Fifty Shades Helps Random House Win UK’s BIA Publisher of the Year

Posted on May 14, 2013 by 17FL

According to @fiftyshadesUK, the Bookseller Industry Awards are the equivalent of the publishing Oscars. Thanks, in part, to the record-breaking sales of the Fifty Shades trilogy by E L James, The Random House Group reps didn’t get dressed up for nothing.

The event, held at London’s Park Lane Hilton on May 13th, celebrated Random House’s success by honoring chief executive Dame Gail Rebuck and her team with the top publishing award.

We were honoured with the top publishing gong, after a record breaking year which started with the publishing phenomenon that is Fifty Shades and ended with us being the UK’s number 1 publisher.

In 2012 Random House achieved 28 number ones, won 70 prizes for its titles including the Nobel, Samuel Johnson and TS Eliot, and was hailed for its rapidly growing digital activity, now accounting for 22% of its UK net sales.

The award is a terrific tribute that reflects the Group’s collective creativity, skill and successes.

Courtesy of The Bookseller

Congrats to Random House! The power of Fifty continues…

Sources: The Random House Group, The Bookseller

Nominate E L James for a Shorty Award!

Posted on January 14, 2013 by 17FL

This is the 5th year for the awards, which honor “the best in social media; recognizing the people and organizations producing real-time short content across Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Foursquare and the rest of the social web.”

As most of you know, the author truly appreciates her fans and is very approachable, especially through her presence on Twitter.

To nominate E L James in the Author category, go here. You can help get the word out there by tweeting your nomination. Thanks!

The ceremony to present the awards will be held on April 8, 2013 at the TimesCenter in New York City. To find out details about how you can attend in person or to watch live online, visit the official Shorty Awards website here.

Fifty Shades of Grey Wins Specsavers National Book of the Year 2012

Posted on December 26, 2012 by 17FL

Earlier this month, Fifty Shades of Grey was named most popular fiction book of the year at the Specsavers National Book Awards in London (read more here). The win put the book on the shortlist for best overall book of the year, which was then put to a public vote (read more here).

Well, the voice of loyal FSoG fans has been heard loud and clear. Fifty Shades of Grey is your winner!

Written, of course, by E L James, the author had this to say about the win. “Thank you so much for this wonderful award. I am truly honoured. I have to thank the readers and the retailers for making Fifty Shades of Grey the success it has become. It’s really quite overwhelming.”

The founder of the UK based Specsavers, Dame Mary Perkins, said, “These awards were a celebration of the books that people took to their hearts and in some cases made the headlines in 2012. Anyone given book tokens for Christmas only needs to look at the shortlist for inspiration as to what to spend them on.”

To read the complete article regarding the announcement and view the list of categories/winners nominated for the award, go here.

We want to thank everyone who took the time to vote, too. ‘The Year of Fifty’ continues :) Congrats, E!

E L James is USA TODAY’s Choice For Author of the Year

Posted on December 20, 2012 by 17FL

Greyt choice!!

USA TODAY‘s decision is based in part on the fact that “…an unknown Brit proved that Americans can be passionate, feverish, even obsessive readers,” and that the Fifty Shades Trilogy has sold 35 million copies this year in the USA alone.

With corresponding movies in the works, there’s no sign of things slowing down any time soon, either. Yet despite the whirlwind that has become ‘The Year of Fifty,’ the author is finding time to rework her first novel, which she tells USA Today may end up being two novels when all is said and done.

Q: Have you set a publication date for your new novel?

A: No pub date.

Q: Another trilogy?

A: I think it will be two books.

To read the online article, click here. To read the rest of the Q&A, which includes hot topics such as casting Fifty Shades of Grey and a fourth Fifty Shades book told from Christian’s POV, click here.

We will never get tired of saying this… Congrats again, E!

Fifty Shades of Grey Nominated for National Book Awards Book of the Year

Posted on December 5, 2012 by 17FL

First of all, congrats . . . again . . . to E L James for another well-deserved award! Fifty Shades of Grey was named most popular fiction book of the year at the Specsavers National Book Awards in London.

From National Book Awards: ”Dubbed the ‘Oscars of the publishing industry,’ The Specsavers National Book Awards showcases the best of British writing & publishing, whilst celebrating books with wide popular appeal, critical acclaim and commercial success.”

This now puts Fifty Shades of Grey on the shortlist for best overall book of the year. The winner will be announced on December 26th.

So let your voices be heard once again FSoG fans by voting here!

A/N: According to the site, voters will automatically be entered into a drawing for National Book Tokens and a Google Nexus 7 tablet. Good luck!

Q&A with Fifty Shades Trilogy Author E L James via THR

Posted on November 30, 2012 by 17FL

This interview was done in conjunction with The Hollywood Reporter’s (@THR) first ever ’25 Most Powerful Authors’ list, which E L James was named to. (Read more here.)

In the interview, the author opens up about dealing with her success, bringing members of #TeamFifty onboard, fan interest in a fourth book from Christian’s POV, and the books’ roots in #Twilight fanfiction, just to name a few hot topics.

To check out the entire Q&A, go here.

Publisher’s Weekly Names E L James ‘Publishing Person of the Year’

Posted on November 30, 2012 by 17FL

PW (@publisherswkly) sited the continued impact the series is having on the publishing industry, from the boost it’s given print sales to the hot category it’s turned erotic fiction into, as the reason they selected the author as “the most notable player on the publishing stage this year.”

Continued congrats, E L!

You can read the entire online article here.

Photo credit: Celia Topping

E L James Nominated for TIME’s Person of the Year 2012

Posted on November 26, 2012 by 17FL

TIME magazine has announced its nominations for Person of the Year 2012, and our very own E L James has made the prestigious list of 40!!

Time.com “Let’s review, shall we? E.L. James — or, as friends call her, Erika Leonard — is not a prose stylist. Her work did not have the publicity machine of a major publishing house behind it. Her story was originally fan fiction; in other words, she openly lifted the characters and basic premise from another series (Twilight). It’s not a book one could read in polite company. But the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy sent tremors through the publishing world, became the talk of its mostly female readers, spawned dozens of copycats, brought S&M sexual practices into the mainstream and got her a movie deal. Oh, and it sold. It’s hard to argue with 31 million book sales.”

TIME’s editors choose the Person of the Year, but they want readers to weigh in by casting their vote for the person they think most influenced the news this year.

To check out all of the nominations and to vote, go here.

Voting closes at 11:59 pm ET on December 12th. The winner will be announced on December 14th.