Pubishing News Closes, Victim of Web Competition

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.