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Publishers Going out of Business

edited December 2014 in Writing
According to the Guardian 98 publishers went to the wall in 2013 (including Enid Blyton's old publisher) this was up 42% from the previous year and the trend is set to continue in 2014...

Makes it even harder to get a book deal I suppose - they seem to be blaming Amazon and the Ebook revolution but I can't help wonder if it's more down to publishers throwing huge cash advances at celebrities which any fool can see would never make a return - £5m for Wayne Rooney - Really outside of the Old Trafford faithful how many are that interested in his cossetted ridiculous life?

£400,000 for Pippa Middleton? really Penguin? What were you thinking - all she's famous for is her bum!! (oh and her sister I suppose but £400,000 for a famous arse??'

My last advance was £250 I'm not bitter - honest!!! I wonder how much I could get for my backside??

Comments

  • Well, I think in true TB fashion we'd need some sort of data to be able to answer your question.
  • I think it's more likely to be a number of factors, including those mentioned...

    While publisher remains small they are not having to compete with the big boys- who have financial muscles because of their size and influence.

    Once the successful ones reach a certain size they either get swallowed up and carry on as an imprint within a big name, or they go bust.
  • How depressing.
  • Well this link shows that Penguin and Random house have merged and are likely to produce some 500,000 books in one year netting profits of 2.6bn so 400,000 for a famous Ar#$% is a mere smack on the cheek.
    http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jul/28/penguin-random-house-merger-reactions
  • Well, I think in true TB fashion we'd need some sort of data to be able to answer your question.
    he may be referring to this article.
    http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/04/ebooks-discounts-98-publishers-closure

  • Well, I think in true TB fashion we'd need some sort of data to be able to answer your question.
    he may be referring to this article.
    http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/04/ebooks-discounts-98-publishers-closure

    It would be interesting to know whether there has been any change in those figures between November last year when the article was printed, and now.

    The Penguin- Random House merger was a big thing earlier in the year. By now everything should have settled and I've no doubt RH are in the dominant role.

  • Thank you Carol, it is all new to me as not been following anything about publishers until the last few months. So sorry if story is out of date; will try and find a more up to date article.
  • I always find these articles giving stats are out of date, because it takes so long to get the full details, so don't worry about it. They probably are the up to date as they can be. :)
  • Well, I think in true TB fashion we'd need some sort of data to be able to answer your question.
    I was referring to Datco's last question as to how much he could get for his backside. We'd need to see an image before we could make an estimation.

  • Cheeky!

    (Good idea though)
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