PLE Review

PLE Review is a student blogging team consisting of three second year students from Loughborough University; Eddy Forshaw, Laurie Harris and Paige Thorogood, giving all interested readers the chance to learn more about the top topics within the current publishing industry.

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Amazon's 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime

Amazon has revealed their top 100 books they suggest should be read in a lifetime. 

It has been revealed that 65 of the 100 titles have all been written by UK Authors, including older books and well known authors such as 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit' by Beatrix Potter.

Children's books, thrillers, factual books such as 'The Diary of Anne Frank', and many other genres are listed within the top 100 list.

To view the top 100 list, click this link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/browse.html/?node=4656884031 

The list is designed so that it can build a 'road map of literary life' from 'childhood books through to modern classics'.

If you are ever stuck on something to read, this list provides the most essential reads.

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India's internet opportunity despite still being a developing country

India is still a developing country according to many reports, yet the number of individuals who have access to the internet has increased vastly over the last 16 years. 

Jayati Ghosh, professor of economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi states that "The development project in India is nowhere near complete – indeed it has barely begun. It is still a poor country", highlighting that India still has a long way to go before it can be considered a developed country.

Yet, this could be an important phase in the transition in India, because "India has about 120 million people online today—just 10 percent of its population. By 2015, however, there will be more than 330 million of them, making the country second only to China in the number of citizens using the Internet. That expansion offers India an opportunity to transform its Internet profile, to expand usage even beyond current projections, and to boost GDP substantially."

The number of regular users on the internet, it is important to note, has risen from 0.1% in 1998, to 4.2% in 2014, and whilst this has shown a vast improvement, it still emphasises the number of people that are not able to have internet access. The most common way individuals in India have access to the internet is through cyber cafes.

Therefore, India's opportunity for growth may be dependent on their internet growth, but figures certainly show a vast improvement over they last 15 years.

To read more on this topic, visit the following links:

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/high_tech_telecoms_internet/indias_internet_opportunity

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2014/apr/07/is-india-still-a-developing-country

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Data analysis priority for publisher's investment in 2014

Publishers will focus on the data analysis, according to the Association of Online Publishers (AOP), who believe digital publishers will prioritise data analysis, indicating that there will be a great investment to come in data management technologies and data analytics.

The figures that have been put forward, after the AOP Census surveyed 32 publishers who look after a total of 700 UK media brands are;

"58% of publishing houses will aim to hire data analytics personnel this year – up from 30% in 2013 – and 89% of publishers plan to grow their data technology investments in the next 12 months."

Tim Cain said of the survey; 

"Data has been talked about in terms of its importance for a long time but we are now seeing real focus dedicated to driving the collection, analysis and interpretation as it permeates every aspect of the digital business from content creation, to marketing and revenue generation. We can expect to see growing sophistication in its usage going forward."

Further information can be found here:

http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2014/apr/28/data-management-technology-publishers

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Yet another merging - NewsCorp has bought Harlequin.

In recent years we have seen the merging of many large publishing houses and today marked the start of yet another. Internationally renowned News Corp, the parent-company of HarperCollins has purchased Harlequin Enterprises from the Canadian Torstar Corporation for an estimated £246million and it said that Harlequin company, which will now be a division within News Corp shall continue to be based in Toronto, alongside HarperCollins Canada.

President and CEO of HarperCollins, Bill Murray stated: "Harlequin has built one of the largest and most widely recognized consumer brands in publishing with a highly focused publishing program for women." This is a big and obviously beneficial move for NewsCorp with Harlequin releasing over one hundred new titles per month and an estimated 40% of its revenues coming from non-English language titles.

Mr Murray added: "We are thrilled to welcome Harlequin’s management and staff in Toronto and around the world to the HarperCollins family. The Harlequin name and rich heritage will be preserved independently, with the aim to leverage capabilities to bring the book-reading public more choices.

Harlequin’s business has grown internationally, and will give HarperCollins an immediate foothold in 11 new countries from which we can expand into dozens of foreign languages for authors who choose to work with us globally."

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The Espresso Machine – Good or bad?

From our university lectures in which we looking at the print-on-demand (POD) revolution that appears to be a very likely potential for book production in years to come we learnt about the Espresso Book Machine (EBM). But how viable is the machine, estimated to cost £100,000, and is there a real potential for this to be the machine that will appear in bookstores across the country?

We at PLE Review have never seen a machine in person so when researching online we discovered one person who had, Nate Hoffelder, and he had written an article for The Digital Reader clearly explaining his reasons in why he believes that “Yes, POD is going to become more common, but the Espresso Book Machine will likely have little to do with it.”

The article for us cleared up any unanswered questions that we had and therefore we recommend that you take a moment of your time to read the author’s first hand experience of visiting a store that houses an EDM and his honest opinions on the future of the EDM. Read Nate Hoffelder’s article at http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2012/06/12/bookstores-arent-future-pod-print-shops-are/#.U2OuFBZjpUQ

Bookstores Aren't the Future of POD - Print Shops Are - The Digital Reader

www.the-digital-reader.com

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New advancements for Frankfurt Book Fair in 2015

Frankfurt book fair has announced that vast changed will be made to the 2015 book fair. Publishing Persepctives interviewed Jurgen Boos, the Frankfurt book fair director, who explained the reasons for the changes.

