Links of Interest: January 3, 2024

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Traditional Publishing

  • Here’s a gossipy article about the New York publishing elite. It starts with a question that practically answers itself: How long can big publishers pay big advances for debut novels that aren’t likely to sell well? The article goes on to discuss the “buzzy” literary scene in New York and just how few books actually sell well unless your name is Colleen Hoover. By the end, the truth comes out: Authors with strong sales don’t often arise out of the NYC literary scene. What a revelation. Read Louis Cheslaw at Air Mail (free, but requires registration).
  • Learn about the publishing twins. The twin sisters work in New York publishing as editors—one at Bloomsbury, the other at Little, Brown. They have an Instagram account you can follow. Read Kate Dwyer at the New York Times (gift link).
  • Why publishers redesign covers for the paperback edition. Reasons can include a mix of redesign, regret, and/or relaunch. Read Scott Heller and Miguel Salazar at the New York Times (gift link).
  • The fastest-selling Little Golden book in history. It’s a Taylor Swift biography. Read Helen Lee at KSBY.

Libraries

  • A report on the US public library ecosystem for digital books: Digital borrowing has increased by 34 percent since 2019. Two professors of book publishing study licensing terms for digital books in the context of the rise in digital content consumption. The report includes helpful reference charts that lay out how each publisher handles digital lending. Download at the American Library Association.