Publishers Lunch has two new editions in its free Buzz Books series, buzzed about as the first and best place for passionate readers and publishing insiders to discover and sample some of the most acclaimed books of the year, before they are published. Substantial excerpts from 65 of the most anticipated books coming this spring and summer are gathered in two new ebooks, BUZZ BOOKS 2015: Spring/Summer and BUZZ BOOKS 2015: Young Adult Spring, offered in consumer and trade editions (adult and YA). All are available free through NetGalley.
Book lovers get an early first look at books from actress and activist Maria Bello, \"Morning Joe\" co-host and bestselling author Mika Brzezinski, NPR/Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon, and bestselling fiction writers Dennis Lehane, Ann Packer, Ian Caldwell, and Neal Stephenson, among others. Highly touted debuts include Leslie Parry’s Church of Marvels, Erika Swyler’s The Book of Speculation, J. Ryan Stradal’s Kitchens of the Great Midwest, Christopher Robinson and Gavin Kovite’s War Of The Encyclopaedists, and Jessica Knoll’s Luckiest Girl Alive. From inside publishing, there’s Jonathan Galassi’s debut novel Muse, and George Hodgman’s memoir Bettyville.
The YA edition features the latest from Sarah Dessen, David Levithan, Barry Lyga, and Michael Buckley, plus renowned middle-grade authors including Newbery winner Rebecca Stead and Louis Sachar. There’s Alice Hoffman’s Nightbird, her first novel for this age range. We also get a first look at YA debut authors Margo Rabb, Maria Dahvana Headley, plus Paige McKenzie’s The Haunting of Sunshine Girl (adapted from the web series of the same name and already in development as a film from the Weinstein Company) and Sabaa Tahir’s debut An Ember In the Ashes (already sold to Paramount Pictures in a major deal).
Fourteen of the adult titles featured in last year’s Buzz Books 2014 were named to one or more major \"Best Books of 2014\" lists, and 18 became bestsellers. Of the 28 books published to date and previewed in the 2014 Fall/Winter edition, 19 have made \"best of the month/year\" lists and nine are New York Times bestsellers.
Self-Published Books on the Rise...
It's another busy busy week so light on the blogging, but I wanted to get a link up to this GalleyCat post especially for the writers who came to see me speak on Saturday at the Carnegie Center in Lexington.
We talked a lot about self publishing (there were many questions about it), so here's an interesting stat from Bowker via
GalleyCat:
According to the bibliographic company Bowker, 285,394 new books were published by print-on-demand companies last year--a 132 percent increase compared to 2007. In contrast, U.S. publishers put out 275,232 new books and editions in 2008--a 3.2 percent drop compared to the year before.
In case you don't have your calculator handy, that's a total of 560,626 books published in 2008.
This was also reported on in
Publishers Lunch with the headline "On Demand Books Overtake Traditional Titles for the First Time."
News on Egmont USA...
Today Publishers Lunch reports editions to the editorial staff at the recently established Egmont USA:
Egmont USA announced new hires including Greg Ferguson as editor (he was at Harper Children's) and Nico Medina as managing editor (he was at Viking Children's). The company has acquired 15 titles for their launch list, starting in fall 2009.
Below is the recently created listing with information provided by Elizabeth Law. (Egmont did not make the 2009 CWIM, but will appear in the 2010 edition):
EGMONT USA 443 Park Ave South, New York NY 10016. Estab. 2008. The Egmont Group was founded in 1878. (212)685-0102. Website:
www.egmont-us.com.
Acquisitions: Elizabeth Law (VP & Publisher), Regina Griffin (Executive Editor). Publishes 5 picture books/year; 5 young readers/year; 20 middle readers/year; 20 young adult/year. 25% of books by first-time authors. "Egmont USA publishes quality commercial fiction. We are committed to editorial excellence and to providing first rate care for our authors. Our motto is that we turn writers in authors and children into passionate readers."
Fiction Picture books: animal, concept, contemporary, humor, multicultural. Young Readers: adventure, animal, contemporary, humor, multicultural. Middle Readers: adventure, animal, contemporary, fantasy, humor, multicultural, problem novels, science fiction, special needs. Young Adults/Teens: adventure, animal, contemporary, humor, multicultural, problem novels, science fiction, special needs. Upcoming titles:
Leaving the Belleweathers, by Kristen Venuti (Fall 09);
Back, by Julia Keller (Fall 09);
The Cinderella Society, (Spring 2010).
How to Contact/Writers Only interested in agented material. Fiction: Query. Responds to queries in 4 weeks; mss in 6 weeks. Publishes a book 18 months after acceptance. Will consider e-mail submissions.
Illustration Only interested in agented in material. Works with 5 illustrators/year. Uses both color and b&w. Illustrations only: Query with samples. Contact: Alison Weiss, Editorial Assistant. Responds only if interested. Samples are not returned.
Terms Pays authors royalties based on retail price. Pays illustrators royalties.
i am going back and forth on this.
At some point many writer's SURELY consider this. After they buy the perfect SHOES, of course...
writers.
THAT'S what I meant.
damn.
Seems to emphasize the difference between being published and making sales, though from what I've heard, it's getting to be just as hard to make sales either way.
I have 1 Y/A novel published through a small traditional press and 6 with Infinity Publishing, a POD that is very pro-author. I make SO much more profit/commission on my POD books enabling me to donate more to schools, libraries and fundraisers. For all my marketing efforts, why shouldn't I receive a better return on my investment? http://www.SharonMiner.com
I am so glad to see POD is on the rise. My first book, OLivia's Magic Conch is now out there because I had two years of being overlooked by traditional publishing houses. I say "overlooked" because I believe you cannot be rejected if no one accepts your manuscript because their quota for unknowns has been met for the year. I shopped around to be sure I own all rights and went with Xlibris. While it is difficult to get publicity on your own, I will not give up. My book is right in tune with many issues today and is a fable for middlegrade and up. Fables are ageless, this one is eco-marine friendly and educational as well. I believe it will awaken the curiosity in those who show no awareness to the problems surrounding the coastal areas by keeping our beaches and oceans clean, so I took the plunge and invested my money and will market it with the hope a publisher will hop on board. Thank you for your article. I feel even better about it now.
P.A.Zimmerman www.oliviasmagicconch.com
I am so glad to see POD is on the rise. My first book, OLivia's Magic Conch is now out there because I had two years of being overlooked by traditional publishing houses. I say "overlooked" because I believe you cannot be rejected if no one accepts your manuscript because their quota for unknowns has been met for the year. I shopped around to be sure I own all rights and went with Xlibris. While it is difficult to get publicity on your own, I will not give up. My book is right in tune with many issues today and is a fable for middlegrade and up. Fables are ageless, this one is eco-marine friendly and educational as well. I believe it will awaken the curiosity in those who show no awareness to the problems surrounding the coastal areas by keeping our beaches and oceans clean, so I took the plunge and invested my money and will market it with the hope a publisher will hop on board. Thank you for your article. I feel even better about it now.
P.A.Zimmerman www.oliviasmagicconch.com