Two new literary agencies
In the US, three book publishing executives—Doug Hardy (formerly at Random House), Gary June (formerly at Pearson and Dorling Kindersley), and Tim Moore
New agent alert: Barbara Jones
Formerly an editor at Henry Holt, Jones has joined the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency.
UK-based Sweet Cherry Publishing launches two imprints
One imprint, Clock Tower, will publish fiction for all ages by underrepresented and diverse authors.
Zero Street: a new LGBTQ+ imprint
The University of Nebraska Press is launching Zero Street Fiction, an imprint that will focus on literary fiction and short story collections written by LGBTQ+ authors
Astra establishes a new children’s imprint
Astra announced the launch of its children’s division, Astra Books for Young Readers, which will house one new imprint—Astra Young Readers
The new milestone for bestselling authors: establishing your own imprint
For many years now, celebrities (Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah Winfrey, Johnny Depp, Sarah Jessica Parker, to name a few) have been tapped to headline imprints at big publishing houses.
Ingram partners with a startup that produces AI-generated audiobooks
The biggest US book wholesaler and distributor, Ingram, has established a marketing partnership with the UK’s DeepZen, which provides publishers with AI-generated text-to-speech audiobooks.
A New Service Helps Authors Advertise on Facebook
Reader Reach Ads comes from an established book promotion firm that has a strong track record of serving indie authors
Meet Atticus, an Emerging Software for Book Production
This new browser-based software competes directly with Mac-only Vellum, which makes it an alluring option for PC users
Amazon KDP Finally Offers Hardcover Format
Just in August, we reported on the growing sales of hardcover print on demand through IngramSpark. The country’s biggest distributor advised publishers of all sizes
Book Sales Update: September 29, 2021
As expected, US print book sales are continuing to dwindle when compared to last year’s stellar results—although they remain ahead of 2020 for now.
Barnes & Noble is doing well. Or, wait. Is it?
A New York Post article reports that Barnes & Noble is “cashing in” on the book-buying craze sparked by the pandemic
If acquired by Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster will still be able to bid separately on books
Last week, Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle told literary agents that PRH will allow competitive bidding between PRH and Simon & Schuster imprints in the US
Black Voices in Publishing: Is It a Trend or a Movement?
The Authors Guild revisits industry efforts to improve inclusivity in publishing.
Buying Books for the Holidays? Be Prepared to Be Flexible.
From paper manufacturing to ocean cargo, books continue to be buffeted by a variety of supply chain challenges.
Can Fiction Make a Difference in the World?
When sociopolitical discourse seems entrenched, good fiction can dig deeper with honest curiosity about all facets of the human experience.
What It Takes to Be a Freelance Editor
Being a freelance editor requires lifelong curiosity, persistent self-education, ruthless support—and the ability to do all this quickly.
3 Writing Prompts to Spark Your Creativity
In this excerpt from her book The Joy of Writing Journal, Lisa Tener offers three prompts to help you see story ideas all around.
How to Format Your Manuscript for a Designer or Publisher
When your ms is complete, it's time to think about semantic structure—a digital map that allows computers to identify the parts of your book.
UK Publishers Take the World Lead in Workforce Diversity Efforts
In the UK, publishers are making a firm commitment to improvement—and not just in gender inclusion in the upper echelons.
Succeeding with Self-Published Memoir: Q&A with Ashleigh Renard
The SWING author discusses the pre-order campaign for her self-published book, the importance of social media engagement, and more.
Closing Image: September 15, 2021
In a post about TikTok, audience intelligence firm Pulsar says, “We’ve previously seen Wattpad emerge as one of the leading hashtags on both TikTok and Twitter,
Links of Interest: September 15, 2021
Legal Big publishers and Amazon move to dismiss booksellers’ class-action lawsuits. Amazon argues that the factual basis for the plaintiffs’
Libro.fm launches a business hub
Audiobook retailer Libro.fm now works with businesses to offer curated collections of digital audiobooks to employees
Post Hill Press launches SALT Books
Post Hill Press has partnered with Anthony Scaramucci on an imprint named for the SkyBridge Alternatives Conference, aka the SALT Conferences.