- The New York Times has a long profile of successful self-published romance novelist Meredith Wild, who now operates her own publishing house, Waterhouse Press. Her success grew out of an ability to invest in and market her own work. The Times says, “Before [her first] book was even released, she began buying online ads targeting erotic romance readers. Her husband took out 10 credit cards and a personal loan to pay for advertising.… They eventually raised enough to fund a six-figure national marketing campaign, which included paid posts on social media and movie theater ads … that played before the Fifty Shades of Grey movie.” Read the entire profile.
- Barnes & Noble is partnering with the customized Put Me In The Story platform from Sourcebooks. Put Me In The Story allows for personalized printing of well-known children’s books, using a specific child’s picture and name. Right now the program is limited to online availability, as well as three Barnes & Noble stores with print-on-demand machines. More details can be found at Barnes & Noble’s website.
- Finally, after ten years of growing sales, the publishing industry has created BISAC codes specifically for the young adult category. This means YA sales can be more easily tracked and separated from other juvenile categories. Read more at Publishing Perspectives.
- Read a profile of one of the publishing industry’s only black editors: “How Chris Jackson Is Building a Black Literary Movement” over at the New York Times.
- The Guardian has a feature on so-called unprintable books, or stories that push the boundaries of the printed page. The article says, “With big publishers unwilling to commit large investments to digital fiction, the field remains open to independents and researchers alike.” Read the full story.
- Have you been under contract for a nonfiction book for two years? If your two-year mark is on or before May 1, 2016, then you’re eligible to apply for a sizable grant from the Whiting Foundation. Self-help and textbook authors are not eligible.
- About that Amazon bookstore rumor you heard: if you didn’t hear it, don’t worry yourself any further. But if you did, everything you’ve seen is essentially speculation and misdirection. Bottom line: yes, there is a bricks-and-mortar retail initiative at Amazon, with real staffing and leadership, and there are Amazon job postings for booksellers in California. What it will produce, and on what timeline, is all conjecture.
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.