Ebooks

Standout subcategories include domestic thrillers, organized crime, paranormal mysteries (featuring shifters), and legal thrillers.

Bookshop, launched in 2020 as a virtuous alternative to Amazon, has until now sold primarily print editions.

Draft2Digital, the popular ebook distributor in the US for independent authors, just announced a distribution deal with DPLA.

Trends and takeaways in a popular romance subcategory.

OverDrive, the leading distributor of digital books to libraries, recently announced that digital lending increased 10 percent over 2021.

The site is known as Z-Library, and it was especially popular among TikTok users.

Executives from Wattpad Webtoon Studios and Rakuten Kobo discuss the hard-to-measure but growing audience for independently published ebooks and digital serializations.

Book wholesaler and distributor Ingram has invested in the NFT ebook company Book.io.

Earlier this year, a viral TikTok post sparked an online petition by authors demanding that Amazon change its returns policy.

Self-publishing authors, among others, have long complained that Amazon’s ebook return policy is far too permissive.

The Palace Project app allows library patrons to access all of their library’s digital content through a single interface.

At least once a year a reader discovers Amazon’s long-standing lenient refund/returns policy for ebooks and audiobooks, and spreads the word.

Two of the top US-based book distributors unite to form a company focused on serving independent authors.

One of the most successful audiobook publishers today is likely a company you haven’t heard of: Podium Audio.

Founded in 2009 by Jane Friedman (the former CEO of HarperCollins, not the editor of this newsletter), Open Road launched with a focus on acquiring and selling backlist books in ebook format.

Consistent with themes in other genres, the SFF category performs best in series and with elements of romance.

Authors who publish frequently have the best chance in this genre; paranormal themes and women sleuths also perform well

Grand Central Publishing, an imprint at Hachette, has announced a deal for a new psychological thriller by bestselling author Colleen Hoover.

This new browser-based software competes directly with Mac-only Vellum, which makes it an alluring option for PC users

Reader Reach Ads comes from an established book promotion firm that has a strong track record of serving indie authors

Does library lending help or hurt author and publisher income? The debate continues among publishers, librarians, and author advocates.

Open Road Media, known for its digital marketing strength as well as its own backlist publishing program for ebooks, has acquired UK ebook publisher Bloodhound Books.

A popular music technology and instrument retailer, Sweetwater, has announced the launch of Sweetwater Publishing.

OverDrive, the leading digital reading platform for libraries, acquired Kanopy, a video streaming service, which includes 30.000 films.

Not even a month after Maryland passed a library ebook bill, New York passed one of its own; (which Governor Andrew Cuomo still needs to sign