For the French Edition winter is far from the fall

It is the second literary re-entry, but the first of 2010. As every year, between January and February, a flood of new French and foreign novels will invade the tables of the booksellers. In 2010, they will be a little less numerous that in 2009: 491 precisely against 558 a year, according to the specialized magazine "Books weekly", "the lowest level recorded since 2001", says. Last September already, editorial production it was lightly packed, with 659 novels published against 676 a year earlier. These are the foreign novels - more expensive to produce since they hire purchase rights and translation costs - that record the most severe cuts, with only 167 new titles against 211 last year. On the other hand, publishers continued to take risks on writers who had ever published literature: in the next few weeks, no fewer than 73 authors12 more than early last year, will attempt to seduce the public with a first novel.

For the French Edition, winter is far from the fall. January and February are not rhythmic by the race for the literary awards, the difference in September and October - period key to the life of the sector - where the Goncourt, the Renaudot, and the handful of other awards which are in the sights of the large houses "out" then their "stars" (Amélie Nothomb, Frédéric Beigbeder, Erik Orsenna)(, etc., for 2009). Back in January, on the other hand, welcomes recognized writers who prefer to stay away from the great fair of literary awards, fear, perhaps, to be overshadowed. Or those which the manuscript was not ready for a fall release. Also publish in winter and less confirmed novelists or of young authors who hope to have more likely to be spotted by the critics and the public. As nothing is played in advance in the Edition, each House hopes to put the hand on the manuscript that will to win the jackpot.

The moment of truth

Among the novels by booksellers in this beginning of the year, "Lily and Brain", by Christian Gailly (midnight), "Great love", Franz - Olivier Giesbert (Gallimard), or "The Olympus of woes", of Yasmina Khadra (Julliard) on the French side. Early March, Patrick Modiano will unveil his new book, "The Horizon" by Gallimard. (On the side of foreign literature, one of the events will be the output of "Underworld USA" of James Ellroy, which completes the trilogy opened by the writer with "american tabloid" and "american death Trip"). Several regulars of the big draws (and large sales) should also invade the tables. The new novel by Christian Jacq, "imhotep." "The inventor of eternity", XO Editions bestselling author, appears to end of January. The British Queen in the polar, Ruth Rendell, will deliver his last book, "One cannot have everything", in February.

For publishers, it will be in January the moment of truth on the performance of out titles in the fall, as booksellers their return unsold books published since September.

Pending these some 500 new novels to be published over the next two months, the Dan Brown, Marc Levy, Anna Gavalda and other regulars of large sales surging occupy the land in this very beginning of the year.