Publishing News Roundup Series: Books are as Essential as Food
by Maureen Crisp • April 22, 2020 • Follow
Published in News • No comments
During this worldwide lockdown, it is important to remember the physical essentials – food, water, and books.
Why are books in the essential category? Why are they so important? The reason publishing houses and public figures are pushing for books to be recognized as essential is because they are, in fact, essential. Being quarantined can affect the mind and body. Isolation from others has a strong negative effect on mental health, and reading has been proven to keep the mind active and healthy. That is why books are so essential at such a delicate time in our world. Take care of yourself. Stay connected with friends and family. Reading a book can help!
Book Love
Pic: Flickr Creative Commons Plappen– Bookshelves- (Interesting mixture here)
Another week in the strange world of publishing in a global lockdown situation.
The European Union Publishers are mentioning dire consequences for their industry and cultural life in general if governments don’t recognize that books are as essential to people’s wellbeing as food.
Meanwhile, Gardner’s book distributors in the UK are closed or open or in between or… The New Publishing Standard is scathing about the risk to their employees.
On a happier note, TNPS reports that Storytel’s revenue is up 45% in the first quarter of 2020. What are they doing right?
A New Zealand story that got some global attention was The Booksellers campaign #BookshopsWillBeBack. As we go into our 3rd week of lockdown we are looking forward to life on the other side. But what will the new normal look like? One thing is certain if we want to have our local shops in our communities we need to support them. Everybody needs to commit to buying local where ever possible and that includes your local bookshop.
What about writers…
The problem with high-stress situations is that writing often goes out of the window. Anne R Allen has a great post of writing in a time of collective grief– yes that is probably what you are feeling and why you can’t string two sentences together.
Becca Puglisi has some great practical tips on how to get through this pandemic when your kids are locked in with you. This is a must-read.
Writer Unboxed looks at productivity vs chaos and offers some advice on how to strike a balance that will help you keep your sanity.
Kris Rusch has been filling her blog with great creativity posts which are must-reads but I find her long term perspectives on the book industry really interesting as well. This week she looks at what she is doing to remain calm and focused. This is all good advice and she has some great yoga links as well.
Jane Friedman has an interesting post from Lisa Cooper Ellison on how to sustain your creativity in the midst of the pandemic. One of her great tips is Keep Showing Up. You never know when the creativity could flow, by showing up you are ready when it happens.
In The Craft Section,
2 Bookmark posts from Jami Gold- Storytelling Verb Tenses and Asking Why
In The Marketing Section,
8 Things to get your book noticed on Amazon– Penny Sansevieri- Bookmark
To Finish,
I was amused to see this Guardian article on the new lockdown game – Judging famous people by their bookshelves, then it occurred to me what was missing in my weekly skype check-in calls with other writers. I don’t have a bookcase behind me. I’m usually at the table with a messy kitchen bench behind me. I should be sitting in front of an erudite bookshelf. To do this properly I would need to rearrange 14 bookshelves. But then how do I make a decision? What books would you put into a show collection? The ones you think you should read or the ones you actually read?
Maureen
@craicer
(Day 15 LD)
(Day 15 LD)
About Maureen Crisp
Maureen Crisp has been writing her weekly publishing roundups for over seven years. She is a traditionally published children's author as well as indie-published. She lives in New Zealand and is heading the team organising the 4th National Conference of Children's Writers and Illustrators. She is currently trying her hand at writing a children’s book series if she can drag herself away from forever tweaking her Mars novel or obsessing over space.