Most notably, Hall 8 will be closed in 2015, whilst the English-language publishers will be moved to the middle of the fair in Halls 6 and 4, as Boos states that "You have to bring people even closer to one another. As it is now, it takes 20 minutes to walk to Hall 8 and another 20 minutes to walk through Hall 8. If you want to meet there, it can be time consuming". Boos goes on to explain that "at the moment, the English-language publishers have complained that they feel separated from the rest of the global community and this will go a long way toward resolving this problem. The move to Halls 6 and 4  is simply efficient."

Furthermore, there are changes for Asian publishers, and for developing markets in Latin America, as well as the impact that the changes will have on German publishers.

To read the full interview with Jurgen Boos, visit the following link, which addresses all of the changes and issues in the 2015 book fair; http://publishingperspectives.com/2014/04/frankfurt-book-fairs-juergen-boos-on-changes-for-2015/

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Mills & Boon develop own app for reading ebooks

Mills & Boon, a romantic fiction publisher, have created their own app for reading ebooks, and caused a stir in the publishing world. Currently, Amazon, Kobo and Apple dominate the ebook market, and take percentage each time an ebook is downloaded. 

However, Mills & Boon have challenged this domination by the markets major players, and have created their app to "streamline the process from publisher to reader". 

Mills & Boon are banking on a rise in the number of people downloading and reading ebooks on smartphones and tablets, such as the iPhone, iPad, Samsung Tablet and Samsung Galaxy devices, and a decline in the number of users of dedicated e-reader devices such as the Kindle. 

Yet, the question has been raised as to whether they will be successful or not, as well as if other publishers will follow their lead into the ebook market. It remains to be seen...

To read more on this article, visit the following article on the BBC Website; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27131182

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Headline confirm autobiography deal with star Premier League footballer

Headline are set to publish the autobiography of controversial footballer, Luis Suarez, this autumn. Headline announced the book at their sales conference at the London Transport Museum, last night. 

Jonathan Taylor, Headline's publishing director for non-fiction, said that the publisher "firmly believed this will be the biggest selling sports book of the year". Indeed, Suarez is a household name within the sporting world, and this book deal will be a huge boost for Headline.

Suarez's career has been filled with controversy, so his book should be a must-read for all avid sports fans, with Taylor further stating "his career has not been without controversy. In his hard hitting book he will talk openly and frankly about the highs and lows of his career."

Indeed, with Liverpool looking to seal the Premier League title in the coming weeks, Suarez will be thrust to the forefront of the footballing world in preparation for the World Cup, and we can therefore expect a huge demand for his book. The book will be available at some time in the autumn, probably in time for the start of the new Premier League season.

To read more on this topic, visit the following link on The Bookseller;  http://www.thebookseller.com/news/suarez-autobiography-headline.html

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Mobile Reading in the Developing World

Digitisation has hit the publishing industry hard over the last few years, and this is not solely a positive thing for bookstores or independent booksellers who specialise in hardback books. However, digitisation is helping people from all around the world read books.

It has come to our attention that adults and children both are reading books off their mobile phones in developing countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana and India. According to the Guardian, 62% of respondents of the research group are reading more now that books are available on their phones.

Despite some of the negative influences digitisation has had on book publishing, it is great to know that people in the developing world are getting the opportunity to read books. 

As it is stated that books are scarce in these developing Countries yet mobile phones are plenty, it demonstrates that people are using what they have in order to increase their literacy skills, and this is extremely promising for children in the developing world. 

To read more on the topic, click this link:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/23/mobile-reading-revolution-unesco-study-phones-africa-subcontinent

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BEAR GRYLLS: New £1m Book Deal

Britain's favourite survival expert Bear Grylls has excited the publishing and book industry as it has been revealed that he is taking a further step as an author. Grylls is set to write a series of thrillers which will be published next May. 'Dan Ranger', an 'adventure extraordinaire' is the main character of the books, and Grylls will be using his rare found knowledge on survival to create an exciting set of outdoor adventure books.  

Bear Grylls is already a successful author, having written over 15 published books previously. According to The Guardian, the crime and thriller market was worth £97m in 2013, giving Bear Grylls a brilliant opportunity to market his books. 

For more information about his up and coming book series, click the link here:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/29/bear-grylls-1m-deal-write-thrillers-bond-bourne

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Gender & Books- what's the relation?

An up and coming topic featured on many book websites such as 'The Bookseller' is the influence of gender in regard to book publishing and the effect it has on the outcome of the published book. Here at PLE Review, we question whether gender in the Publishing Industry affects consumer's reading habits. 

