator and was able to be cleaned!

Can you tell us about a typical day in the life of the rare books world?

I used to work in a rare books library, and now I work for a rare book dealer, and my typical day at each job is vastly different. In my current position, there is no typical day! My usual duties are cataloguing rare books and maps, so that is my default work when I come in. But inevitably priorities change, and other things need to be

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done. A client may come in to look at some books, or I may speak with a client over the phone or email. We hold auctions abut every other month, so I may need to work on the catalogue for the auction or take photographs. I may need to reorganise books onto new shelving or move them between galleries. Every day is a surprise!

Have their been any particular rare books/ first editions that have made you feel a little “starstruck”?

Absolutely. When I worked in a rare books library, for a special event they brought out a copy of the Gutenberg Bible. This is the first book printed using moveable type (aka the printing press), and there are only 49 known copies in existence today - and some of these are incomplete. Prior to the invention of moveable type in the 1450s, all books were copied out by hand by monks and scribes.

Moveable type allowed more books to be produced at a faster rate than ever before, allowing the transmission of information to many more people. Gutenberg’s invention had a similar impact to the current digital revolution that we are in the midst of today.

You left the rare books library world last year. Do you miss it? What do you miss most about it? Do you plan on returning?

While I left rare books librarianship, I am still very much involved in the rare books world. Rather than stewarding the rare books collection of a single library, I now catalogue rare books to be sold to collectors and libraries. I look at it as helping a book find its proper home. Rare books libraries and dealers have a long history of working together, and it’s very interesting for me to see the other side of the business. I do hope to work in a library again some day, as working with researchers is where I really feel at home.

CONTEMPORARY PUBLISHING MAGAZINE

Mr. Helpful After working on a number of publicity campaigns for author and marketing expert Paul Georgiou, it struck me that his books - published through his imprint, Panarc - were primarily designed to help people, especially recent graduates and young professionals. Whether it was guidance in their careers or simply improving their communication skills, Georgiou’s books Report Writer’s Handbook and Adventures in Grammarland were brimming with practical support and advice. Curious as to what inspired him, I caught up with Paul to see why he was intent on being so helpful.

When and why did you decide to start Panarc Publishing?

Panarc International was set up in 1978. For many years we provided media consultancy services to governments and major corporations. Then in the early 2000s, I began to develop Panarc’s publishing capabilities. This was partly a purely commercial decision but also a decision that enabled me to explore the possibility of fulfilling my ambitions as a writer. Our first commission was to produce and publish a book on the history and development of Saudi Arabia. The book became a standard textbook on the Kingdom and was translated into French, German, Italian and Spanish. Other commissions followed and we produced a series of informational booklets and CDs for various foreign government ministries and

Transitioning from university or to a new career can be tough.

Luckily, Paul Georgiou is here to assist. Kate Appleton spoke to Paul about the success he has found in helping people to communicate effectively departments.

As time passed, I realised that I would be able to develop my publishing business and my writing only if I relinquished the consultancy side of the business. In 2012, we effectively closed down our media coverage analysis operation and, from that time, I have devoted all my time to publishing and writing.

Who from your own education or professional life pushed you to succeed?

I think I was born driven but that natural inclination was honed by my time at St Marylebone Grammar School which channeled a pupil’s natural competitive instinct into the pursuit of academic excellence. It was unashamedly elitist, driving those who succeeded to aim higher, and accepting that “the weaker brethren” weren’t going to make it. Five years at Oxford taught me something else. However smart you are, you still need hard work and determination to succeed.

Do you think it’s important that people share their expertise with others/young people and why?

Yes and no. Of course, if you have years of experience, which you have understood, analysed and distilled, you should offer such refined wisdom to any young person who seeks it. On the other hand, it is pointless and self indulgent simply to tell

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young people how you yourself succeeded. Why? First, success often depends on a large element of luck. Secondly, what worked ‘back in the day’ probably won’t work now. Thirdly, a large factor in real success is innovation. What’s needed is original thinking, not repeats of the past When and why did you decide that you wanted to provide guidance to others?

