Paper mills have taken to switching off on days when electricity is too pricey. The card used in hardback covers is in short supply. British book publishers are in trouble
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskBut the war did not stop some books from doing well. A volume by a hitherto little-read author called Adolf Hitler, for example, sold splendidly. Despite being 500-odd pages long and containing chapter titles such as “The Problem of the Trade Unions”, “Mein Kampf” was an instant hit.
Not every author is affected: a new thriller by Robert Galbraith, better known as J.K. Rowling, is a 1,024-page whopper—and this week reached the top of the bestseller lists in Britain. But other books are having to change a bit. Pick up a new release in a bookshop and if it is from a smaller publisher you may find yourself holding a product that, as wartime books did, bears the mark of its time.
Changes of this sort can cause anguish to publishers. A book is not merely words on a page, says Ivan O’Brien, head of The O’Brien Press in Ireland, but should appeal “to every single sense”. The pleasure of a book that feels right in the hand—not too light or too heavy; pages creamy; fonts beetle-black—is something that publishers strive to preserve.
Some publishers are considering shorter books. Previously, if an author was commissioned for 70,000 words and filed 80,000, you’d not worry too much, says Mr O’Brien. Now, he says, “You might say, ‘Well actually, no.’…Because otherwise the book is just not going to work.”
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Loeb impressed by rising WRC star Loubet after Acropolis lead tussle🗣️ 'He has shown today that he doesn't need a lot of advice' Sebastien Loeb says Pierre-Louis Loubet has taken a “big step” in his WRC career, following the M-Sport duo's battle for the AcropolisRally lead ⬇️
Read more »
Rising Seas Are Going to Create a Huge Property Tax Headache for Coastal CommunitiesAs properties disappear, so will the property taxes they generate. That lost revenue could impact school districts and municipal services.
Read more »
The cost-of-living crisis in Britain is not just about energyThe rising price of food is also affecting shoppers, supermarkets and suppliers
Read more »
Books are physically changing because of inflationPaper mills have taken to switching off on days when electricity is too pricey. The card used in hardback covers is in short supply. British book publishers are in trouble
Read more »