The Publisher’s Post: Vol I Ed. V

Dated: 6th Oct. 2007

The Publisher’s Post is an weekly newsletter that contains information relating to the book publishing and book selling industry in India.

News This Week

Trade Mission to India
The Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies at Brookes (OICPS) and UK Trade and Investment is organizing a Trade Mission to India from 2 - 10 February 2008. The Mission is specifically intended to help small and medium sized publishers create relevant contacts and do business in India.

The OICPS and UKti-organised India Trade Mission will enable publishers to take part in:
- The Delhi Book Fair
- Orientation events in Chennai and Delhi
- A networking reception at the High Commission, Delhi
- Organised visits to publishers, distributors and suppliers in Chennai and DelhiFor more details, click here

Seminar on “Independent Publishing in Today’s India”
The National Book Trust organized a Golden Jubilee Seminar on Independent Publishing in Today’s India on the 4th of October at the India International Centre, New Delhi. More on this in next week’s edition.

The Frankfurt Book Fair

The annual Frankfurt Book Fair, the world’s largest rights fair, officially starts next week on 10 October. This year’s Guest of Honour is the Catalan Culture.

The Biblio Website has moved
The Biblio website has now been made operational with a new identity http://www.biblio-india.org. All account information including registration data, subscription details and purchased details will remain unchanged. For clarifications, do write to: web@biblio-india.org

IPEX South Asia
IPEX, the world’s largest English-speaking graphic arts and publishing exhibition representing all aspects of the graphic arts process including pre-press, press manufacture, post-press, converting and consumables, will be held between 24-27 October, 2007 at the India Expo Centre EXPO XXI, Greater Noida Expressway, New Delhi, India

BBC Buys Lonely Planet
The international travel publisher Lonely Planet has been acquired by an equally internationally minded organization, BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC. Founded in 1973 and based in Australia, Lonely Planet has extensive publishing operations in the U.S. and U.K., and its books are sold in more than 200 countries. Founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler will retain a 25% stake in the company, which will continue to be run by CEO Judy Slatyer. Its corporate headquarters will remain in Melbourne, Australia. Following the acquisition, BBC Worldwide has announced its intention to take the publisher’s 500-plus guidebooks online. Source: Publisher’s Weekly

Another One Bites The Dust
It seems like the problem of distribution of books by independent publishers is not an Indian one alone. Florida-based distributor Bookworld has gone out of business. Although they have not declared bankruptcy, the company is reported to be returning books to publishers. Source: Publisher’s Lunch

Pressmart Offers ‘Pay-Per-Use’ Service
Pressmart has announced the launch of “pay-per use” digital publishing software solution including an auto-archiving service for small and medium publishing (SMPs) industry in India. According to a company statement, this model will allow SMPs to exploit Pressmart’s New Media Delivery service platform and Library Digitisation Technology solutions for their newspapers, magazines, journals and catalogues and build new revenue streams without any added investment. Source: The Hindu

New Report Projects a Decline in Children’s Publishing
This decline in the US is attributed to the loss of “the lack of a new ‘Harry Potter’ book in the marketplace”. However, the cause needs to be evaluated from an Indian perspective. If it is a supply-side issue, perhaps, just perhaps, Indian publishers could step in and fill in a part of the void. The news item can be accessed here.

Books Gone The Netflix Way
Something tells me this idea was tried before (don’t know what happened to it) but www.librarywala.com is worth a look.

Book Launches and Other Events

Almost Island: A New Literary Magazine
Almost Island is a new literary magazine, edited by Sharmistha Mohanty, with Vivek Narayanan as consulting editor. Based in India, the authors claim to be “resolutely international in scope and conception” and “dedicated to distinctive, essential, innovative, exploratory writing, with special emphasis on the internal and the philosophical”. Each new issue will endeavour to publish a substantial selection of work as an introduction to a small number of writers. There will also be shorter updates to the issue each month. All texts are available both on screen and as pdf downloads. Source: http://readerlist.freeflux.net

In Words and In Deeds
On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi, 2 October 2007, National Book Trust India has announced an International Rights Exhibition on books by and on Mahatma Gandhi to be held at the 18th New Delhi Book Fair which will be held between the 2nd and the 10th of February, 2008 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The exhibition will be the first of its kind, spread over 700 square metres, will be divided into three sections, namely, Books by Gandhi, Books on Gandhi and Gandhi in Audio-Visual. A suitable discussion lounge will also be provided at the exhibition site.

The last date for submission of relevant titles/works is 15 December 2007. For further details contact NBT by telephone on 011-26564540/26564667/26568052 or by email at nbtindia@nbd.vsnl.net.in

North East Quarterly
The North East Forum (NEF), on 2 October 2007, organised a book launch for the North East Quarterly which addresses the issues pertaining to the north eastern states at Deen Dayal Research Institute at Jhandewalan. The panel of speakers included Amolak Rattan Kohli, former Governor of Mizoram, Group Captain Atul Chandra Barua (Retired) and Lt Colonel (Retired) Bhuban Singh. Several citizens from the Northeast participated in the programme.

The NEF is an advocacy centre that works with parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and media persons, academicians to inform people about the Northeast. Source: Indian Express

An American Witness To India’s Partition
Phillips Talbot’s An American Witness to India’s Partition (Sage, 2007) will be released at the hands of Shri I.K. Gujral, former Prime Minisiter of India. Shri B. R. Nanda, eminient historian and Chairman of National Gandhi Museum will preside over the function which is being held on the 8th of October at 6:30 pm at the Lecture Hall, Annexe, India International Centre, New Delhi.

Bombay Cinema: An Archive Of The City
Ranjani Mazumdar’s Bombay Cinema: An Archive Of The City (Permanent Black, 2007) will be released on the 12th of October at 6:30 p.m . at the India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi. The author will give an illustrated talk. Ravi Vasudevan of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies and Sarai will discuss the book with Shohini Ghosh of Jamia Millia Islamia. Source: Time Out, Delhi

Picture Perfect
This article in the Indian Express is about two books Nemai Ghosh’s Faces of Indian Art (pp 385; Rs 6,500; Art Alive Gallery) and Anupa Mehta’s India 20 (pp 215; Rs 1,200; Mapin), both of which “provide a glossy glimpse into the world of contemporary Indian art, with interesting anecdotes and rare photographs”.

Blogs

The Indian Publishing Story
K. Satyanarayana has been an avid blogger and has always taken the time to research his articles thoroughly. In his latest post, he further dwells on the book output of India while making a strong case for its increase.

Jobs

Ghost-Writers Needed on Freelance Basis
Those interested should email editorialservices[at]dogearsetc[dot]com with a brief paragraph of their qualifications and remuneration expectations.
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This newsletter is developed by Queenie Fernandes and Leonard Fernandes, co-founders of Dogears Etc. and CinnamonTeal Print & Publishing Services with inputs from various individuals, publishing houses, websites and blogs.

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