In the consultancy work we did at Panarc International we needed analysts who could read a news report, pick out the main points and precis the meaning in clear precise English. Although we recruited only graduates with good honours degrees, we found it increasingly difficult to find people who could do this. Some 20 years ago, we introduced a test for applicants at all interviews to determine whether, whatever their degree, they were literate, numerate and capable of reasoning.

It seemed to me there was a real need to ensure everyone had the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and reasoning before branching out into other subjects.

Tell us about the inspiration behind Adventures in Grammarland?

After having children I started to notice that the rules of grammar and punctuation could be a dull thing to learn and that in the education system a feeling of - the last thing you should do is to stultify creativity by being picky about the use of language. I believe that language is the most subtle form of communication ever devised and that everyone should learn how it worked and how best to use it, especially if they wanted to be creative, I was answered with a condescending

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smile. So I had the idea of a fantasy which would draw attention to the importance of grammar. I conceived a world of words ruled

by Ignorance, where the rules of grammar had been forgotten, a world where characters such as Misuse, Tautology, Verbiage, the Pedants and the Babblers were making communication really difficult. Our young hero Josh is thrown into this world and has to take on the tyrant Ignorance. He has to reinstate the rules of grammar so that the army of words can recover their sense of purpose and finally outfight and outwit Ignorance in a final cataclysmic battle..

Latest book is Report Writer’s Handbook what prompted you to write this guide?

In our advanced technological society, the vast majority of jobs require basic communication and computer skills, without them, it is hard to find work. Those who set their sights on white collar jobs and aim for managerial positions need to be able to express themselves clearly and succinctly in writing.

The Report Writer’s Handbook first sets out four processes which will help anyone to make sure their report is coherent: grouping. ordering, linking and structuring. The rest of the book provides advice on good practice in writing, pointing out the pitfalls which all of us are victim to from time to time. My aim is to help individuals and companies avoid the inefficiencies which arise for muddle or ambiguous writing.

For more information on titles by Paul Georgiou visit www.panarcpublishing.com.

CONTEMPORARY PUBLISHING MAGAZINE

Why Anne Frank Still Matters

Nearly 70 years after its publication by her father, the diary left by Anne Frank continues to inspire with the story of her life. Diana Rissetto examines how such a young girl has had such a large impact on millions of people for decades.

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Last year there was a new Anne Frank production in the Netherlands and they were advertising it in New York City’s Times Square.

Along with all the huge billboards for Broadway shows and movies was one with Anne Frank’s face.

I paused and looked up at it and thought, “Anne Frank is lighting up Times Square. She would have LOVED that.”

Since it was published in 1947, Anne Frank’s diary has been translated into nearly 70 languages and sold over 30 million copies. The story has been made into one big screen movie and at least five television movies. Every year, new books about Anne are released, some fiction, some non.

Over 70 years after her death at the age of sixteen, why does the world continue to be fascinated with the diarist and Holocaust victim?

Nearly twelve million people were killed in the Holocaust, and yet Anne is the only one everybody can name. Why is that? Why has her diary remained such a sensation?

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Several years ago, a friend and I connected on our mutual middle school fascinations with Anne Frank. We also both knew that Margot, Anne’s older sister, ALSO kept a diary. Margot’s diary was never found. As we all know, Anne’s diary would go on to become the second most wildly read book in the world (after the Bible), while Margot faded into obscurity, known only as “Anne Frank’s sister…whatshername?”

We decided to write a show on the topic, and it had its world premiere in April 2006.

Although our intentions were quite serious— we wanted to bring awareness that although Anne Frank put a face to the Holocaust, she wasn’t the ONLY face—our vessel was not serious. Our show was a musical comedy, told from the viewpoint of a young modern day girl named Min-Go Freidman. Min-Go was adopted from China as a baby and raised by a Jewish-American family. When Min-Go’s class puts on The Diary of Anne Frank, she wants so

CONTEMPORARY PUBLISHING MAGAZINE

much to play Anne, but is told she doesn’t, because she does not look the part. She is allowed to play Margot, however, since the audiences will only care about Anne. Min-Go questions why this is the case, and says that Margot was every bit as important, and perhaps Margot’s diary was absolutely brilliant, and the world would never know.

