Barnes & Noble to Become E-Commerce Retailer

February 24, 2010 – 10:25 am

Barnes & Noble CEO Steve Riggio gave the most detailed account of how Barnes & Noble plans to navigate the digital waters in his conference call discussing third quarter results on Tuesday. E-book sales at the company have “simply exploded” Riggio said and B&N’s market share of e-books on some titles is already higher than its share for print books. E-book sales have been helped by the release of the Nook, which Riggio said is B&N’s single biggest seller, but the company has seen good growth in e-books used across a variety of devices ranging from the iPhone to Blackberrys.

B&N remains committed to offering consumers access to digital content “however they want it,” and Riggio told analysts that the e-book market “is not a two horse race” between Apple and Amazon, adding that with its core technology in place B&N is well positioned to benefit from the digital boom. He called the sale of e-books the new growth story for B&N, one that could rival the 1990s when the retailer began rolling out its superstores. He said 2010 will be a “watershed” year for the company as it transitions from a bricks-and-mortar bookseller to an e-commerce retailer.

Its experience since returning to the e-book market last year with the purchase of Fictionwise has further convinced Riggio that the market will be more consolidated than the traditional bookstore market where it took B&N years to get its 18% (and growing) market share. He predicted that B&N will top the 18% mark in e-books “overnight.” While some analysts questioned the need for B&N to develop its own e-reader, Riggio said the device helps bring people into stores and that the retailer plans to invest even more in its in-store Nook displays. He said its booksellers will become “e-book evangelists.” Riggio said he expects pricing of e-books to evolve with the agency model likely to become the dominate form of sale and said that eventually B&N will earn better margins from e-books than print books.

Source: www.publishersweekly.com

Two Irish Authors Nominated For The International IMPAC Literary Award

November 3, 2009 – 3:20 am

Novels by two Irish writers; The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, winner of the 2009 Costa Prize and Netherland by Joseph O’Neill, longlisted for the 2009 Man Booker prize have been nominated for the prestigious 2010 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

Cllr. Emer Costello, Lord Mayor of Dublin announced today that 156 titles have been nominated for the €100,000 Award. It is the world’s most valuable annual literary prize for a single work of fiction published in English and is a Dublin City Council initiative, in partnership with IMPAC.  The nominations come from 163 libraries in 123 cities and 43 countries worldwide.

Dublin City Council will announce the shortlist on 14th April 2010. The Lord Mayor will reveal the winning novel on 17th June 2010.

Other books among the 156 novels nominated include The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas, winner of the 2009 Commonwealth Writers Prize: Home by Marilynne Robinson, winner of the 2009 Orange Prize and The Armies by Evelio Rosero, winner of the 2009 Independent Prize for Fiction.

Source: www.impacdublinaward.ie

British author Mantel beats Coetzee to 2009 Booker Prize

October 7, 2009 – 2:07 am

British author and bookies’ favourite Hilary Mantel has won the £50,000 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for her historical novel Wolf Hall.

Wolf Hall, set in the Tudor court when Henry VIII was on the throne but struggling without an heir, has been the favourite since the long-list was announced in July.

The Booker judges described Mantel’s latest work as a “thoroughly modern novel set in the 16th century”, but James Naughtie, chairman of the judges, admitted that the decision had not been unanimous.

He said a secret ballot among the panel resulted in Mantel’s book winning by three to two, but declined to name the book the other two judges had selected, insisting that all involved were happy with the final result.

He said: “We voted by secret ballot and I genuinely didn’t know who would emerge the winner. It wasn’t a unanimous decision but it was one all the judges were content with. It was a difficult decision. This year’s short-list was one of the strongest.”

Mantel, who was shortlisted for a Commonwealth Prize and the 2006 Orange Prize for fiction, has written several other novels, including the critically acclaimed Beyond Black.

She won the prize over South African-born Australian J.M. Coetzee, who would have been the first person to win it three times, and other bestselling and acclaimed writers, including Sarah Waters and A.S. Byatt.

Source: www.smh.com.au

Booker Prize 2009 Shortlist Released

September 9, 2009 – 11:57 pm

Familiar names headed the man Booker Prize on Tuesday including J.M. Coetzee, A.S. Byatt and Hilary Mantel. Mr Coetzee, 69, who will becoem the only writer to take the prize three times if he is named the winner on October 6, is nominated for Summertime. Ms Byatt, 73, who won the prize in 1990, is nominated for The Children’s Book. Ms Mantel, 57, who is nominated for her historical novel Wolf Hall, is backed by bookmakers as the favourite for the £50 000, or about $80 000, prize. The youngest author on the shortlist is Adam Foulds, 34, for his novel The Quickening Maze. Also nominated is Sarah Waters, 43, for Little Stranger. The winner of the prize, which is awarded to a novelist from the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland, usually sees greatly increased books sales worldwide.

