Category: News
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‘Dinner Detectives’ books to be developed for TV
Melbourne-based production studio BES Animation has acquired world broadcast and digital content rights to self-published picture book series ‘Dinner Detectives’, with plans to develop the books into a multi-platform TV and digital offering. BES Animation, best known for the children’s animated television series Kitty Is Not A Cat, will develop the ‘Dinner Detective’ books into…
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Full program announced for SPN conference 2019
The Small Press Network (SPN) has announced the full program for its 2019 Independent Publishing Conference, which will run at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne from 21–23 November. It will feature 80 speakers in 36 different sessions, as well as two book launches and the presentation of the Most Underrated Book Award. This year’s trade…
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Self-published books in the US grew by 40% in 2018
Self-publishing in the US grew by 40% in 2018, according to a report published by Bowker. In total 1.68 million print and ebooks were self-published in 2018, up from 1.19 million in 2017. According to the report, self-published print books were up by 45% for 2018, while Bowker data shows that self-published ebooks decreased by 0.82%,…
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Awards wrap-up
Journalist Hamish McDonald’s self-published book Reasonable Doubt: Spies, police and the Croatian Six was nominated for two awards in August: the Bad Sydney Crime Writers Festival’s Danger Prize (which was won by the podcast The Teacher’s Pet), and the Waverley Library’s $20,000 Nib Literary Award, which recognises the role of research in fiction and nonfiction.…
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Wattpad introduces new monetised program; reports rise in user base
Self-publishing platform Wattpad has announced a new monetisation program amid a 23% rise in its user base, reports Publishing Perspectives. In July, over 130 authors were participating in the Paid Stories program, which remains invitation-only. Contributors are judged on their ‘storytelling capability, writing quality, originality [and] personality’, as well as other factors such as their…
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Awards wrap-up
In the US, a number of self-published authors were winners at the Romance Writers of America’s (RWA) annual RITA Awards, which recognise excellence in romance novels and novellas. Among the 13 category winners were Elizabeth Dyer’s Fearless for best romantic suspense, Kennedy Ryan’s Long Shot for best contemporary romance (long), Susannah Nix’s Advanced Physical Chemistry…
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Self-publishing scam targets local authors
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) is warning local authors about an email campaign from self-publishing company EC Publishing, which offers to exhibit the recipients’ titles at the 2019 Miami International Book Fair. The ASA said Australian authors are being emailed about the scam, which has been around since 2013. The email claims ‘your book…
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BWF 2019 program announced; first authors for MWF named
The program has been announced for the 2019 Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF), which runs from 5–8 September. Over 160 writers will appear at the festival, which in recognition of the UN Year of Indigenous Languages will explore the ways in which Australia’s traditional custodians convey story. First Nations guests include authors Tony Birch, Melissa Lucashenko…
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Program released for Emerging Writers’ Festival 2019
The program has been announced for this year’s Emerging Writers’ Festival, which runs in Melbourne from 19–29 June. The festival includes the National Writers’ Conference, which is billed as Australia’s largest gathering of emerging writers. Running from 22–23 June at the State Library Victoria, tickets are $80 or $60 concession for a day pass or…
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Awards wrap-up
The winners of several Australian and New Zealand unpublished manuscript awards have been announced over the past month. Perth-based writer Rebecca Higgie was named the winner of the inaugural Fogarty Literary Award, worth $20,000, for her YA novel The History of Mischief. Higgie’s novel follows Jessie and Kay after they lose their parents in a…