News
- Indie author Mark Dawson buys his way onto a UK bestseller list—but then gets pulled from it. By buying 400 copies of his own book, he was able to make the top 10. But after revealing he had done so on his podcast, Nielsen recalculated the bestseller charts and removed his book. Read Alison Flood in The Guardian.
- McGraw Hill severs ties with Audible. In a development that we saw mentioned only in Publishers Lunch, McGraw Hill has pulled all audiobook titles from Audible since June 30. The two companies failed to come to an agreement on a renewal of terms. McGraw Hill wrote a letter to its authors telling them to redirect sales to other retailers. Read Sara Grace (subscription required).
- UK wholesaler Gardners buys its competitor’s assets. After Bertram declared bankruptcy, Gardners stepped in to take over its assets and warehouse. Learn more at Shelf Awareness.
Pandemic Life
- Booksellers change how they buy frontlist books during a pandemic. Sales patterns have changed since March, and bookstore buyers must watch trends when ordering new titles. Without in-store traffic, booksellers have to rely more on publishers’ marketing efforts rather than their own enthusiasm. Read Claire Kirch in Publishers Weekly.
- Kindle Unlimited use appears to be growing. The KDP Select Global Fund, which pays self-publishing authors for page reads in Kindle Unlimited, has grown consistently during the pandemic. The first half of 2020 has seen payouts increase by 23 percent versus 2019. From 2018 to 2019, the fund grew 12.5 percent. Read Roger Packer.
- SF/F magazine editors discuss the effects of the pandemic. Submissions have been up across the board, with a high percentage of first-time submitters. There’s also been a rise in plagiarism. Read J. Scott Coatsworth at the SFWA.
- Powell’s remains closed. Owner Emily Powell hints at “painful choices” to come for the Portland-based bookseller. Read Ed Nawotka in Publishers Weekly.
- German book sales drop by 14 percent in the first half of 2020. This actually represents a recent improvement; sales were down by 21 percent versus 2019 at the end of May. Learn more at Germany’s Börsenverein.
- Since late February, there have been no major comics events or cons. Live comics events provide a critical revenue stream for the industry; virtual events are trying to fill the gap. Read Heidi MacDonald in Publishers Weekly.
- The boom in lockdown erotica: There’s increasing self-publishing activity as well as at least one contest. A quarantine happens to be a great literary device. Read Pearse Anderson in The Guardian.
- PublishDrive’s June sales increased by 66 percent over the prior June. The ebook distributor used by self-publishing authors has seen increased sales ever since the pandemic began, with growth of 34 percent in Q2 vs Q1. Considerable growth is coming from international markets and libraries. Read more at their site.
Trends
- Graphic novel sales are up by 11 percent in 2019 in the US and Canada. There’s been a massive shift to graphic novels as the preferred format for comics. Read Milton Griepp at ICv2.
- Religious publishers see an increase in sales for anti-racism books. Strong-performing titles were for children and adults alike. Read Cathy Lynn Grossman in Publishers Weekly.
- Digital-native news outlets face cuts. As traffic has plateaued to news sites (e.g., Bustle, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Slate, and more), advertising dollars increasingly go to a small number of tech companies. Read Michael Barthel and Galen Stocking at Pew Research.
Diversity and Inclusion
- Agents and editors comment anonymously on #PublishingPaidMe. Some say the complexity of publishing deals makes it difficult to prove that authors of color are paid less than their white counterparts. But others say such excuses are oft-repeated racist nonsense. Read Rachel Deahl in Publishers Weekly.
- The American Booksellers Association expands board to include BIPOC booksellers. Up until now, the ABA has had just one Black board director. Learn more at Shelf Awareness.
- The National Book Critics Circle has 15 new board members. The organization says it is the most diverse board in its history. Carlin Romano, whom you might recall as the problematic board member, will soon be removed. Read John Maher in Publishers Weekly.
- Another crime novelist calls out crime fiction for selling the myth that crimes are mysteries and cops protect us. Novelist Aya de León argues that crime fiction is complicit in police violence. Read at Electric Literature.
- Penguin Random House UK accelerates its inclusion plan. One major goal is for the company’s leadership to be representative of UK society according to the 2021 census. Another is for 5 percent of acquisitions to come from Black writers. Read Mark Chandler in The Bookseller (subscription required).
Marketing Toolbox
- Book launches get more creative. One author is conducting the world’s first drive-in book launch, complete with movie screening. Read Ed Nawotka in Publishers Weekly.
- Amazon pre-orders may not benefit most indie authors. In a five-minute video, Dave Chesson explains why only well-known names or authors with well-oiled marketing campaigns are likely to benefit from Amazon pre-orders. Watch at YouTube.
- A comprehensive beginner’s guide on how to publish an audiobook. If you’re new to the world of audiobook distribution and publishing, Written Word Media offers a primer. Read Ricci Wolman at their site.
- How to set up an online bookstore with Lulu xPress and Shopify. Indie author Darcy Pattison outlines how you can sell your print book direct to readers, without shipping and fulfilling the orders yourself—and without giving a cut to Amazon or Ingram. It requires having your own website. Read at her site.
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.