Links of Interest: July 20, 2022

Libraries

• Librarians are resigning because of the conservative-led book-banning movement. Now the focus of personal attacks, some librarians are deciding it’s better to quit than fight. Read Elizabeth A. Harris and Alexandra Alter in The New York Times.
• A library in Iowa closes temporarily because no one will work there. Members of the library board will fill in as volunteers. Read Ty Rushing at Iowa Starting Line.

Traditional Publishing

• HarperCollins workers go on strike for one day. About 250 employees across divisions went on strike on July 20, demanding higher pay, improved benefits, and a greater commitment to diversity. About 10 to 15 percent of HarperCollins employees belong to the union and have been working without a contract since the previous one expired at the end of 2021. Read Jim Milliot in Publishers Weekly.
• Why are some people leaving their publishing jobs? Paul Bogaards, a longtime veteran who recently left his senior position, offers a nuanced take and argues that there is not a mass exodus underway. Read at his Substack.
• Are ebook sales about to increase due to paper and printing price increases? Canadian publisher Ken Whyte believes print prices in his country will likely reach $35 for paperbacks and $58 for hardcovers. Read SHuSH.
• US bestselling books of 2022: So far, Colleen Hoover dominates. Read John Maher in Publishers Weekly.

Bookselling

• It’s time for the perennial “indie bookstores are booming” trend piece. This time it’s diverse booksellers who are prospering. Read Alexandra Alter and Elizabeth A. Harris in The New York Times.
• Comic books had their best sales year ever in 2021. Japanese manga is one reason for the growth. Read Travis Clark at Business Insider.

Media

• US newspaper circulations in 2022. The best-performing newspaper in terms of year-on-year performance is Florida’s Villages Daily Sun, with 3 percent growth. All other newspapers have seen declines. Read William Turvill at Press Gazette.
• As NFTs precipitously decline in popularity, social media sites continue to integrate NFT avatars. However, when a journalist contacted Reddit, Meta, and Twitter for comment, no one would speak on the topic. Read Casey Newton at Platformer.

Trends

• Romance novels are moving to the kitchen. “It’s all about apron tuggers now.” Read Bettina Makalintal at Eater.
• Conservative women are radicalizing Amish literature. The novels are now addressing depression and marital conflict. Read Kelsey Osgood in The Atlantic.

Culture & Politics

• Religion publishers react to Roe’s reversal. They are experiencing more backlist sales for titles dealing with abortion. Read Emma Wenner in Publishers Weekly.
• Bestselling author wanted for questioning in murder. Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing, may be involved in the 1996 murder of an alleged poacher. Read Jeffrey Goldberg in The Atlantic.
• Meanwhile, a film adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing is about to release in theaters. Even though it’s a bestselling book with an established audience, it primarily interests women, and it doesn’t belong to an existing franchise. So if it does well, it could generate enthusiasm for more big-screen adaptations based on standalone books. Read Tom Brueggemann at IndieWire.
• What should be done with books that are now considered fraudulent? A writer looks at the history of Go Ask Alice, once marketed as a true story, still on the shelves. Read Jonathan Russell Clark at Esquire.
• Black authors write satirical novels about racism and whiteness. One Black novelist says she uses humor as a safety measure so she does not have to endure accusations of trying to write whiteness. Read Alexandra Alter at The New York Times.

Audiobooks

• Sweden-based BookBeat begins to distribute RBmedia audiobooks. RBmedia is the largest audiobook publisher in the world. The deal involves 40,000 English-language titles from RBmedia’s brands, including Recorded Books, Author’s Republic, and others. See the press release.

Children’s Publishing

• There’s a flood of children’s books dealing with anxiety. Yoga and mindfulness titles have boomed. Read Celina Ribeiro at The Guardian.
• Queer children’s books are being threatened across the country. There’s an assumption that “a gay book” is necessarily a sexualized book, which makes it more susceptible to challenges and bans. Read Jessica Winter in The New Yorker.

Legal

• A first look at the Copyright Claims Board filings. Most deal with photos, music, and artwork—only a handful so far involve literary work. Read Eric Goldman at the Technology & Marketing Law Blog.
• The manuscript thief may avoid trial. Prosecutors are considering a deferred prosecution request. Read Sarah Shaffi at The Guardian.

Marketing Toolbox

• The complete guide to influencer marketing for authors. Learn how to identify and approach influencers to help market your books. Read Clayton Noblit at Written Word Media.
• Learn how a Bookstagrammer works. Jordan Moblo reveals how he crafts successful posts and gives tips on how to get on pre-publication mailing lists. Listen to Slate’s Working.
• How Penguin Random House mastered BookTok. Penguin Teen joined TikTok in October 2019 and has been cultivating an audience ever since. Read Benjamin Broomfield at ClickZ.