Compass Points 51

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

Compass Points is now back from holiday – and hopes that anyone else who has managed to have a bit of a break this summer has thoroughly enjoyed themselves! Firstly, let’s have a bit of a round up of all the publicity that’s been happening the last few weeks. In fact, I’ll tell you what, let’s do it the other way round. You tell me what the big news stories are at the moment – and I’ll tell you how you can sell more books off the back of them.

Number one: the royal baby. Ahhhhh bless. I cannot tell you how many articles I have read where Prince William’s fatherly techniques have been linked to his military career – all attributed of course to his recent reading of Commando Dad by Neil Sinclair (978-1849532617) published by Summersdale. 

The latest piece of publicity on this was a double page spread this week in the Sun newspaper – but there have been loads of articles about it over the summer – Commando Dad is now the number one Amazon parenting bestseller – do not let them get all the sales – display this title, and it will sell!

And if you like royal baby stuff then have a look at this entertaining ten minute film on YouTube showing how the US broke the news of little George’s arrival!

And while we’re on the subject of royalty – what about all the publicity that William and Kate’s black cocker spaniel Lupo is getting! Featuring in latest photos of the new heir to the throne – he’s clearly almost as important to Prince William as his new baby son!  But as we can see in Reigning Cats and Dogs: Royalty and Their Animals by Brian Hoey; this affection for the royal pets is clearly nothing new. 

The Royals say they can do without many things, but not their animals. For countless monarchs and their consorts, cats, dogs, horses, even the occasional parrot, have acted as constant, faithful companions, unquestioning allies and surrogate children for generations. The only time The Queen and Princess Anne have been known to shed tears in public was when one of their favourite horses died. And Her Majesty’s corgis, the most disliked creatures at Court, even have their own ‘Royal’ cemeteries in all the Royal residences and each has its own ‘mini palace’ immediately outside their mistress’s sitting room in Buckingham Palace. Members of the Royal Family, from The Queen to her youngest grandchild, are taught to ride almost as soon as they can walk and, even at the age of eighty-six, Her Majesty still rides every weekend at Windsor. This engrossing book traces the fascination of the Royals with their animals with intimate details of each of the present and early members of the family’s favourite pets, with anecdotes relating to each of them and their idiosyncrasies. Reigning Cats and Dogs makes essential reading and will be the ideal Christmas gift book for both Royal watchers and pet lovers alike. Brian Hoey has been a writer and broadcaster for over forty years, covering countless Royal events, including the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 and Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997. He has written over twenty-five books, including Not in Front of the Corgis. All the recent photos of William and Kate with Lupo are an absolute gift for the publicity for this title – it’s a fully illustrated hardback published in September by The Robson Press and you can find out more and order it here.

Number two big summer news story?  – those drug smuggling girls I think.  And here the book that’s getting all the additional publicity is Passport to Hell: How I Survived Sadistic Prison Guards and Hardened Criminals in Spain’s Toughest Prisons by Terry Daniels. Published by Summersdale (978-1849533447) this book had a big two page interview last week with Terry about her experience of being accused of drug smuggling in The Express which you can read here. A good plug for Passport to Hell accompanies this piece – and there will be more from Terry Daniels to come – this story is not going anywhere – bit like those girls really.

Something else much in the news at present is (I’m afraid) the start of the new footie season. If this is something that gets your motor running, then you can watch a full 45 minute preview of the new 2013/2014 season from Sky Sports on YouTube here. Now, I wonder who are the only team to have won the Premier League, the FA Cup and Champions League in a single season? Well, of course that would be Manchester United – and this year the fans can celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of their team’s triumph. The Promised Land: Man United’s Historic Treble by Daniel Harris is the first book that details Manchester United’s that winning season in 1998-99. Whether that makes it the finest of all time is open to debate, but what is not is the status of the season: it is, simply and incontrovertibly, the finest ever enjoyed by an English team. And yet it’s not the success that’s truly extraordinary, but the glory. The season featured astounding football, exceptional competition, staggering determination, ceaseless dramatic tension and astonishing plot twists, performed by a cast of fascinating, iconic characters. It encompassed the entire gamut of joy and narrative that makes football, sport and life so compelling. The Promised Land relives those breathless moments on a month-by-month basis, delving into the training ground, the dressing room, into the minds of the players, management and coaches, and out onto the pitch with what was a special team, and the last of its type. Daniel Harris is an author, journalist and broadcaster. He was shortlisted for best new writer at the British Sports Book Awards.