We were met with a lot of critics online. People heard “Anne Frank” and “musical comedy” in the same sentence and were absolutely horrified. Anne Frank, people felt, was an international treasure and somebody that should never be parodied.

We felt differently. Had we not had the upmost interest and admiration for Anne Frank, we never would have thought to write the show. Above everything else, we thought Anne had a great sense of humour and would absolutely appreciate our unorthodox retelling of her story.

Sadly, the collaboration fell apart, but I used parts

surviving the war and moving to New York— as a Christian. When Anne’s diary is published and becomes a worldwide sensation, Peter sees a copy of the book on his wife’s nightstand and has a nervous breakdown.

Annexed by Sharon Dogar is another story from Peter’s point of view, this time, it is told in diary form in entries that correspond with Anne’s own. The book was met with great controversy, with Anne’s last surviving first cousin, Buddy Elias, speaking out against it.

The book hints that Anne and Peter had an intimate relationship. Elias stated, ““Anne was not the child she is in this book. I also do not think that their terrible destiny should be used to invent some fictitious story.”

The Hidden Life of Otto Frank by Carol Ann Lee explores the life of Anne’s father, before and after the war, and into the

“I don’t want to have lived in vain like most people. I

want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death!”

-Anne Frank

of Margot’s storyline in my Holocaust-themed play WARMTH, having one of the characters work on the show and occasionally talk about it. It was my way of keeping the show alive and keeping Margot from dying another death.

It seems unusual that the publishing industry has been able to get so much “mileage” out of a 2-yearlong diary written nearly 70 years ago by somebody who died so young. One night ask, “What else is there really to really say about the girl?”

Just as my friend and I did, so many find different ways of expressing their feelings about Anne Frank.

Over the last decade alone, there have been numerous new books about Anne Frank.

Here’s just a few: I was particularly excited to hear about Jillian Cantor’s novel Margot, which reimagined what could have been had Margot Frank survived the war.

Moving to Philadelphia, she renames herself Margie and tries to forget her horrible past. It wasn’t the musical comedy we had written years ago, of course, but I loved knowing I wasn’t the only one who had wondered about Margot.

The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank by Ellen Feldman is similar in tone, this time, with Peter Van Pels

phenomenon created by her diary.

Anne Frank’s Family by Mirjam Pressler was released in 2012. The book contains numerous personal photos and letters found in Anne’s aunt’s home after she died.

After Auschwitz: A Story of Heartbreak and Survival by the Stepsister of Anne Frank was released last week. Eva Schloss’s mother married Otto Frank after the war, and Eva and Anne had gone to primary school together.

The title of this book, I thought, was very interesting. While the actual story has very little to do with Anne Frank, putting the household name in the title certainly helped Schloss’s big standout from the numerous Holocaust books released each year.

Yesterday, I was walking through New York City and saw one of the free papers on nearly every block, “The Epoch Times”, had a story on Anne Frank on the front page. It was about one of her childhood best friends. Anne’s picture was featured prominently.

Anne Frank is still making headlines, and she probably always will.

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From Page Taking a project from a published novel to Hollywood adaptation is only a dream for most authors, but that’s exactly what Tom Rob Smith had the opportunity to do. James Wharton talks to him and Jonathan Harvey about how likely it is for a book to make the jump and what an author can expect if it does.

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April saw the international release of Child 44, an action packed thriller from director Ridley Scott staring BAFTA winner Tom Hardy.

Based in the communist Soviet Union, the plot surrounds the relentless efforts of a disgraced military police investigator hell bent on finding and bringing to justice a ruthless child killer.

Confronted by both the cunning of the killer and the ideology-based rule of Stalinist Russia, the protagonist will stop at nothing to find the killer. But how do you find a murderer if murder doesn’t exist under the staunch communist doctrine of the 1950s USSR? The film is based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Tom Rob Smith.

Like Tom, we all hope and dream that one day a famous director in Hollywood will come along and make our books into a hit movies, but Rob Smith reveals that even though this was the case for him, his input in the day to day making of the film, including the script writing process was minimal.