Source: Reuters

The Platinum Bullet Revealed

July 30, 2009 – 1:43 am

Hendlin Books, in a remarkable show of transparency, has revealed the essence, if not the anatomy of its marketing vision today. Hendlin Books is set to ruffle many a feather within the publishing industry with this radical campaign. Focusing all its resources on its principal title for 2008/09, Überstar, Hendlin Books is perfecting the model for future releases and hopes to alter the paradigm of 21st century commerce.

Titled The Platinum Bullet, this mode of advertising draws from age-old esoteric principles. The Platinum Bullet deviates from common marketing practices by adopting a ‘less is more’ mindset. While other firms are bombarding their potential readers with new products everyday through social networking sites, advertorials written by bloggers, offline media and other online marketing strategies in the hope of cornering what expendable attention the general public has left, The Platinum Bullet uses universal laws of attraction to deliver titles to its readers.

Hendlin Books co-founder and Director, Vaughn Alaine-Marshall explains the rationale behind this bold approach, “Modern advertising is delivered from a platform of reason - well thought out strategies aimed at igniting purchasing impulses using prejudices already embedded in the marketplace. This has seen a neurotic emphasis placed upon market positioning and an almost complete dislocation from the purpose of the our industry. The Platinum Bullet allows Hendlin’s titles to reach the desired audience by disregarding current trends, by understanding that reason is the mind’s attempt at collapsing the vastness of the universe into a useable form. Marketing nowadays is the intellectual equivalent of squirting water at those racehorse games at the county fair - shoot the water in the hole and the horse moves. When reason is only one of our cognitive faculties, and a rigid one at that, why is it the cornerstone of most business strategies?”

While still in its infancy, Alaine-Marshall is putting it all on the line by using The Platinum Bullet. Hendlin’s test case is his debut novel, Überstar, ” Not all books are energetically suited to The Platinum Bullet. I’m prepared to put my baby [ Überstar ] on the line. It takes an enormous amount of courage and so I’m willing to be the example. I know Überstar is meant to be read and I know who is meant to read it. Books are not commodities, they are vehicles for expansion and change, and one of the major functions of The Platinum Bullet approach is linking the super-consciousness that binds us together to the conscious mind that exists within everyone.”

The Platinum Bullet is set to revolutionise the publishing industry. Überstar is the first adventure into Hendlin’s bold re-invigoration of an industry growing stagnant from the success of the past.

To read more about Überstar and Hendlin Book’s co-founder, Vaughn Alaine-Marshall, go to the Author page or to the official Überstar The Book website. Here you will find more information about this up-and-coming literary figure and his incredible journey.

To purchase your copy of Überstar you can go to the Hendlin Books Online Bookstore and order your copy today.

USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books List To Include Amazon Kindle Book Sales Information

July 22, 2009 – 8:48 pm

Beginning tomorrow USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books List will include Amazon Kindle book sales in overall sales rankings. USA TODAY is the first major book list to include Kindle book sales and in doing so will provide a much more robust ranking for our bestseller list. This list will run in Thursday’s edition of USA TODAY and online at booklist.usatoday.com.

“Since October of 1993, USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books List has provided our readers with a complete picture of sales in the publishing industry,” said Susan Weiss, managing editor of the Life section. “With the addition of sales figures from Kindle, we have created a more robust list which reflects the new platforms consumers and readers are using to purchase books.”

“We are thrilled to be contributing Kindle book sales information to USA TODAY for their comprehensive bestseller list for books customers,” said Laura Porco, director of Kindle books. “Given the great overlap of taste between Kindle customers and physical book buyers, the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books List is truly reflective of what customers are buying regardless of format.”

Rankings for USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books List are based on retail sales data collected each week that include more than 2.5 million volumes from about 7,000 physical retail outlets in addition to books sold online. USA TODAY’s list ranks titles regardless of genre or format, providing one of the best assessments of which books are most popular among readers and consumers each week. USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list has been published each Thursday in the newspaper’s Life section since October 28, 1993.

Source: prnewswire.com

Tim Winton Wins Fourth Miles Franklin Award

June 18, 2009 – 8:51 pm

Australian writer, Tim Winton, won the 2009 Miles Franklin Literary Award for his novel Breath. The presentation was held at a gala dinner at the State Library of New South Wales, Australia.

Winton said that this award has tried to do its part over time to stiffen the resolve and bolster the confidence of Australian writers and by honouring local stories and voices it’s contributed to the success our literary culture has enjoyed in recent years.

The Judging Panel wrote about the winning entry, “Breath is a searing document about masculinity, about risk, and about young people’s desire to push the limits. Winton is at the height of his powers as a novelist, and this is his greatest love letter yet to the sea, to the coast of West Australia, and a compelling testimony to the role of surfing in Australian culture.”

Tim Winton has published twenty books for adults and children, and his works have been translated into 25 languages. Since his first novel An Open Swimmer won the Australian/Vogel Award in 1981, he has won the Miles Franklin Literary Award four times (for Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and Breath) and twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize (for The Riders and Dirt Music). He lives in Western Australia.