Find out more and order The Promised Land which is published in September by Arena Sport here

The weekend The Oldie magazine celebrated its 300th issue (OK I admit, that isn’t a very big summer news story – but bear with me) There was a big piece on its founder and editor Richard Ingrams  in this week’s Sunday Telegraph which you can read here. The Oldie magazine has a circulation of 45,000 and is rising – so whether or not this is something you personally enjoy or not – there are thousands out there who do! And all of them will be interested in buying The Oldie Book of Cartoons and also Pick of the Oldie: The 2014 Edition. The Oldie Book of Cartoons chosen by Richard Ingrams is published to celebrate the magazine’s 21st year, and follows the huge sell-out success of the previous Oldie Book of Cartoons. This irreverent magazine, has taken the place of Punch as the nation’s magazine for cartoons and features work from the UK’s best cartoonists - they’re all here: Larry, Bill Tidy, Tony Husband, Robert Thompson, Nick Downes and Bernie. 

This is the perfect Christmas present for parents and grandparents as is Pick of The Oldie: The 2014 Edition which will feature articles and cartoons from the last 21 years – none of which have been published in book format since 1999. This is the best of The Oldie’s writers, columnists, cartoonists and artists from the archive in one book and is a bargain at £9.99 for a hundred full-colour pages. Writers include Auberon Waugh, Miles Kington, Beryl Bainbridge, James Le Fanu, John Mortimer, Raymond Briggs and Sue Townsend. The Best of The Oldie was a huge sell-out success, and the five previously published annuals are a tried and tested Christmas present for parents and grandparents. “The mix of high humour and good writing is the recipe for a successful magazine and The Oldie has got it right. It’s like sitting around a warm fire with friends.” said Joan Bakewell in the Daily Telegraph. Both are published in September by Oldie Publications.

Order The Oldie Book of Cartoons here

Order Pick of the Oldie here

Another summer news story – young people. Are they getting brainier? Or are they getting stupider? Are the exam results good/bad/boring – do young people lack self confidence? Or do they possibly have too much? And what’s with the ludicrous way they talk? Totes ridic! Presh! Amazeballs! Adorbs! Obvs! Whether ‘words’ like these make you roll your eyes in recognition or wonder what the hell everyone is talking about (or both) The Totes Ridictionary by Balthazar Cohen will help you survive life in a world where text-message abbreviations and Twitter slang are dancing on the grave of the Oxford English Dictionary. Everywhere you look – in emails, tweets, Facebook posts, text messages, blogs and even real-life conversations – Totes Ridicheads are turning words into twee ‘abbrevs’, communicating in internet acronyms, and embracing hashtags as a way of life. And, like it or not, sooner or later you’ll need to become fluent in totes ridicularity. Packed with ‘hilar’ illustrations and a satirical glossary that’ll help you sort the ‘jel’ from the ‘awks’, correctly identify what’s ‘perf’ and what’s ‘tradge’, and know how to react if someone describes you as ‘gorge’ or ‘cray-cray’, The Totes Ridictionary takes a totally ridiculous look at what happens when language and technology collide. (If you want a reminder of how embarrassing it can be to get the latest slang wrong – then have a watch of Catherine Tate here!) This is a great gift for anyone who spends a lot of time on sites like Twitter and Facebook – and their parents! A wry dissection of online popular culture, The Totes Ridictionary will appeal to anyone with experience of social networking and fans of risqué humour. It’s published in paperback by Plexus and it’s out now! Order the Totes Ridictionary here

Incidentally - did you see this month that the Oxford English Dictionary now accepts that “literally” no longer means literally – but can also mean not literally – read the full story here on the BBC

Another big summer newspaper filler is lots of previews and articles about the coming season’s TV – which right now means Downton and the Great British Bake Off, but soon no doubt will mean Strictly and Sherlock. But have you ever wondered where all of these series were filmed? Well now you and the other fans can find out! The British Television Location Guide by Steve Clark and Shoba Vazirani reveals the actual settings of Britain’s favourite television shows and tells readers how they can visit them. It is meticulously researched, right up to date and includes details of the real-life filming locations for all the top series including: Downton Abbey, Broadchurch, Call The Midwife, Midsomer Murders, Doc Martin, Endeavour, Doctor Who, Miss Marple, The Great British Bake-off, Foyle’s War, Game of Thrones and dozens more. This is the only book of its kind available and will appeal to both TV viewers watching at home and tourists who want to actually go out and visit the locations. This book is the sort of thing that newspapers love – and in fact we’ve just heard today that a big extract from it is going to run in The Sun sometime next week! It’s £9.99, it’s full of full colour photos, it’s out now and it’s published by Splendid Books. You can find out more and order it here.

And finally this week – Boris Johnson has revealed today that he’d like to write novels! “I may take up my pen,” he said. “I would love to write a genuinely brilliant rip-roaring airport book, embossed with sinister looking orchids on the cover… what an incredible thing to produce a thriller that everybody gave knockout reviews … It would be fair to say there is virtually no genre that I have not tried. Romantic fiction, that could be next.'' Agghhh! Does the world really need another bombastic Tory writing books we ask ourselves? Read the full article in today's Telegraph here.

