Trends
- The next hot thing since coloring books: sticker books! Workman Publishing, playing off the boom in adult coloring books, has designed a new type of activity book to help people achieve a meditative state or creative flow: paint by sticker. Four sticker books came out this year, with another four to follow in 2017; nearly 700,000 sticker books have been printed so far. Read more in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
- There’s a booming rights scene for children’s books in China. Now that China has a two-child policy, the market for children’s work is becoming significant, fueled by the growth of the middle class. The market favors nonfiction picture books (especially series) and science picture books. Read more in Publishers Weekly.
- The US election year has depressed retail sales for many, including those in the publishing business. Author Kristine Rusch writes, “I know a lot of you have experienced a downturn recently. I can’t promise that your next few months will be better, although the economic indicators say they will…. What I can tell you is that your decline in sales is probably not permanent, and most likely not your fault.” Read more at Kristine Rusch’s site.
- Learn more about the habits and behaviors of Millennials. Time Inc. UK did a research study and has summarized its findings. Read up at FIPP.
- What does it take to open a bookstore? The New York Times investigates the scene in, well, New York. Learn the story of the Greenlight Bookstore.
- LA Times takes a look at the revived Book of the Month Club. We covered the new BOMC back in September; if you’re interested in additional coverage, read this latest report.
Traditional Publishing
- Attention, Penguin Random House authors (and readers): Your publisher will cover 50 percent of your membership fees if you join PEN before the end of the year. Readers can also take advantage of discounted memberships using the publisher’s discount code.
- On Thursday, Dec. 15, agency Peters Fraser + Dunlop will host an #AskAgent session on Twitter. They encourage you to send in the questions you have always wanted to ask literary agents. (But no pitching.) Simply tweet @PFDAgents with your question, using the hashtag #AskAgent.
- Authors have recently complained about several small presses to Writer Beware. Hopefully you aren’t working with any of the publishers in question, which include Torquere Press, Caliburn Press, and Month9Books. Find out more.
- Elizabeth Scarpelli has been hired as director of the newly established University of Cincinnati Press. The academic press will focus on two programs: peer-reviewed scholarly works in social justice and regional works featuring Cincinnati. Read the initial press release.
- After the spring acquisition of Perseus by Hachette: Perseus, including the imprints Basic Books, Public Affairs, and Weinstein Books, is moving into Hachette’s Manhattan offices this week. Perseus staff are now using Hachette email addresses (firstname.lastname@hbgusa.com).
Marketing Toolbox
- Grow your email list with an InstaFreebie trial. InstaFreebie is a paid service that allows you to require an email address for a download. One writer offers a case study of how to use it with the free trial. Read more at ALLi’s blog.
- Why to reconsider using Google Plus for marketing. No, it’s not dead yet! There are still some benefits to spending a few minutes here and there on Google Plus. Read more at Buffer.
- Do book awards sell more books? Publishers in Australia say the cost of entering book competitions outweighs the sales benefits: read more in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Amazon
- Amazon has launched a new concept grocery store in Seattle called Amazon Go. It allows customers to shop without passing through a checkout line; if the concept proves out, it may mean millions of retail jobs lost in the future. Read more in the Financial Times (subscription required).
- Amazon Kindle now lets you read ebooks in Indian languages. India is expected to surpass the US market for Kindle sales within the next few years. Read more in Digital Journal.
- “Alexa, read me my daily devotion.” HarperCollins Christian Publishing is the first book publisher to collaborate with Amazon on its voice-controlled Alexa technology in the Amazon Echo. Read more at Publishing Perspectives.
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.