The Miles Franklin Literary Award, is Australia’s first and most prestigious literary award. Established in 1954 with a bequest from the author Miles Franklin, the award was founded knowing that recognition was the major struggle for all Australian authors. The Miles Franklin Literary Award celebrates Australian character and creativity and nurtures the continuing life of literature about Australia. It is awarded for the novel of the year which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases.

Source: trust.com.au

Überstar by Vaughn Alaine-Marshall

May 12, 2009 – 9:29 am

Hendlin Books is proud to announce the release of Überstar. Written by exciting and controversial author, Vaughn Alaine-Marshall, Überstar is set to awaken fans around the world to this charismatic and vibrant young talent.

Überstar gives you a look at reality-TV like never before.The first hit in a three-part series, Überstar takes you behind-the-scenes of the world’s biggest reality shows. The stories within Überstar are taken from reality-show contestants from across the globe - people who have broken confidentiality agreements to tell about what goes on behind closed doors. Überstar examines the television industry, its myths and dispels the idea that bright is right.

The characters in Überstar have been changed to hide their real identities. Set in a fictitious reality-show, Überstar follows the paths of eleven young hopefuls as they compete for a starring role in a feature film. The Idol format is exposed in this hilarious and sexy comedy like never before. With over 35 characters, Überstar explores all aspects of the reality-television juggernaut making it a complete experience. This controversial and sexy novel goes to great lengths to understand the greater questions posed by sociology, the media and the quantum unknown – while making it an entertaining trip. This seamless story is a lucid multiple-personality giggling at our modern world.

“Anyone who loves or hates reality-TV will love Überstar. The stories are hot and steamy, the characters hilariously funny, and very, very real. I’wrote it for those people want sustenance in their entertainment. Information and knowledge shouldn’t be boring. Überstar is for those who are looking for answers.”

Vaughn Alaine-Marshall
(click here to read CareerOne article about Überstar’s journey)

Überstar is now available for purchase at the Hendlin Books Online Store and bookstores in Australia.

Hendlin Books’ Forecast for 2009

January 9, 2009 – 10:44 am

Hendlin Books owes 2008 a debt of gratitude. Our first year in business was filled with challenges, triumphs and growth beyond our expectations. In 2008, we established ourselves as an emerging force within the Australian publishing industry. Word had spread quickly that Hendlin Books was cutting-edge and bold; a firm willing to take enormous risk for unknown reward.

2009 is now upon us and we have our sights on another fantastic year. Hendlin Books is opening an Amsterdam office and expanding into the European and Indian marketplaces. Our future is bright, however the face of our industry is changing by the month. Here are our predictions of what is in store for the publishing industry this coming year:

  • The popularity of e-books will increase. By year end, nearly every straight-text title published with commercial intent will be available for purcahse on e-book. But despite the fast growth, e-books will still make up a tiny share of the market—no more than 2% of sales for most titles—and will contribute only a minimal amount to publishers’ bottom lines.
  • Sales of books in electronic form to public libraries will continue to grow.
  • Publishers will start acquiring specialized Web sites to get content for their books and to target niche audiences. By year-end, every major publisher will need to have an understanding of how to put a value on Web sites, because the old measures—namely, sales and profits—won’t necessarily be relevant and because the acquisitions will be smaller than what the companies would normally consider.
  • Christmas 2009 will be the first one in which sales of customized books, enabled by the Internet and print-on-demand, will become substantial.
  • Literary agents will begin to experience the same kind of consolidation that has hit other parts of the book business, as the shrinking of advances below the very top tier of authors and the growing need for agents to provide editing, marketing and increasingly detailed rights management make it hard for smaller agencies to bring in enough money to cover their overhead costs.
  • Publishers will push harder to publicize books through the Internet channels as print and broadcast media continue to lose audience to the Web, in particular subject-specific sites.

Hendlin Books acknowledges the trends and advancements in the international literary landscape, however it does not whole-heartedly believe in its legitimacy. Hendlin Books is in the process of developing a marketing strategy that goes beyond advertising. For the next twelve months we will be perfecting a mode of delivering a book that will transcend all secular vehicles. In 2009, Hendlin Books will be implementing a radical, transcendental method that does not attempt to win the attention of the public.

Hendlin Books Appoints Australian Book Distributor Peribo for 2009

November 11, 2008 – 2:56 pm

Hendlin Books is proud to announce that book distributor Peribo has been appointed to manage the distribution of all its 2009 titles throughout Australia and New Zealand. Based in Sydney, Australia, Peribo provides an integrated sales, distribution and marketing service to Australian and International publishers and provides excellent sales representation to the leading bookseller chains, independents, art galleries, museums, airports, department stores, discount super stores, library suppliers, gift retailers and specialist booksellers. Publicity Director, Jane Coffey (+61 (0)2 9457 0011 Jane.coffey@peribo.com.au) is overseeing the process and is excited by Hendlin Books‘ potential to deliver healthy sales and publicity.