This blog is read weekly by over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

Compass Points 50

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

Wow – what an amazing summer of sport it is turning out to be! And due to an excellent bit of planning by our publishers, Compass have two of the hot sporting books that every enthusiast will want! First up is Behind the Lions published by Arena Sport. Behind The Lions: Playing Rugby for the British & Irish Lions is an official licensed product of the British & Irish Lions and is a completely new edition, by Stephen Jones, Tom English, Nick Cain and David Barnes. It covers every tour in the Lions 125 year history, including the victorious 2013 tour. In it four world-renowned rugby authors representing each of the Home Unions give an unparalleled insight into what it means to play for the British Lions, interviewing a vast array of former and current players to uncover the passion, pride and exhilaration experienced when wearing the famous red jersey. Stephen Jones is a multi award-winning rugby correspondent for the Sunday Times and world-renowned rugby expert. Tom English is the award-winning chief sports writer for Scotland on Sunday. Nick Cain is a rugby columnist for the Sunday Times and chief writer for The Rugby Paper. David Barnes is a freelance journalist and co-author of Behind the Thistle: Playing Rugby for Scotland. The first edition was shortlisted for Rugby Book of the Year at the British Sports Book Awards 2013 and the Sunday Times called it “A fascinating collection of insights” This new edition will include stories, anecdotes, interviews and images from the 2013 Lions tour, that witnessed the Lions greatest triumph for 16 years. It is a tale of heart-break and ecstasy, humour and poignancy that is at once inspirational, moving and utterly compelling. This is the story of the British & Irish Lions … in their own words. And who’d like to re-live a little bit of this summer’s Lions’ triumph – oooh yes please – well then, just have a look below! It’s hardback, it’s £19.999 and it’s published in September and you can order Behind the Lions and find out more here

The second sporting success story of the summer is of course Chris Froome – and a new edition of Va Va Froome by David Sharpe is also published in September, again by Arena Sport. This edition has been completely updated to include all the details of Chris’s remarkable Tour de France triumph and is a fascinating portrait of a global star on the rise. An honest, intelligent, thoughtful, bookish 27-year-old – with a hidden steely determination – Chris Froome is far removed from your average sportsman, having ploughed his own esoteric furrow from his childhood in Africa to his current home in the glamorous tax-haven of Monaco. On 22 July 2012 Chris Froome made history as the first African-born cyclist to stand on the podium at the Tour de France. Ten days later at the London Olympic Games he won a bronze medal in the time trial for his adopted nation in Team GB colours. Froome’s path to professional cycling, from mountain biking on dusty roads in the nature reserves of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley - alongside wild animals - to the giddy heights of the Tour de France and the Olympics, has been unlike any other in the history of the sport. Born in Nairobi to British parents he was schooled in South Africa and studied economics at university. But he abandoned his degree to take up the offer of a professional cycling contract in Europe. A fish out of water, unused to the harsh northern hemisphere winters, with no idea of the tactics, discipline or etiquette of riding in the professional peloton, Froome encountered a shock entrance into the rough and tumble world of top level European bike racing. And then of course in 2013 Chris Froome replaced Bradley Wiggins as the lead rider for Team Sky’s assault on the Tour de France and the rest is history. Here's Chris talking about his amazing victory in Paris.

Order Va Va Froome here!

If you see the wall opposite your bookshop has been covered overnight by a colourful mural do you think a) what a pain, better get the council to come and scrub that off or b) ooohh good, I’m clearly now working in a deeply cool and trendy part of town – let’s get my iphone out and send a pic to all my mates. If the answer is b) then Urban Art is going to be the book for you this autumn. This is a fantastic, eye-catching, beautifully illustrated book that explores the latest developments in street art; an increasingly important, prominent and eloquent feature of the modern cityscape. It focuses on the work of all the major world practitioners of different types of urban art, including stencils, 3D chalk art and illusions and its themes include icons (fictional characters and spiritual legends), recycled art, performance art and pastiches. The artists include Mr Brainwash, Morris Wild, David Snoo Wilson, IceCreamVanMan, Strook, Sten and Lex and Edgar Muller – names all familiar to you I’m sure (what?!). This is vibrant cutting-edge stuff, it’s full colour throughout and will be a £7.99 paperback published by Arcturus. It is by Garry Hunter who a professional photographer and independent curator whose passion for street art has taken him all over the world. You can read a short article by Garry and look at some street art here, and you can order Urban Art and find out more details here.

