News
- There are rumors of a merger between Baker & Taylor and Ingram. If the two companies consolidate, there will be only one national book wholesaler in the United States. Read early reporting and reaction in Shelf Awareness.
- Amazon reverses its Australia decision. Earlier this year, Amazon restricted Australians from shopping on the US version of the site due to new taxes levied by the Australian government. They’ve now lifted the block. Read Natasha Lomas in TechCrunch.
- Mystery Writers of America withdraws grandmaster honors for Linda Fairstein. After public outcry about Fairstein’s role in prosecuting the Central Park Five, the writers organization revisited its decision. Read John Maher in Publishers Weekly.
- Complaints arise about the Writer of the Future contest. The SFWA announced that it has received a sufficient number of concerns about the contest that it is beginning an investigation. Read the statement.
- Ganxy is closing. Founded in 2009, the company was meant to compete with Amazon on ebook distribution. Read Jim Milliot in Publishers Weekly.
Trends
- Penguin Random House shares five sales trends. If you’re writing about narwhals and unicorns, don’t stop now! Read at the PRH blog.
- There’s been an increase in books coverage. But the nature of that coverage has changed. Read Sam Eichner in Columbia Journalism Review.
- A data scientist describes how to land on the NYT bestseller list. Write a mystery, romance, or memoir—and publish in February. Read Albert-László Barabási in MarketWatch.
- Panorama releases its first report on how libraries affect ebook retail sales. The main takeaway? Libraries boost discoverability and sales of ebooks. Read.
Culture and Politics
- The year of Trump and book publishing. He’s sparked an avalanche of book sales, and some in publishing are embarrassed. Read Lila Shapiro in Vulture.
- How bookstores are balancing politics and business. A store owner must be ready for their selection to be criticized from both the left and the right. Read Judith Rosen in Publishers Weekly.
- It was the year of the woman. Again, Vulture takes a look back on the year in books and decides that women won for fiction. Read Hillary Kelly.
- Nike and Boeing are paying sci-fi writers to predict their futures. Starting fee is $100,000. Read Brian Merchant in Medium.
- The New York Times recognizes 32 black male writers. Writer Ayana Mathis says each is essential to understanding our country and its place in the world right now. Read and watch.
- Meanwhile, the next black publishing generation speaks. Those working inside the industry share their thoughts with Publishers Weekly. Read Diane Patrick.
UK
- UK authors lobby for Brexit protections. The Society of Authors has released a Brexit Briefing that outlines the vulnerabilities of the UK creative community. Read Ed Nawotka in Publishers Weekly.
- UK book trade agrees to code of conduct. The code is intended to stamp out sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying, and intimidation. Read Neil Denny in Publishers Weekly.
Marketing Toolbox
- Speaking of influencers, Reedsy has just created a list of the best book-related YouTube channels. So far you can browse a list of 164 channels for getting book reviews or coverage. Visit Reedsy’s blog.
- How to create more effective BookBub ads. Over at David Gaughran’s blog, a BookBub rep shows how authors are succeeding with BookBub Ads. (These aren’t the featured deals, but the ads below the deals, open to anyone). Read Carlyn Robertson.
Self-publishing
- How to self-publish a large print edition. Reach a wider audience by knowing how to make a professional-looking edition in large print. Read Russell Phillips at the ALLi blog.
- Some indie authors are reporting precipitous sales declines at Amazon. Kristine Rusch discusses the risks of being exclusive to Amazon. Read at her blog.
- More ebook marketing options through PublishDrive. The ebook distributor now offers secure review-copy distribution, featured-title merchandising opportunities, and social media promotion. Learn more at their blog.
New Imprints and Publishing Efforts
- Harlequin announces a multi-part Feel Good Project to explore the power of positive experiences. The initiative includes a Creator Fund, “designed to attract and support a wide range of new and established female content creators” and “award financial grants to storytellers in order to provide them with an opportunity to complete their manuscripts with Harlequin.” Learn more at Harlequin’s site.
- Carina Press launches Carina Adores. It’s a new LGBTQ+ contemporary romance line. Learn more at their blog.
- Polis Books launches a new diversity-focused crime imprint, Agora. It will eventually publish six to 10 titles per year. Learn more in Publishers Weekly from Calvin Reid.
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.