Several library associations have sent a letter to major New York publishers to express concern over increasingly expensive digital book licensing. One library organization leader said that in some large, high-circulation library systems, 50 percent of their collections budget is spent on licensing—much higher than prior to the pandemic. (An ebook license typically costs $55 or more for a new title, and it must be repurchased after two years or a specific number of checkouts. Smaller and independent publishers typically offer more flexible terms or allow for ownership.)
Major publishers and the Authors Guild have long argued that money spent on ebooks and audiobooks is a small percentage of libraries’ total operating budgets. This debate has been going on for years, and libraries have limited leverage. But new state bills have started to push the envelope. Learn more in Publishers Weekly.
For more context
- Do you know what authors earn from library lending? Read my 2021 analysis (free).
- A legal battle shed some light on libraries and digital lending. Read the 2022 revelations (paid).
- Recent research shows library lending doesn’t cannibalize sales. Read my 2024 article (paid).
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