When economist Vicky Pryce admitted taking speeding points meant for her former husband, the ex-Cabinet minister Chris Huhne, she found herself convicted of perverting the course of justice. After a very public trial she was sent to East Sutton Park prison near Maidstone. There, she kept a diary in which she recorded her very challenging experiences and her strong views on how the prison system works, especially with regard to how it treats women. The result, Prisonomics, will provide a compelling analysis of the cost to the economy, as well as the human cost, of keeping women in prison. In it, she uses her personal experiences and professional understanding to look at how prison works, and should work, from an economist’s perspective. Vicky Pryce is extremely high profile and this book is going to attract mega media attention when it’s published in September. Major serialisation with a national newspaper is very likely – we’ll keep you posted! Her previous book, Greekonomics, was highly acclaimed and sold 3,000 copies. Prisonomics is a £16.99 hardback from Biteback and you can order it and find out more here.

Now, we love a bit of cult fiction at Compass – and even better when it’s cult fiction published as a limited edition £20 hardback, full colour throughout. The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Z. Danielewski is one such book – this US author is already a bit of a sensation and the book attracted rave reviews when published in America.” A swift, old-style ghost story with crisp, eerie illustrations. The Fifty Year Sword is a pleasure to read.” said the Chicago Tribune while Publishers Weekly called it “An objet d’art that chillingly holds us accountable for our worst thoughts.” The Fifty Year Sword is an explosive and thrilling ghost story. A local seamstress named Chintana finds herself responsible for five orphans on her birthday. The children are captivated by the storyteller who arrives and tells a tale of vengeance - and produces a long black box he sets before them. As midnight approaches, the box is opened, a fateful dare is made, and the children as well as Chintana come face to face with the consequences of a malice retold. The Fifty Year Sword uses strange formatting and colours throughout the book, much like Danielewski's previous work, House of Leaves. Since this revolutionary debut Mark Z. Danielewski has continuously astonished critics and fans with his blend of beautiful prose and wild experiments with typography and design. These passions culminate in The Fifty Year Sword, a novella of startling simplicity, tremendous artistry and with a terrifying sting in the tale. Mark is a National Book Award finalist and one of the USA’s most revered cult writers. Have a look at the number of Tumblr posts there are on this book to give you a sense of what it’s all about – and how popular he is. And click here to see Mark talking about his books on You Tube – I’m not sure it makes them any less cryptic – but have a look! There will be lots of publicity for this title when it is published by Cargo in September – and Mark Z. Danielewski will be appearing for six select dates – this author is somewhat elusive, so this is extremely rare!

Order The Fifty Year Sword and find out more here

For ten years Gary McKinnon became the unwilling focus of Anglo-US diplomatic relations. A computer systems analyst living in London, he firmly believed that the US government was withholding vital information about the presence of UFOs. The unremarkable lives of he and his mother Janis changed dramatically one morning in 2002 when Gary phoned to tell her that he had just spent four hours at his local police station being interviewed about hacking into US government computers. Two years later, on 7 October 2004, the US government filed a request for Gary’s extradition and on 7 June 2005 he was arrested. Extradition to the US seemed certain and so, fearing that Gary would take his own life rather than face being taken away, Janis’s extraordinary battle began. Janis Sharp spent the following ten years and seven months fighting her son’s extradition. In October 2012 she finally won her battle and in December 2012 the Crown Prosecution Service announced that Gary would not face charges in the UK either. These two announcements were a spectacular victory for Janis and spoke volumes about her relentless fight to save Gary’s life. Saving Gary McKinnon is the true story of a mother’s fight to save her son from living out the rest of his life behind bars. The US judiciary had all the might of the world’s greatest power. But it had not reckoned on Gary’s mother. Saving Gary McKinnon: A Mother’s Story by Janis Sharp is the extraordinary true story of a mother’s fight to overcome the biggest powers in the world. Janis will promote this book extensively; supported by a wide-ranging press and marketing campaign and a serialisation under negotiation. It’s published in September by Biteback.

Order Saving Gary McKinnon here

And finally – talking of mighty US forces - who’s still loving Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke – or are we all getting just a little bit tired of hearing it? Here’s the video for any of you who still want more!

Maybe just a little bit too sexist for your taste? Well have a look at this sexy parody by Mod Carousel, a Seattle based boylesque troupe – better than the original in my opinion!

Compass Points is now off on holiday – but will be back in a fortnight!

This blog is read weekly by over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

That’s all for now folks, more in a fortnight!

