Pubishing News Closes, Victim of Web Competition

By John Freeman on July 17, 2008

British book trade weekly Publishing News, which has occasionally covered graphic novels and related illustrated books in its pages, is to cease publication. The issue of Friday July 25th will be the last.

In a statement on the magazine’s website the publishers stated the publication, founded in 1979, has been hit by the same problems that have affected all magazines and newspapers: advertisers have shifted increasing proportions of their spend to online and direct sales.

The closure reflects problems facing all niche publishers. Titan Magazines, for excample, moved its SF magazine Dreamwatch to the web some time ago.

‘This has been a sad and difficult decision to make,” commented PNL’s founder and Chairman, Fred Newman, commented, “but the nature of the book trade which today offers a multiplicity of ways for publishers to sell books both to booksellers and to consumers has changed dramatically. For the biggest book publishers, the trade press is now only one of many options for the promotion and sale of their titles.”

Newman stressed that all other activities of PN Ltd are unaffected by the closure of Publishing News. The company will continue to organise the British Book Awards and has recently signed a new two-year contract with its headline sponsor, Galaxy. The team involved in the management both of the Awards and the British Book Industry Awards, Alastair Giles, Merric Davidson and Midas PR, will continue in their roles.

Also unaffected is the Christmas Books Catalogue, a joint venture with the BA. The 2008 edition is now in production and close to one million copies will be distributed through bookshops. BML, the leading research agency for the book business, will also continue, mounting its usual Books and the Consumer Conference in March 2009.

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.