Byte the Book panel: How are indie publishers shaking up the industry?

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Our indie panel. Photo credit to Byte the Book.

Wow, it’s been a very busy couple of weeks!

First, I am so thrilled to have given my very first lecture ever, to the lovely Creative Writing & Publishing MA students at City University. It was a glorious morning, and huge thanks to Patrick Brindle the programme director, for inviting me along.

Second, I was also on a fab panel at Byte the Book: ‘How are independent publishers shaking up the industry?’ It was a warm event, brimming with good cheer and friendly debate – I had a fabulous time. Thank you to fellow panellists – Nicholas Cheetham from Head of Zeus, Sam Jordison from Galley Beggar Press, and Aimée Felone from the brand new publisher, Knights Of – for being so amazing to chat with, and to Emma House from sponsors The Publishers Association for chairing us so expertly. And, of course, double doses of thanks to Justine Solomons, who makes Byte the Book so fantastic every time, and invited me to be on the panel.

You can read all about what we discussed in the official, free-to-read Byte the Book report!

The Kindle – 10 years of teaching us time travel

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bbtwitter_400x400Last weekend, Kindle celebrated it’s 10th anniversary (that’s right, we’ve had a whole decade of eBooks now!) In honour of the occasion, I penned a little read-to-read opinion piece for BookBrunch that links together backlist, time travel, and the famous eReading device itself! Don’t forget to click the link for the full FREE article…

The Kindle – 10 years of teaching us time travel

On the 10th anniversary of the release of Amazon’s Kindle, Jasmin Kirkbride reflects that the device has taught us not only how to read digitally, but also how to sell books by warping time

When the Kindle was released on 19 November 2007, it sold out in just 4.5 hours, and went on to disrupt the book market with a power often compared with that of the invention of the printing press. Amid the panic that naturally arises with such drastic change, there have been a few genuinely positive effects on the book market. 

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The Cloud Loom published with Fairlight Books

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Fairlight ShortsHappy Monday readers! Those of you who keep up with me on Facebook and Twitter will know that last week I had a piece of flash fiction called The Cloud Loom published on the Fairlight Books website. I am completely thrilled that the lovely short story editor Urska took on not one but two of my stories, and am really grateful for her keen editing eye and enthusiasm.

Check out the site for the full story! And if you like it IRL, how about giving it a like digitally too? Likes, shares and general story chat online really help boost a story’s readership, and I would be very grateful indeed for your support.

Publication of The Locust Theorem

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I’m totally thrilled and excited to say that my latest short story, The Locust Theorem, has just been published by Fairlight Books. It’s online, it’s free to read right here, and is a lovely bit of sci-fi fun to get you through to the weekend.

The story takes about twenty minutes to read and follows Andy Anderson, a struggling geneticist trying to come to terms with the loss of his girlfriend – and if that doesn’t grab you, here’s an excerpt:

The first indication I had that something might be wrong was the day the builders came. They had set up scaffolding outside the hotel and, as Su was passing under it, one of them dropped a knife. It sailed four floors down, point-first, straight towards Su’s face. She looked up just in time for it to hit her. There was a sharp sound, like a blade against granite, before the knife fell to the ground and clattered away across the forecourt. Su was shaken but not hurt, aside from a light red irritation that bloomed in a line down her face.

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Do you read in Albanian or Dutch? 

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In the past week a very cool thing has happened to me: I’ve had two books delivered to my house that I wrote, but which are in languages I don’t speak! 


That’s right, Stress Less has been translated into Dutch, and Believe in Yourself is now in Albanian – both available now in local European bookstores. Big thanks to publishers Minerva and De Lantaarn for making such charming editions of each book! 

Gosh! 

DON’T PANIC has arrived!

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Very exciting times in my house at the moment, as Don’t Panic is finally here!

