Fast-Growing Independent Publishers, 2021
publishersweekly.com – Sunday April 25, 2021
Launched in 2013 to publish digital editions of out-of-print genre fiction from the 1960s and ’70s, Las Vegas’s Wolfpack Publishing reports that while revenue growth was steady in its first five years, its strongest growth was between 2018 and 2020. In this period, 90% of Wolfpack’s sales were books in digital formats. The company does things its own way, releasing titles weekly, president and CEO Mike Bray says, rather than seasonally. “We publish four to eight titles a week, both fresh stuff and reissues.”
Though Wolfpack’s list focuses on westerns, it has been supplementing its offerings with adventure, mystery, and historical fiction releases. And series are an essential component in its business model, publisher Rachel Del Grosso says, explaining, “When we are approached by any author or agent, the first thing we’re looking at is how many titles the author is bringing to the table. We invest in an author, not a single book.”
Revolutionary New Writing School May Signal the Death of the Traditional MFA Writing Program
prnewswire.com – Tuesday April 20, 2021
SAN FRANCISCO, April 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bay Area Writer and former Marin County Poet Laureate Albert Flynn DeSilver, Founder of Brilliant Writer, LLC, today announced the opening of his innovative new writing program. The Mindful Authors Accelerator goes beyond conventional MFA writing programs to offer practical tools for project completion, a supportive community, and lifetime access to the community and course materials.
"Many writers have told me how frustrated they were by academic classes or one-off writing seminars that inspired them but didn't help them finish that novel or memoir they've been burning to write," DeSilver said. "And most didn't have $40,000 or more to spend on an educational offering."
Literary Scammers are the Weirdest Scammers
insidehook.com – Tuesday April 20, 2021
Late last year, The New York Times recounted the tale of an odd case of impersonation. The article, written by Elizabeth A. Harris and Nicole Perlroth, recounted “a mysterious international phishing scam that has been tricking writers, editors, agents and anyone in their orbit into sharing unpublished book manuscripts.” Weird, right? Well, an even stranger scam has come to light in the literary world — though this one looks to be a bit more financially lucrative for whomever pulled it off.
Someone has been impersonating prize-winning writers in an effort to claim their winnings for themselves. And in a few cases, it’s worked.
Winchester Writers' Event to be virtual, says Sara Gangai
hampshirechronicle.co.uk – Sunday April 18, 2021
WINCHESTER Writers' Weekend is being held virtually once again after a successful inaugural event in 2020.
Originally planned to be held in the city in-person, director Sara Gangai decided it was safer to hold it online until Covid eases.
The event provides opportunities for writers to hone their craft, rub elbows with published authors and other writers, and meet one-to-one with literary agents for feedback.
Ms Gangai said: “Last year we had around 250 people take part in the event but this year bookings are already exceeding expectations as we have two amazing keynote speakers, including Diana Gabaldon, author of the hugely popular Outlander series, and Chris Riddell, best-selling children’s author/illustrator."
With no new edition of Writer's Market, writers are flooding to The Writers' Handbook
firstwriter.com – Wednesday April 14, 2021
In 2019, the publisher of Writer's Market, F+W Media, filed for bankruptcy. The last edition of Writer's Market was published the same year. It was called the "2020" edition, but in reality no edition was published in 2020, or since.
Janet Fillingham Associates rebrands to cement Weston partnership
thebookseller.com – Tuesday April 13, 2021
Literary, directors’ and composers’ agency Janet Fillingham Associates is rebranding to Fillingham Weston Associates (FWA), cementing a decade-long working relationship between agents Janet Fillingham and Kate Weston.
The move comes ahead of the agency’s 30 year-anniversary next year.
FWA will continue to represent writers, directors and composers in the fields of TV, film and theatre. Clients work across film and television drama, comedy drama and animation in the UK and overseas, as well as theatre including musical theatre and opera.
Wales' popular Wrexham-based literary festival goes digital with new chapter
leaderlive.co.uk – Monday April 12, 2021
Are you sitting comfortably, then we'll begin...
A highly entertaining programme has been put together for one of Wales' premier literary festivals, and due to the pandemic, is all available from the comfort of your own home.
The Wrexham Carnival of Words, now in its seventh year, has become a fixture in the literary calendar in Wales and the borderlands, attracting a broad range of well-known authors.
This year the festival, held from April 17-24, will be even more accessible, with events being broadcast online on the Carnival of Words' own YouTube channel.
National Centre for Writing launches Open Doors programme
thebookseller.com – Saturday April 10, 2021
The National Centre for Writing (NCW) is launching an Open Doors programme, with authors including Derek Owusu and Abir Mukherjee, exploring ways of connecting with audiences and reflecting on the role of a writer.
The programme will include an immersive play, new essays, interactive writing resources and micro residencies. Owusu, Mukherjee and Kerri ní Dochartaigh are among those who will create new work as part of the programme, reflecting on how the experience of the past year has impacted their writing.
Cork World Book Festival – 20 to 26 April 2021
thecork.ie – Saturday April 10, 2021
Cork World Book Fest is going online and will virtually welcome Irish and international writers to Cork for an extravaganza of books and writing this April.
David O’Brien, Cork City Librarian, said, “Every April, we look forward to meeting writers from around the world. This year, we’re delighted to bring everyone together in our virtual event space.”
World of Books joins with Society of Authors to launch £5k writing award
thebookseller.com – Tuesday April 6, 2021
Used book retailer the World of Books Group has partnered with the Society of Authors to launch a £5,000 award for writers to inspire progressive behaviour change.
The World of Books Impact Award will be granted twice a year to writers working on books focusing on social impact, sustainability or education. It will offer the winning author a sum of £5,000 to support them as they complete their work. The award criteria is linked to World of Books' own guiding values and aligned with the UN sustainability goals of Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action and Quality Education.
Applications for the first World of Books Impact Award are open from now until July, with the first award due to be granted in October 2021.
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