“I didn’t have any creative input into the movie. The production company were very friendly and I was invited on set, which was a lot of fun but I didn’t collaborate creatively.”

The release of Child 44 in cinemas around the world hails the end of a what’s been a long journey for Tom Rob Smith. From starting out on day one in front of a blank screen, to the

To Screen

glittering world Premiere at London’s Leicester Square, the road has been lengthy; “The journey is such a long one, it took two years to write the book, and then eight years for the movie to be made and released. I was twenty four when I first starting researching the novel, and thirty six at the premiere. It’s been one of the best adventures of my life, for all its bumps and difficulties, it’s taken me to some incredible countries and I’ve met some amazing people.”

Screenwriting is a different skill to that of being able to churn out a 100k word manuscript for a written book; but how much crossover is their for an author to screenwriting? And what benefits do the well advertised academic Screenwriting courses offer anybody hoping to write their own screenplays?

In the UK prices for short one day courses in screenwriting very from £150 to £500. Year long courses and those at universities - those that suggest you will perhaps forge a career out of the subject upon completion - can cost anything from £14k right up to the heavy expense of £42k (London Film School). How valuable are these investments?

“I haven’t done a course, but I’ve heard plenty of

people say they’ve really helped. My only hesitation would be their price. If you don’t have much money I wouldn’t spend on a course, I would just read lots of books and scripts that you admire and try and figure out why you admire them.”

A writer who has made a successful crossover to screenwriting is Jonathan Harvey. Harvey regularly writes episodes for Coronation Street and penned the excellent TV series’ Gimme Gimme Gimme for the BBC in the 90’s. In 1996 he wrote the screenplay to his hit stage play Beautiful Thing, released by Film 4; Harvey hasn’t undertaken any serious training in screenwriting, but unlike Rob Smith, he once attended a three day course on comedy writing.

“I once did a very short course about writing sitcoms which was invaluable when penning Gimme Gimme Gimme; I think courses can be good sometimes, it’s good experience and you can get to make good contacts, too” Undoubtedly, the cost of a short three day course for Jonathan Harvey was well worth the investment.

Is it also a myth that best selling books that have

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only been traditionally published stand the best chance of being turned into great movies? A look at some of the big hits of the past 12 months quickly answers this question.

Still Alice, distributed by Sony Pictures in 2014, won critical acclaim as well as an Oscar for leading actress Julian Moore, having originally been self published as a book by author Lisa Genova in 2007. Later, in 2009, Simon & Schuster, by coincidence the publisher of Child 44, acquired the rights and the book became a global sensation before hitting the cinemas. Still Alice has to date generated $18million at the Box Office, and of course an Oscar.

Another gigantic cinematic blockbuster that, as a book, enjoyed a similar birth in terms of being self published to Still Alice was the phenomenal Fifty Shades of Grey. To date the movie, staring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, has grossed $166 million at the box office for Universal. Not bad for a book that nobody would publish in its infancy and like Still Alice, depended on the platforms of the self publishing world.

Often writers won’t be invited to be involved creatively with the production of a film adaptation of their works; sometimes they might. Famously, JK Rowling kept a close on eye on almost all aspects of the production of the Harry Potter film series and it has been well reported that EL James placed herself so central to the production of 50 Shades of Grey, that Director Sam Taylor Wood has pulled out of working on any further of her books.

Read into that what you may but it might suggest that sometimes, authors are better off stepping away from a film production of their books.

Publishing route-wise, the proof here is that good books, regardless of their origin, can and more importantly, do, make it all the way to the big screen.

Child 44 is in Cinemas nationwide and Tom Rob Smith’s latest book, The Farm is available in all good book shops.

Jonathan Harvey’s hit stage play Beautiful Thing is currently on a UK nationwide tour and comes to London in June.

His next book, The Secrets We Keep is out in August and is published by Pan Macmillan.

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While Tom Rob Smith (above) hasn’t had any formal training in screenwriting, he has found just as much success transitioning to a different medium as Jonathan Harvey (below).