Compass Points 49

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

Well, my goodness what a belter of a summer this has turned into! It reminds me of the last time we had anything resembling a heat wave in this country – which if my memory serves me right was in 1976 – taking me nicely to the first book for today - how about a bit of Paul McCartney? No, not the slightly maudlin old rocker (Sorry, do I mean much loved national treasure?) that he appears to have turned into nowadays – and no not the cheeky mop-top of his youth; but Paul in the 1970’s, when he was, literally, a man on the run. Desperately trying to escape the shadow of the Beatles, he became an outlaw hippy millionaire, hiding out on his Scottish farmhouse in Kintyre before travelling the world with makeshift bands and barefoot children. It was at time of numerous drug busts and brilliant, banned and occasionally baffling records. For McCartney, it was an edgy, liberating and sometimes frightening period of his life that has largely been forgotten. Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s paints an illuminating picture: from McCartney’s nervous breakdown following the Beatles’ split through his apparent victimisation by the authorities to the rude awakening of his imprisonment for marijuana possession in Japan in 1980 and the shocking wake-up call of John Lennon’s murder. Paul McCartney is the most famous living rock musician on the planet, and no other writer in recent years has interviewed him as many times as Tom Doyle.  Widespread reviews and publicity are guaranteed for this book, and the September publication date coincides with the completion of the reissue programme of McCartney’s 1970s albums and 40th anniversary of the release of Band On The Run. Man on the Run is a hardback, published by Polygon. It has sixteen pages of colour photos, it’s  from an acclaimed music journalist – and it’s certain to sell! You can find out more here!

And from the original long hot Summer of Love – 1976 – here’s the orginal Band on the Run video!

Man on the Run is one of many smashing titles coming from Compass in September – and here’s another. Power Trip: A Decade of Policy, Plots and Spin by Damian McBride is potentially the most explosive political memoir of 2013. It’s the tell-all story of the spin doctor’s time at the heart of government and a candid biography to reveal where all the political bodies are buried. Cor blimey – pretty stirring stuff, tell me more. OK then: from 1999 to 2009, Damian McBride worked at the heart of the Treasury and No. 10, becoming one of the most controversial political figures of the last decade, before a notorious scandal propelled him onto the front pages and out of Downing Street. In Power Trip he writes candidly about his experiences at the heart of government, and provides the first genuine insider’s account of Gordon Brown’s time as Chancellor and Prime Minister. He reveals the personal feuds, political plots and media manipulation which lay at New Labour’s core, and provides a fascinating, funny and at times shocking account of how government really works. His own journey from naive civil servant to disgraced spin-doctor is also laid bare with brutal honesty. Power Trip is a riveting memoir and an eye-opening expose of politics in Britain. Oh my goodness me, I hardly need say that this is the sot of book the media will absolutely go bonkers for, and sure enough, a high profile serialisation with a major newspaper is under negotiation. We’ll have lots more to tell you on this one, I feel certain! Power Trip is £20, hardback and published by (of course) Biteback.

Find out more, and order Power Trip here

Now, who do you think said “Well, I’m not that good-looking. I’m a pretty weird-looking guy. I know that, but that’s the magic of movies.” Hmm, seems to me it could only be the fabulous Ryan Gosling. Not only an acclaimed actor – he’s also an online obsession for millions, who’s been dubbed ‘the internet’s boyfriend’. Filled with photos, facts, quotes and jokes, 100 Reasons to Love Ryan Gosling a £12.99 paperback packed with over 100 colour photographs coming from Plexus in September; shows us why. Actor. Musician. Heart-throb. Feminist icon (sort of). There’s only one Ryan Gosling. Women want him. Men want to be him. Most Tumblr blogs are about him. No mere Hollywood pretty boy, he’s symbolic of everything modern manhood should aspire to. Did you see The Notebook? Exactly. Packed with trivia, jokes, and photos that graphically illustrate his physical perfection, 100 Reasons to Love Ryan Gosling provides scientifically irrefutable evidence of exactly why Ryan is so damn lovable. Is it because he takes his mom to film premieres? Plays in a hip indie band? Carries his dog through airports? Breaks up street fights? Furthered the feminist cause without even trying? Has no problem with nudity even when the script doesn't strictly require it? It’s all these things – and more. Boasting an enthusiastic and eccentric fan base, Gosling successfully balances critically successful independent films with more mainstream fare – his movies have grossed $600 million at the worldwide box office. He has spawned a cottage industry of tongue-in-cheek blogs, memes and social-networking communication: the #GayForGosling hashtag went viral on Twitter. The most popular Tumblr site about the actor, ‘Feminist Ryan Gosling’, received three million hits in one month and went on to become a book. He’s definitely having, as they say, a moment. This year alone he stars in four films: 1940s mobster thriller Gangster Squad, crime drama The Place Beyond the Pines, violent Thai-boxing saga Only God Forgives (opening this summer) and an untitled Terrence Malick project (co-starring Michael Fassbender, and Natalie Portman) And Gosling’s directorial debut, fantasy-thriller How to Catch a Monster, which stars Christina Hendricks and his real-life girlfriend Eva Mendes is due for release in 2014. If the Ryan Gosling phenomenon has so far passed you by, then you can watch some of his scenes from Crazy Stupid Love here which give you a fairly good idea of his charms – or have a look at the YouTube craze Ryan Gosling won't eat his cereal! 

You can order 100 reasons to love Ryan Gosling here.