According to The Bookseller as well as the popular newspaper 'The Guardian' there have been claims that the gender influence that books are advertised for certain genders is particularly prevalent in children's books. 

A campaign called 'Let books be books' has begun and has gained the support of multiple bookstores, publishers and authors including Britain's largest specialised book selling store; Waterstones. 

Books such as 'Usborne's Illustrated Classics for Boys' contained content on action and adventure, and due to the stereotypical title the book has now been discontinued.

PLE Review fully support the 'Let books be books campaign'

Do you?

The full article from The Guardian is found here: 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/16/campaign-gender-children-publishing-waterstones-malorie-blackman

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The first Waterstones to be opened since 2008

On Saturday 19th April, Waterstones opened a new store in Ringwood, Hampshire, in a move that sees first new store opening since Alexander Mahmut bought the bookshop chain from the HMV Group in May 2011.

The Ringwood Waterstones also boasts a café at the front of the bookshop, Café W, and is in a 32,000sq ft let of the town’s Furlong Centre.

Sara Thompson, bookshop manager, stated:

“We’re thrilled to be opening a brand new bookshop in Ringwood. With its gorgeous new design, innovative features and delicious Café W, our bookshop will be a real pleasure to browse, to enjoy with the family and a great place to visit with friends and catch up over a coffee.”

“This is our first new shop in a totally new location since 2008, which is very exciting”, Head of buying at Waterstones, Kate Skipper, said, “It looks brilliant and has a coffee shop at the front of store, which is a new format for us.”

We at PLE Review see moves like this within the industry as positive; and with talks of a children’s reading/interactive play area also in circulation, we hope that this will be the start of a new generation of stores for Waterstones that will encourage adult and child alike to visit bookstores.

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Author of Adrian Mole, Sue Townsend, passes away

Last week, we learnt of the sad passing of Sue Townsend, the author of the famous 'Adrian Mole' novels. It is now known, that Sue was working on her next Adrian Mole novel before her death, and her works certainly impacted upon the publishing world. Sue was a popular author, with a huge fan base and her brilliant work increased interest in the book trade.

Publishers from all over the world gathered on social media networks and on national newspaper websites to offer their condolences and tributes to Sue Townsend.

One particular article that is of interest is the Guardian's piece on her writing. We see throughout the extract, the impact that Sue's writing had on the publishing world. We, at PLE review, offer our condolences to her family, too.

Here is the article...

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/14/sue-townsend-new-adrian-mole-novel

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Penguin Random House Launches 'MY INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOP'

It has come to our attention that Penguin Random House have launched a new 'consumer book recommendation website' that allows author interaction as well as the recommendations of consumer's favourite reads. The idea is that of a 'virtual bookshop', and this highlights the new and exciting ways that digitally, the Publishing Industry is enhancing digitally. It was Penguin Random House's Digital Publisher, Dan Franklin, who reportedly launched the platform. 

The motive behind the concept of the platform is to encourage consumers, authors, and all lovers of books, to discuss and recommend each other with new and exciting books, no matter how popular the author or publisher. Readers can buy the books recommended to them digitally through a wholesalers which is linked to over 350 Independent Bookshops in the UK, which therefore also gives Bookshops a commission of 5%, leading to all parties within the industry benefiting from the new platform. 

Sounds like a great idea to us, and we cannot wait until it launches to the public!

A more detailed report from The Bookseller is found here:

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/prh-launches-my-independent-bookshop.html

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EXCLUSIVE

Interview with young author Alice Oseman, who has recently been signed to HarperCollins has talked to us about her experience with blogging, social media and how this and digitisation has affected her journey to success. Look out for it! 

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What are you reading this Easter?

Despite the detrimental effects that we discussed of the impact of digitisation on retailing book stores, PLE Review have discovered that the Easter break may in fact boost hardback book sales. According to the Bookseller, last year the Easter break encouraged book sales to flourish, souring up 6.4% in the seven days leading up to the 16th April. The spending at UK Booksellers increased by £25.8 million with children's book sales up 26% in the same week. 

What will you be reading this Easter? Whether it be recipe books for your favourite Easter treats or religious books to celebrate Easter day, buying hardback books could help to boost retail bookstore's sales!

The link to last year's Easter book sales can be found here:

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/easter-break-boosts-market.html

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Do you believe that with the merging of publishing houses, such as Random House and Penguin, the ability for unknown authors to get noticed and subsequently published is going to become increasingly harder?

Thank you for your question. We believe that the merging of the publishing houses could be negative. An article by The Guardian shows that it could have undesirable consequences for self-made publishers, and we agree as the merging of the two could lead to the rise of digitisation. 

The article is here:

 http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2012/nov/01/penguin-random-house-merger-indies

However, in the year 2014 there are many other avenues for unknown authors to become published, such as; Kindle Singles, in which you can independently publish short stories online. These stories are reviewed by human editors and thus ensure quality control. They can also be bought by anyone at any time. 

Read more about it here:

http://suekendrick.co.uk/suesbooks/publishing/kindle-singles-for-unknown-authors/