News
- Why is Woody Allen’s memoir shrouded in secrecy? Very few articles have been published about the book—in part, we assume, because so few people can bring themselves to care about it amidst a pandemic. Here’s the most in-depth look we’ve seen, by Rumaan Alam. Read at The New Republic (subscription required).
- Oprah’s book club dropped this author, but her book has still become a bestseller. Kate Elizabeth Russell worked on her debut novel for 18 years before it was picked up at auction. Just when it was about to be announced as an Oprah pick, the author was accused of plagiarism. Despite a series of unfortunate events, the book is selling well. Read Elisabeth Egan at The New York Times.
- Writers must document the pandemic, says a Mexican Bronx-based writer. Valeria Luiselli: “I think it is my duty, and the duty of every writer, whether a science-fiction writer, a journalist, a poet, each at their own pace and within their own capacities, to document this moment.” Read Claudia Torrens at the AP.
- News publishers and newspaper delivery are considered essential during the pandemic. At first, it wasn’t absolutely certain if news media organizations would be allowed to continue work during stay-at-home orders. The News Media Alliance has been working to clear up any confusion. Read Rob Williams at their site.
Trends
- Why Columbus, Ohio, is the next center of crime writing. The city is the center of the opioid epidemic and has a gang problem. Read Andrew Welsh-Huggins at CrimeReads.
- Indie authors are rushing to market with lockdown erotica. You could have predicted this one, right? The covers and titles alone are entertaining. Read at The Guardian.
- The New York Times considers books a ripe area for expansion. They’ve published a quick ebook on coronavirus and are planning for 20 book releases this year, including a middle-grade book. Read Sarah Scire at Nieman Lab.
- The sales of books published through services like Xlibris appear unsurprisingly bad. The Alliance of Independent Authors studies Amazon sales ranking and reviews to determine the relative success of books released through high-priced publishing services (sometimes called vanity publishers). Read John Doppler at the ALLi blog.
- Disney Hyperion launches a YA series with multiple authors. The Mirror is a YA multi-generational fairytale series with four installments planned; the books will release at a pace of one a year. Read Sally Lodge in Publishers Weekly.
- A look at new titles from authors with disabilities. In July, the United States will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act; look for these perfectly timed forthcoming titles. Read Alex Green in Publishers Weekly.
Amazon
- Amazon has dramatically cut affiliate marketing commissions. Some category commissions remain unchanged—such as physical books—but others are dropping by as much as 80 percent. Read Greg Dool in Folio.
- Amazon KDP funnels a lot of objectionable content to market. The reporters at ProPublica dive deep into the extremist content that’s self-published and distributed through Amazon. Read Ava Kofman.
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.