September also sees the publication of the Good Food Guide 2014 - the UK’s bestselling and longest-running restaurant guide. The Good Food Guide reviews the best restaurants, pubs and cafés throughout the UK and is consistently the nation’s bestselling restaurant guide. It’s completely independent and impartial and as well as containing 1,300 restaurant reviews and recommendations it has foodie features and chef interviews and outlines the culinary trends for 2014 – I’m intrigued – what do you reckon they are? A fusion of cupcakes, Polish cuisine and gluten-free beer perhaps? The Telegraph said “One of the greatest accolades for a chef is a perfect 10 from The Good Food Guide” and this restaurant guide is definitely the one no bookshop should be without. The Good Food Guide website is also a really good place to go to find the best restaurants to eat out in this summer in the UK – it’s at www.thegoodfoodguide.co.uk You can find out more and order the Good Food Guide 2014 here

On the subject of food – you've got to love this Catherine Tait clip on chocolate fudge cake!

 This newsletter is sent weekly to over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

That’s all for now folks, there will be loads more of our September 2013 books next week!

Compass Points 48

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

Firstly – exciting news! As I mentioned last week, Compass now have an arrangement with giant US distributor Ingram – which means that it is very easy for you, the UK bookseller to get your hands on lots of great US titles! When you open an account with Ingram you will be able to order US books easily quickly and cost-effectively for your bookshop. There is no minimum order – you can just order one title; the books arrive in 3-5 working days and shipping costs are very competitive – much cheaper than you think! You will get great terms – 40% discount and over 12 million US titles are available! If you fancy getting started right away then click here to open an Ingram account – it’s very straightforward. Or you can go to www.ingramcontent.com and click on the button that says GET STARTED, or you can talk to your Compass Account Manager. Ingram will run some credit checks and within 3-4 days your account should be up and running. There is no minimum order, so there is no need to “consolidate” several titles to make up an order – if you want a US title you can have it delivered to your bookshop in 3-5 working days! Your account gives you access to the Ingram ipage system – a vast web resource with information on 12 million US titles that is updated hourly by the Ingram team – so you can be sure a title is in stock and that the bibliographic info is fully up to date.

So why might you want some US titles in your bookshops? Firstly, you may have a customer who specifically asks for an American title – and you can assure them that you can get it for them quickly. The price you charge your customer is up to you – but you will be getting 40% discount on the US$ price, and the shipping costs are very reasonable. Secondly, you may spot a US trend which is big over here – but no UK publisher is capitalising on it. For example – US TV shows such as Mad Men, The Sopranos or The Big Bang Theory may not have any associated UK books - but now you can order US titles – for their many UK fans! When it comes to US pop and rock stars – there is often far more published over the pond than here – whether it’s Taylor Swift or Will.i.am – if they’re big here you can order the US calendars, song books, photographic coffee table glossies, comic books or whatever, for the UK fans to buy from you! 

And thirdly – every week Compass Points will keep you up to date with the hot US bestsellers – so it will be simples to keep your bookshop one jump ahead of the competition! Other bookshops won’t have these books – you will! Ingram has built itself into the world’s largest distributor by supporting the independents and over 30,000 independent booksellers worldwide trust Ingram to support their business so why not consider opening your Ingram account today?! 

Click here to go to the Compass website and find out a bit more!

Click here to watch a trailer for one of our biggest September titles – The Returned . You must agree it looks like pretty gripping and intriguing stuff – it reminded me of both a certain PD James novel and also Torchwood – which as far as I’m concerned is high praise indeed! The story begins with Harold and Lucille Hargrave whose lives have been both joyful and sorrowful in the decades since their only son, Jacob, died tragically at his eighth birthday party in 1966. But in their old age they’ve settled comfortably into life without him… Until one day a government agent appears on their doorstep towing Jacob behind him — still eight years old, exactly as he was on the day he died. All over the world people’s loved ones are returning from beyond. No one knows how or why or why this is happening, whether it’s a miracle or a sign of the end. Not even Harold and Lucille can agree on whether the boy at their doorstep is real or a wondrous imitation, but one thing they know for sure: he’s their son. As tensions begin to rise across the globe, the newly reunited Hargrave family must navigate the conflict between those who believe the Returned are a gift and those who are afraid of the unknown — a conflict that threatens to rock the very foundation of our humanity. The Returned is a high-concept literary debut in the tradition of blockbuster breakout bestsellers such as The Age of Miracles and The Passage. Jason Mott’s writing has appeared in numerous literary journals, and he was nominated for the 2009 Pushcart Prize. He lives in North Carolina and The Returned is his first novel. In the US ABC acquired the television rights for The Returned in a heated auction against NBC and Fox and the buzz is definitely building for this book which has a winning combination of spare, elegant prose, engaging storytelling, unforgettable characters and a fresh, commercial concept. It blends elements of genre fiction (sci-fi, dystopian, horror), with a bold literary voice and an emotional story to create a book with far-reaching mainstream potential. It is published in C-format paperback by Harlequin Mira in September and you can order The Returned here

The Daily Mail ran a big summer reading article this weekend. Entitled Beach + Bikini + Book = Bliss it gave a rave review to Soufflé by Asli Perker saying “This is a really fantastic book. The premise is the way that food unites and heals people and all three strands of the novel feature characters in trouble, helped by cooking. Marc is a grieving widower, Ferda a carer for her demanding, elderly mother, and Lilia looks after her sick husband. But the real story is about family, and what utter fiends they can be. Lilia adopted two children, neither of whom is grateful, to put it mildly. Anyone who’s ever felt their kids treat them badly should read this sensitive yet defiantly unsentimental book!” 