CONTEMPORARY PUBLISHING MAGAZINE

#StephAndKateTakeLBF15 Even veterans of book fairs can be overwhelmed by the sheer amount there is to see and do in just three days, let alone first timers. Still, Kate Appleton and Stephanie Winkler braved the heat and the crowds to experience everything this year’s London Book Fair had to offer.

There’s a first time for everything - but no one prepares you for your first time at a book fair. When working in publishing, you just know that the first time you step into the slightly overwhelming bustling mass of The London Book Fair it is going to be a memorable one. Armed with a selfie-stick, (a lot of ) tupperware filled with energy boosting snacks a pad and pen, Authoright’s Kate and Stephanie took one small step for themselves, one giant (and exhausting) leap for their authors!

First Impressions It was an unseasonably hot day and Olympia Exhibition Centre, with its glorious glass roof, had transformed itself into a heaving green house.

We were excited to see what the big traditional publishing houses had to offer in their stands (and load up on free tote bags!). What we didn’t expect was to be enchanted by all the apps, gadgets and websites that have been created to make our reading experience even better! In between walking up to the

Mexico gallery with anticipation for exciting announcements but feeling disappointed due to the emptiness and lack of sombreros (or tequila shots) and getting more free tote bags (so many tote bags!) - at times we felt like we were walking around a mini high-rise city.

Basically, the only things we could see were at eye-level so the only strategy we could stick to was the rule of the maze - keep turning left and hope for the best.

What’s there for authors?

A number of our authors, the majority of whom are self published, had asked us beforehand whether there was any worth in them attending the Book Fair for themselves.

Kate and Steph, notepad and pen (that we got for free!) in hand, were ready to write down the 4-1-1.

In each of the exhibition stalls there seemed to be a lot of small tables and chats taking place but couldn’t really say what the chats were about - we deduced that everyone by and large was giving the impression of being busy and important when in actual fact the real business - agent and publishers signing deals - was taking place simultaneously in a room somewhere in the same building that you needed a password and a secret handshake with which to enter. We, unfortunately, were not cc’ed into that email so we had no idea how to get in or even where to go! We had our colourful London Book Fair badge, how could that possibly

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Mexico was chosen as the Market Focus for 2015 to highlight the country’s dynamic publishing industry and to increase awareness of its long literary traditions.

not be enough?

After a quick courtesy schmooze around the traditional publisher’s stalls, we ventured upstairs, had a lemon cupcake, and stumbled across the rather ramshackle ‘Author Lounge’ where various talks were taking place from the likes of Amazon’s CreateSpace. It must be said that this area was extremely busy and you couldn’t really get close to stage or seat. Because we were blessed with beginner’s luck, we managed to take a photo, talk to those in charge of stalls near the area and even check out the competition!

What really surprised us was how our attention got diverted (and fully held!) by the Technology Area which provided us with some interesting ideas and pause for thought - not to mention the friendliest crowd. It is worth mentioning that one of the highlights of our day was making new friends as well.

Interesting (technology) tidbits Maybe it is because we come from a full-on humanities background, but we were really keen on hearing what the speakers had to say in the Technology Lounge. Our favourites were: Open Books: With the heart-warming slogan of read first, then pay as you feel Open Books had us right after read first, or perhaps a little bit before. They are an independent book store platform and they allow you to pay for your books as you see fit. They allow unlimited reading and sharing and puts the power

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back in the hands of authors and their readers. As they advertise on their website, they can provide authors with up to 70% of net revenue sales and have them withdraw royalties on demand. We thought this was a really good idea perhaps to get some of our own author involved with for they also offer a visibility for books and their writers on their website. Definitely one we will be following up with for more information and the terms of working together.

Bookjam: Because we don’t play favourites, Bookjam also earned a special place in our heart. Bookjam has the purpose of becoming the world’s most charming ebook, and if they don’t succeed, we met two lovely Korean girls who sure knew how to be charming and sell their product!