It’s a gorgeous little book and it’s was my favourite to write in the series so far, but I understand I’m pretty biased about this release, so here are some lovely things people have said about the other books in the series (she says, blushing and hiding behind a bushel):

“This is a little gem of a book! I didn’t want to put it down. It spoke to me in such a good level and it was exactly what I needed to read” – Thuong Le on Believe in Yourself

“The combination of natural warmth, positive energy and applied mindfulness along with the quality of Jasmin’s writing has created something very special. Especially in a world that is all about style, this book has genuine substance with a strong human message” – Amazon reviewer on Boost

“This little book will help give you the strength to beat the what ifs and worries” – @comiwat on Stress Less

Even better, Don’t Panic is stocked in all our favourite bookshops, and you can order your own copy as of today:

Amazon
Blackwells
Foyles
Waterstones

A huge enormous thank you to Summersdale for being such a joy to work with again – the team there really is amazing and so friendly.

Big love and deep breaths! x

BookMachine | July Publishing News Wrap

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Oh yes indeed, it’s that time again already: the July BookMachine publishing news wrap is here! Remember to follow the article link for hyperlinks and the full piece…

BookMachine_logoThis month in publishing news, it’s been all about the publisher’s best friend: the indie bookshop! The 2017 Independent Bookshop Week got well underway towards the end of June with the announcement of its annual Book Award, with winner Sebastian Barry praising the importance of independent bookshops and the culture they help to build. Publishers, too, seem to have thrown their weight behind this year’s celebrations with more gusto than usual, and the whole industry was set abuzz by hundreds of offline events and online by the lively #IBW17 hashtag.

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BookBrunch | Report on the Notting Hill Editions Essay Prize 2017

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Had a glorious, lovely evening meeting all the Notting Hill Editions folk at their prize ceremony – thanks so much for a lovely evening! Here a little snippet of the piece I wrote up about it for BookBrunch…

William Max Nelson has won the third biennial Notting Hill Editions Essay Prize, worth £20,000, for his essay, Five Ways of Being a Painting

The 2017 Notting Hill Editions Essay Prize drew to an emotional close yesterday evening at the University Women’s Club in London, following the sad death of the publisher’s founder Tom Kremer on 24 June, aged 87, just days before the announcement.

The ceremony was opened by Kremer’s daughter, Kim, who thanked her father for the legacy of the Notting Hill Editions Essay Prize. 

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BookMachine | The June 2017 Publishing News Wrap

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Did I hear someone ask for some publishing news? Look no further, because it’s time once again for my monthly publishing news wrap over on BookMachine! Follow the link here and at the end of the excerpt for full hyperlinks and article.

BookMachine_logoThis month in publishing, there has been much news from across the pond as BookExpo took place, with tweaks promised for 2018 to try to find the right balance between Expo and Con. The big books of the BookExpo show have been slightly overshadowed, however, by the continuing fuss over the size of advances being paid to American politicians for their books, including $795k for Bernie Sanders and former FBI Director James Comey is looking at a rumoured $10m bidding war.

In bookselling, once again author James Patterson has partnered with the American Booksellers Alliance for his Holiday Bookseller Bonus program, which this year will give even more ‘bonuses’ to individual bookshops in America. For one bookshop, however, no bonus is needed, as they just sold a first edition James Bond book for a whopping $22,500!

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Reporting from Hay Festival 2017

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As some of you may have gathered from social media, I’ve been busy-beeing away running the Hay Festival Twitter feed again this year. What a joy it’s been too: so many insightful, thought-provoking ideas flying around. Amazing to be there to help celebrate 30 years of Hay – I’m totally exhausted and completely inspired!

As well as Twitter, I wrote a summary of the industry news from the first half of the Festival for BookBrunch, and also joined the journalists in the media room to write a few Facebook posts for Hay:

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BookMachine | The May Publishing Wrap

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Roll up, roll up! It’s time to hear about the biggest publishing news from around the web over the past month, with the BookMachine May Publishing Wrap!

