Marketing Toolbox
- How do Kindle Unlimited subscribers behave, and what does it mean for visibility and earnings? Written Word Media offers a detailed analysis of who benefits from Amazon KU and how. Read the post.
- Another case study on optimizing Facebook ads for books: Indie author GD Harper describes her process in detail. Read at the ALLi blog.
- A self-published nonfiction author offers a detailed case study of how he sold 180,000 copies. Part IV is most relevant to authors who are preparing for a book launch or actively marketing and promoting. Read at GrowthLab.
- Learn about four lesser-known ebook distribution platforms. Carla King looks at the opportunities presented by Kbuuk, PublishDrive, Scribl, and StreetLib. [Editor’s note: This article has been archived here.]
- Author Kristine Rusch discusses email newsletter strategy at length. She distinguishes between “old school newsletters” and “ad circulars.” Read at her blog.
Amazon
- Amazon is investing in a virtual customer service program. About 5,000 people will be hired and able to work from home. Read the press release.
- The Seattle Times reports on Amazon’s long-running translation imprint, AmazonCrossing. AmazonCrossing has been publishing literature in translation for years now—and industry insiders know of its significance—so this isn’t exactly breaking news. But it may be a wake-up call for some.
Traditional Publishing
- Publishers Weekly has compiled a list of the fastest growing independent publishers. The list includes well-known houses such as Graywolf as well as little-known Cottage Door Press, founded in 2014. See the full list.
- Simon & Schuster shutters Tyrus. Benjamin LeRoy, the founder and publisher of Tyrus, announced the closing on social media last week. Tyrus was included in Simon & Schuster’s acquisition last year of Adams Media from F+W. Simon & Schuster will continue to handle the Tyrus backlist. Learn more in Publishers Weekly.
- Children’s book subscription clubs are succeeding at independent bookstores. Several booksellers discussed their experience and strategies at the recent ABC Children’s Institute. Read more in Shelf Awareness.
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.