Soufflé came out in paperback in April from Telegram (ISBN: 9781846591440 £8.99) – make sure you have it on your summer reading table; it has a lovely unusual cover!  And you can read the whole Daily Mail article here.

The eagle eyed among you may have noticed that the Daily Mail also mentioned another Compass title! Listed under Retro Reads was The Position of Peggy Harper by Leonard Merrick. The Daily Mail really raved about it saying “This forgotten Edwardian classic (foreword by George Orwell) is a terrific discovery. The setting is theatre-land, where struggling actors live hand-to-mouth, trudging to auditions, grateful for bit-parts, always hoping for leading roles. Tatham, a thoroughly decent young man, longs for fame while relying on relatives for accommodation and hand-outs.  

He is lured into a relationship with bird-brained, fame-hungry Peggy, who turns out to be a selfish, scheming hussy. The shabby-genteel world of aspiring actors, squalid digs, desperation, managers skedaddling with the takings, is brilliantly conveyed, and the mingled pong of greasepaint, chips and cheap scent lingers long after you’ve finished Merrick’s atmospheric novel.”  This is a really fantastic review – and the Mail has millions of readers  – so do make sure you include The Position of Peggy Harper  in your summer reads – it came out in April from Hesperus in paperback with a very eye catching cover at £8.99 and you can find out all the details here

At the Yeoman’s House by Ronald Blythe has been shortlisted for the New Angle Prize for Literature – which is a biennial award for a book of literary merit set in or influenced by the region of East Anglia. You can find out more and view the whole shortlist here. This lovely book – the Spectator described it as “sheer delight” –  is published by Enitharmon Press and you can find out all the details on the Enitharmon website here. There was a super article on the book in In Suffolk magazine by its author Ronald Blythe which you can read here. The winner of the award will be announced in September.

Now ladies – wouldn’t you like to Perfect Your Cycle, Amplify Your Fertility, Supercharge Your Sex Drive and Become a Power Source? Well I know I would, and apparently all I have to do is read Woman Code. Holistic health coach Alisa Vitti shows women how to maintain health and vitality with a food-based programme to rebalance their hormones and wow, my goodness those publicists at Hay House have certainly got this book a lot of publicity! The author will have an article published in the July issue of Natural Health & Beauty magazine (circ. 60,000) and the book will be reviewed in the October issue of Zest magazine (circ. 65,418) and extracted in the next issue of What Doctors Don’t Tell You (circ. 10,000). The author will be featured in the August issue of Woman & Home magazine (circ. 352,586) and she will have a Q&A in the August issue of Psychologies magazine (circ. 77,608). There will also be a 4-page feature on the book in the September issue of Spirit & Destiny (circ. 47,297) and a book review will feature in a future issue of The Sun newspaper (circ. 2.2 million). The author has also contributed an article to Top Sante magazine (circ. 55,338). This title came out in May from Hay House; you can find out more and order it here

While we’re on the subject of women’s hormones, I don’t think anyone is much funnier on the whole issue of women, hormones, weight etc. than Jo Brand – you can watch a funny clip below although I'm not quite sure what holistic health coach  Alisa Vitti would make of it!

This newsletter is sent weekly to over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

Compass Points 47

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

Yesterday was July 4th, a big day of celebrations for all in America – and appropriately enough, this week I have a very exciting announcement to make: Compass has formed a new partnership with the massive US distributor Ingram. This means that you, the independent UK bookseller will now be able to order US titles – and have them delivered to your bookshop within 3-5 days! There is no minimum order – you can just order one title, and we really believe that this will give you a chance to compete effectively with Amazon – the shipping costs are very competitive indeed! By opening an account with Ingram you get great terms; 40% discount and over 12 million US titles are available to order! You will be ordering using the Ingram ipage website – widely regarded throughout the industry as one of the best and easiest to use ecommerce sites in the world. Julian Ryle, Supply Manager for Blackwell’s said of it: “ipage is invaluable when ordering US books – the ease of accessing catalogue and stock detail all from one place is second to none.” I’ll give you more details about how you can open your Ingram account next week – and show you exactly how you can get your hands on all of those juicy US books – but I will tell you now; it’s extremely simple, you can do it with a few clicks online, and then you can use it as little or as much as you need – in fact really there’s no reason not to have an Ingram account for your bookshop!