BookMachine_logoBig news from Amazon once again this month, as it hit an all-time high in the stock market and revenue from Q1 is up, prompting CEO Jeff Bezos to sell some of his stocks in the business for the largest sum yet. The tech giant’s Japanese expansion continues apace and they are widely considered to be “eating the world”, but all is not well with Amazon’s relationship with publishing. The introduction of a new buy button programme has drawn criticism from publishers and authors alike – including in the independent scene. What’s more, Amazon has this month announced and released a new book chart system, in which – perhaps unsurprisingly – their own books are notably faring better than anyone else’s.

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The final BookBrunch interview: a celebration of reading with Damon Young

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It seems fitting to end my collection of BookBrunch interviews over the last year with this blast of positivity and deep thought from author and philosopher Damon Young.

Thank you so much to BookBrunch (Nick, Neill, David & Tobias in particular) for letting me launch this new column of the magazine over a year ago now, and a huge big shout out to my successor Julie Vuong – do get in touch with her via the BookBrunch website if you’re interesting in being interviewed. I have enjoyed doing these interviews so much and will really miss them – big love to everyone who’s been involved along the way.

So, without further ado: Damon Young on his new book, The Art of Reading.

young_damon.jpgYoung describes The Art of Reading as having three strands: autobiographical, philosophical, and “vaguely” sociological. But it quickly becomes clear that his analysis of reading is going to step outside the box…

Define ‘reading well’
“What I’ve suggested is that the best way to think about ‘reading well’ is that there is no law. It’s not an easy universal principle, you can’t just say, ‘The way to read is like this.’ Our experiences and books are too diverse for that to make sense. We can’t even read the same book in the same way, let alone all the different books.” He cites the Bible. “Love of God’s a perfectly reasonable Christian response to the Bible, sure, but it’s not enough. There are so many different ways to read the Bible, let alone Nietzsche, and Jane Austen, and Henry James… There is no law.”

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The Penultimate Trio of BookBrunch interviews

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As you all know, I’m moving on from BookBrunch soon – but there’s just time for three penultimate weekly interviews before the final one comes out next week!

kidd_andrew(1).jpgCelebrating elite achievement and great writing, with Andrew Kidd, co-founder of the Rathbones Folio Prize 
“It’s in service of the public, ultimately, of people to whom books matter. There’s a difference between an elite achievement and elitism. We can get excited about the idea of excellence – by people who can do something beyond what we can do. Good books can do that.”

 

John_Donovan_thumb(1).pngDigital in the education sector, with John Donovan, MD of VitalSource
“There’s definitely a new breed of publisher emerging. There has been for the last 15 years. The challenge is moving your base from a print to a digital product, and the question is whether the digital is developing fast enough to counteract the decline in print.”

 

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Hay Festival celebrates its 30th birthday

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Last week, ahead of this year’s Hay Festival, an event was held in London with 5×15 to celebrate the festival’s 30th anniversary with stories from over the years. Snippet of my report for BookBrunch below, more after the link, as always. Thank you so much to Hay for such a lovely evening – cannot wait for this year’s festival! Get in touch if you’re going to be there too!

Elif_Shafak_hay.jpgLast night saw Hay Festival mark its their 30th anniversary celebrations with an event at The Tabernacle in north-west London. In association with 5×15, Peter Florence and special guests, including Howard Jacobson, Elif Shafak, Helena Kennedy, Cressida Cowell, Tahmima Anam, Sarfraz Manzoor, Hannah Rothschild, Sarah Crossan and Philippe Sands shared some of their favourite memories of Hay throughout the years.

From Sands’ small and comical comment about long lunches at the Hague that turned into an international media sensation, to Anam’s recollections of bringing Hay to her hometown in Bangladesh, the night was by turns hilarious and serious. Every speaker was unanimously enthusiastic about Hay, with Safraz Manzoor coining the most popular phrase of the evening: “Hay is a drug-free way to get out of your head.”

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Joining Endeavour Press

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AAEAAQAAAAAAAAYJAAAAJGZkYzdmM2JjLWVmNzAtNGNlNC05MTVlLWY1MmZhYTUzOGRmNg.pngYep, that’s right, after a year and a half, over 1700 articles, more than 60 interviews, and literally hundreds of thousands of words, I’ve decided to move on from freelancing and from BookBrunch.

