Magnus Llewellin – Editor, The Times Scotland
The Times Scotland sells nearly 29,000 copies every day across Scotland and now outsells The Scotsman. 20% of the title is changed on a daily basis to include Scottish specific content including author interviews, arts news and book extracts. 90% of Scottish readers are ABC1 adults.
T2 and book review sections are the only ones which aren’t changed for Scottish edition.
Magnus Linklater and Mike Wade are well plugged into arts / books and will do Scottish specific book interviews to go into the Saturday edition.
The Times Scotland is keen to raise their own profile by plugging into arts cornerstones in Scotland eg currently sponsor Aye, Write! and Borders Book Festival in the same way The Times London covers Cheltenham.
The Times carries more book reviews than any other paper in the UK. At the moment they are all chosen by London but book reviews specifically for the Scottish edition are in the pipeline.
There is a regular slot called Thunderer which is 420 word platform to generate debate.
Scottish writers can do columns in the Sunday Times News Review
Times Plus events are aimed at subscribers. Most recent Times Plus event was for the launch of the V&A Dundee. Magnus acknowledged more could be done from Scotland – interested in launching Times Literary Lunches if they could be financially viable.
Likes to see physical catalogues asap. Plans extracts two months ahead.
If there’s a big Scottish story running in the London paper the Scottish edition will do it in more depth eg Lockerbie.
Sometimes Scottish stories can lead in the London edition eg Ruth Davidson book extracts started here but ended up in Sunday Times Magazine.
At the moment all Scottish papers are distributed at the same charge to the islands but that may come to an end as some of the papers cut their losses.
His deputy, David McCann, should also be on your radar. His email address is: david.mccann@thetimes.co.uk
Jason Allardyce, Editor – The Sunday Times Scotland
The Sunday Times Scotland has enhanced its business and sport coverage helping bolster its position as the biggest selling and most widely read quality newspaper in Scotland.
V keen on book extracts. Most successful recent extracts – Piper Alpha, Trainspotting, Souness.
The Sunday Times sells more than Scotland on Sunday, Herald on Sunday, Telegraph and Observer combined
Jason is the main point of contact for all Scottish edition stories but also bear in mind Karen Robinson for Crime Cub (16000 subscribers), Andrew Holgate (lit ed), Grant Tucker (new arts correspondent in London replacing Richard Brooks) and Graham Paterson (News Review). Arts news stories – Grant.Tucker@sunday-times.co.uk.
Best London contacts for News Review features on a literary theme are Graham.Paterson@sunday-times.co.uk and Martin.Hemming@sunday-times.co.uk
And in the Culture section for books news and reviews it’s Andrew.Holgate@sunday-times.co.uk
Worth noting The Sunday Times put muscle behind a promotion – it will be advertised on Classic / Smooth / Heart and promoted on social media.
Times Plus can be anything from 50-100 fans – it’s an intimate get together for Times readers
Interested in author guest columnists in return for a credit to latest book and modest fee. Pitch to Jason.
Favourite books to feature – agenda setting non fiction. Less interested in couthy Scottish interest books.