Moving north from America to Finland, Cold Courage by Pekka Hiltunen was officially published this week! This gripping psychological thriller from Hesperus set in London presents us with a whole new slant on the Scandi crime genre, and reviewers are already saying things like “Rich in details, sure in its descriptions and smoothly written, this novel is a stylish debut.”  If you haven’t read it yet then the plot begins with a young woman who has been gruesomely killed, her body abandoned in a car boot in the middle of London as a warning to others. The police have no leads and no clue as to the identity of the victim.It seems that Lia is the only one who refuses to let the murderer go unpunished. A chance encounter with the mysterious Mari gives Lia fresh hope. But just who is she? Can Lia trust her? Can Lia afford not to trust her? There is a really good trailer on YouTube which you can watch: here and also a short author video where Pekka talks about the ideas behind the novel here on YouTube . We have 50 or so signed copies of the book in the office which would be perfect for any independents that have active social media pages; blogs etc. and want to really give this book a push. If you’d like one then email Pat@compass-dsa.co.uk Cold Courage is a great read with a wonderfully strong female protagonist and you can  order it and find out more here

This seems to be a very international Compass Points this week – so let’s continue in the same vein. You can click here to see author Romain Slocombe explain the inspiration behind his novel, Monsieur le Commandant which is coming from Gallic Books, in September and is  a harrowing tale of wartime collaboration within the French literary establishment. It has had sales of over 40,000 copies in France and was long listed for the Prix Goncourt 2011. French reviewers described it as “Probably one of the most significant novels of the year” and ”in a unique way, a powerful piece of Resistance literature.” The book begins in 1942, when French Academician and Nazi sympathiser Paul-Jean Husson writes a letter to his local SS Officer. Tormented by an illicit passion for Ilse, his German daughter-in-law, Husson has taken a decision that will devastate several lives, including his own. The letter is intended to explain his actions. It is a shocking story that begins in the years leading up to the war, when following the accidental drowning of his daughter, Husson’s previously gilded life begins to unravel. Through Husson’s confession, Romain Slocombe gives the reader a startling picture of a man’s journey: from pillar of the French establishment and World War I hero, to outspoken supporter of Nazi ideology and the Vichy government.

Find out more and order Monsieur le Commandant here

And now leaving France, our next title takes us off on a year long voyage across the Pacific! Love with a Chance of Drowning: A Memoir by Torre DeRoche (published by Summersdale) was serialised in You Magazine in the Mail this weekend – and since then has become their number one bestseller in their online shop! Don’t let them get all the sales – the Mail on Sunday has gazillions of readers, and this is the ideal summer read. You can read the whole article in You Magazine here – there are lots of fab photos which really bring the adventures in the book come to life! Set against a backdrop of the world’s most beautiful and remote destinations, Love with a Chance of Drowning is a sometimes hilarious, often moving and always breathtakingly brave memoir that proves there are some risks worth taking.

Order Love with a Chance of Drowing here

A big thank you to all you UK booksellers – we can announce this week that The Hundred-Year-Old-Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared has officially sold over one million copies in the UK! To mark this occasion Hesperus has organized a competition which will run on The Independent online, for the whole of July. To look at the competition click here.  This comes with tube advertising, which is visible in 50 stations across London - again for the whole of July promoting the book. All great publicity for this title – and maybe some of you would like to enter! The competition is for UK entrants only and prize is a three night holiday to Stockholm for two people, the runner-up prize is one of five bottle of Karlsson’s Gold Vodka (an apt homage to Alan Karlsson)!

Don’t forget we have two forthcoming September titles available as bound proofs – which you can order if you want some reading for your summer holidays to help you get ready to sell these two cracking titles. The Visitor is the debut novel from exciting new talent Katherine Stansfield and is a novel steeped in the coast and people of Cornwall which shivers and flashes with visions as elusive as the fish at the centre of its story. It’s intelligent women’s fiction which will appeal to readers of Helen Dunmore and Hilary Mantel, Sarah Hall, and Kate Morton and it’s from Parthian. The Best Book in the World is a wonderfully quirky and hilarious novel which is already a big bestseller in Sweden – and is published in the UK by Hesperus. It’s by Peter Stjernström, and has been described as “Spot on satire” and “Insanely funny and easy to read”. If you’d like a bound proof of either of these titles then please send your details to pat@compass-dsa.co.uk and we’ll send you one!

Finally; are there any booksellers called Tyler or Charmaine out there?? If so you will probably be very offended when you watch this crazy rant from the truly appalling Katie Hopkins on This Morning this week where she decides that certain names belong to those people she’d like to avoid at all costs!

This newsletter is sent weekly to over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

That’s all for now folks, more next week!