As of Monday, I will be taking on the role of Publishing Director at Endeavour Press. To say I’m excited would be the understatement of the century – I’m totally over the moon. I can’t wait to join the fabulous Endeavour team and find new ways to work with all my publishing friends and colleagues in my new role.

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BookBrunch | Hot new American novelist Angie Thomas, author of bestseller The Hate U Give, on race, writing and resistance

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Once in a while, a book comes along that totally blows your mind. The Hate U Give is one of those books and everyone should read it right now. Even better, the author Angie Thomas, is a total sweetheart, absolutely bursting with passion. Here’s our chat – and you should totally check out the full article on BookBrunch – but you should also buy the book.

Angie Thomas has shot to literary stardom in recent months, as her debut novel The Hate U Give, skyrockets to the top of the NYT bestseller charts. Set to be published in 18 territories and counting – and already out here through Walker Books – the YA novel follows 16-year-old Starr, who lives between the poor Mississippi neighbourhood where she was born and a posh high school in the suburbs. When she becomes the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, she comes face to face with police brutality and systemic racism

After the intensity of the book, Thomas herself is a slight surprise: a generous smile, regular laughter, and a soft Mississippi accent. Her passion and conviction shine through, however, and she has much to say on publishing, on the importance of books, and on America itself.

The struggle to write

Though Thomas has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, it took her a long time to believe that being an author was something she could do. “For one, I never saw or met any authors who looked like me. Mississippi has a rich literary history, but most of them are either white or dead and I was neither! So it felt like it was something that I, as a black girl in a poor neighbourhood in Mississippi, just couldn’t do.”

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BookMachine | April Wrap: Publishing stories from around the web

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Here’s your monthly summary of hot publishing news from around the interwebs! Don’t forget, you can read the full article over on the BookMachine blog.

BookMachine_logoThis month in publishing news, there has been an unusual obsession with the smell of books. Not only did scientists pin-point that distinctive smell of second-hand bookshops, but the Guardian discovered what you can tell about an individual book from its smell – and why the scent is so addictive.

In the bookselling sphere, Amazon once again dominated the opinions columns, as their forays into bricks and mortar bookshops continue. Plans for a second New York City bookstore, and another in Massachusetts are underway, while Seattle has been tipped as the next Amazon experiment ground.

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The BookBrunch Interview with Karen Sullivan from Orenda Books

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This week’s BookBrunch interview is with the lovely Karen Sullivan from Orenda Books – don’t forget to click the link for the full article!

Jasmin Kirkbride talks to Karen Sullivan of Orenda Books about the slush pile, the frisson of finding the right book, advances, and giving attention to everything on the list

Two and a half years on from its launch, Orenda Books is going from strength to strength. Run by its founder, Karen Sullivan, Orenda publishes literary fiction, as well as “the high end of genre fiction”, with an emphasis on crime and thrillers. About half the list is translated fiction, and Sullivan is always keen to push the boundaries.

Striking out alone
Though Sullivan started in publishing at Sidgwick & Jackson, working her way up to commissioning editor, for much of her career she has written books on parenting. As her own children got older, she took what was supposed to be a one-day-a-week job at a small publisher; it turned into 15 months of non-stop work when it became clear all was not well with the business.

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Blazing the trail with BookBrunch

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This week for the BookBrunch interview, I chatted with three of this year’s Trailblazer Award winners, Anna Russo, Heather McDaid, and Željka Maroševic. Check out the excerpt below or follow this link for the full article.

Two months on from the second annual Trailblazers Awards, organised by London Book Fair (LBF) and the Society of Young Publishers (SYP), we catch up with three of the five Trailblazer winners – Anna Russo, Željka Maroševic and Heather McDaid – to find out what they’ve been up to and their plans for the future. They provide a snapshot of an industry, not just expanding outside London, but around the world

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