But what exactly is Bookjam? Well, Bookjam is an ebook company that develops and distributes book apps for all devices (which is awesome, because not all of us have an i-something!). Their services are D2C based platform (that is built together with publishers) and they provide a revenue sharing model. With the BXP (Bookjam Extensive Publication) model they created, they have simultaneously enhanced ePUB technology as well - optimising layout, support and multimedia functions to all devices.

In a nutshell a dynamic app making service with which to build your own author app complete with your own bookstore. iShook: We were kidding, by the way, when we said we don’t have favourites. Of course we have our favourites - that is just basic human nature.

CONTEMPORARY PUBLISHING MAGAZINE

Kate and Stephanie meet the lovely ladies from BookJam, the platform that helps you create your personal app.

iShook, from what we understood, is an app that can only be found in the Apple App Store.

They are the first ebook platform to incorporate social media networks as a tool for ebook promotion. Are you with us so far? We were slightly lost with the aggressive business pitch but we persevered… The idea is to integrate social media platforms into your ebook reading game so you can have an interactive reading experience!

Though we were not convinced by the utility of this app, it was interesting to see how many companies are trying to revolutionise one of life’s basic simple pleasure, the reading of a book.

Looking to later in the year: Radio Times Festival After going to a PPC (Publisher’s Publicity Circle) event earlier this year I had been introduced to the Radio Times Festival : Televison|Radio|Books and then invited to their launch drinks which took place at this year’s LBC. Listening to the editor Ben Preston and their first confirmed author - Lynda la Plante - the whole concept and inspiration behind the festival (taking place this year 24-27 September, Hampton Court) is really exciting - promoting the knowledge that a number of our favourite TV and Radio shows are adapted from books.

The festival also offers author’s and publishers new and old the chance to investigate the process of transferring from the page to the screen and also the opportunities to pitch their own book for a future programme. So definitely one to keep in mind if not for this year but for next year as if a success is being planned as an annual celebration.

Frankfurt Book - Indonesia Following from the Radio Times drinks the crowds were heading towards to the Frankfurt stall - home to the Grandfather of book fairs elbow room was minimal the wine was plenty and after talking to some marketing bods we deduced that the theme was Indonesian books/authors so watch this space…

Three Word Review: “Bustling, entertaining and exhausting” - Kate “Too many selfies!” - Stephanie Conclusion We probably didn’t need the whole day there since by about 3pm we had enough tote bags to open up our own pop-up store outside and leaflets that had been thrust into our hands with little regard of who we were or what we represented.

The overall atmosphere was friendly and buzzing, if slightly high school between the exhibitors in the way of one-up man-ship. Would recommend if you’re interested in finding out new technologies or platforms in which to get your book out their and talked about.

Our experience has taught us that authors thinking of attending should always do their research before and have a plan of action.

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Published by May/June Cast Adrift

Behold Sarah

Orphaned and torn from his life of privilege, eleven year old Jax finds himself thrown headlong into a world of interstellar travel and tribal conflict, in the first installment of this exhilarating new science fiction saga

Sarah is fed up of growing old, has lost her enthusiasm for life and, if she doesn’t rediscover a modicum of meaning she will kill herself; and who would even give care if she did?

By Mannah Pierce

RRP £3.99 ebook

By Lindy Henny

RRP £7.99 paperback, £3.99 ebook

Authoright authors in the news Lucy Branch, author of A Rarer Gift Than Gold, was interviewed about her book on BBC Radio 4.

James Williamson, author of They Can’t Touch Him Now, chronicled the difficulties he had summarizing his story for the Help Adult Victims of Child Abuse blog.

Fatima Leite Kusch and Leslie Lewis, authors of The Athlete Mindset Workbook, and Elena Burnett, author of The Fairytale Formula, were all featured in the May issue of Hers magazine.

Antony Stagg’s book, If I Can Do It You Can Too!, was featured in the Daily Mail this week, highlighting he compelling and humbling life story of Nicola Rowe.

Becoming Unique by James Charles was highlighted by The Life of Stuff for the end of Autism Awareness Month.

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NEW EDITION CONTEMPORARY ISSUE

25,

PUBLISHING MAY/JUNE

MAGAZINE

2015