Fierce rights negotiations, a members-only elite club, lively panel discussions, and the presence of renowned authors and thousands of publishers from across the globe—these are just a few things that NYU publishing students experienced at the London Book Fair (LBF) and Publishing for Digital Minds Conference (PDMC). [Read more…] about “Christmas for Book Lovers“ at the London Book Fair
A sea of sheikhs in white robes and a moonlit dinner served from gold tureens on a rooftop terrace: that marked our last night in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, where four NYU M.S. in Publishing: Digital and Print Media students, Jessica Lei, Allie Levick, Kevin Murphy and I were fortunate enough to have attended the 33rd annual Sharjah International Book Fair. When we embarked on our six-day journey, we had no idea we would have the chance to attend a dinner presided over by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah. Nor did we know we would pose for a photo with bestselling novelist Dan Brown, who attended the fair and gave a keynote address broadcast all over the Arab world.
[Read more…] about A Book for Everyone: Students at the Sharjah International Book Fair
“We’re on the move!” proclaimed the signs all over the 2014 London Book Fair. While these referred to a new venue in 2014, they certainly related to this year as well. With all the informational seminars and panels and important meetings, the fair was a flurry of constant movement. And in the middle of all the hustle and bustle, learning and deal-making, were four excited NYU-SCPS M.S. in Publishing: Digital and Print Media students.
It was anything but the usual doom and gloom at the latest event in the NYU Media Talk series hosted by The Center for Publishing at The New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Far from expressing apprehension about the transitional nature of the industry and the demise of print, the four panelists—all members of the Center for Publishing faculty—discussed their excitement and optimism. Speaking to an audience of NYU students and faculty as well as industry professionals, panelists Ana Maria Allessi, Sarah Crichton, Bob Miller and Brian Tart spoke candidly of their triumphs and failures, and how they’ve used these learning experiences to improve their business practices. The talk was moderated by Michael Cader, the founder of the widely-read newsletter Publishers Lunch, who was similarly upbeat about the state of mainstream publishing: “Ninety-nine times out of 100, the story a publisher has to tell about their success in real numbers is very convincing,” said Cader. “I wish Simon and Schuster were up there telling how many books the Steve Jobs biography moved the first day because I think it’s a very powerful statement. I don’t think a startup can do that and I don’t think a web-only company can do that… There are still things here that established companies and experts who have done this for 20 or 30 years can do very well, and probably do better than anyone else.” [Read more…] about From the Publishers’ Perspective: “HTML5, EPUB 3, and a Little Merlot”