Links of Interest: July 6, 2022

by

Audio

  • The Authors Guild raises a flag for authors on Spotify’s expansion. The primary concern is that Spotify will pressure authors and publishers to put their books into a subscription-based system. Read at the Authors Guild website.

Creator Economy

  • The Substack layoffs have arrived. About 14 percent of the company has been let go. It was perhaps inevitable—the venture capital money tree isn’t as flush and welcoming as before (many startups have been hit hard this year), so the company is focusing on profitability without further fundraising. Read Sara Fischer at Axios.
  • The latest TikTok trend: in-depth analysis. If you consider yourself an influencer, trend forecaster, or media pundit, it’s worth taking note. Read Terry Nguyen at Vox.
  • Learn the basics of TikTok for authors. If you’ve been avoiding any understanding of the platform, this article from Kindlepreneur will bring you up to speed. Read Jason Hamilton.

Amazon

  • Amazon could run out of workers in 2024. That’s according to a research report from Amazon itself. The company depends on more than 1 million people to pick, pack, and ship its orders, but workers are looking elsewhere to escape surveillance and high injury rates. Read Jason Del Rey at Vox.
  • How does Goodreads make money? Mainly, it’s through advertising. Some back-of-the-napkin math indicates Goodreads might not be all that profitable, but profits aren’t likely the primary goal of the site. Read Arvyn Cerézo at Book Riot.

Culture & Politics

  • Controversy erupts over librarians’ discussion of censorship. At this year’s annual ALA (American Library Association) conference, panelists discussed the “hard truth” when it comes to censorship: Can you be against book-banning yet want to remove access to some materials? Read Kara Yorio at School Library Journal.
  • Another topic that sparks controversy: the rise of sensitivity reads. While the practice originated with YA, it has now spread to all genres,with few industry standards in place. Some publishers rely on sensitivity readers in lieu of more diverse staff. One author who has served as a sensitivity reader herself takes issue with the merits—with an ardent anti-woke stance. Read Kat Rosenfield in Reason.
  • The market for Trump books appears to be waning. Mark Meadows’s recent book hasn’t sold terribly well, and others are failing to meet the high sales figures of past titles. A conservative publishing executive says, “My sense is that a book by a former insider trashing Trump … does not seem like a formula for success. It’s neither fish nor fowl … not something for Trump fans, and Trump haters aren’t going to trust that person.” Read Daniel Lippman, Meredith McGraw, and Max Tani at Politico.
  • Having literary interests is fashionable. There’s now such a thing as a “hot-girl book,” like Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation or anything by Sally Rooney. Read Sophie Wilson at Vice.
  • A look at bestselling author Mark Manson. The long and short of it: He’s burned out on his occupation as self-help guru. Read Benjamin Wallace at New York.
  • Publishers rush titles to market to address the post-Roe era. Some titles are new, some are reprints, some are updated editions. Read Nathalie op de Beeck at Publishers Weekly.
  • The personal brand is dead for Gen Z. They would rather be anonymous online. Read Kaitlyn Tiffany at The Atlantic.

Potpourri

  • Biggest US magazine publisher halts some print subscriptions due to paper shortage. If you subscribe to People or Better Homes & Gardens, you may be offered a digital edition instead of print. Read Tyler Jett at the Des Moines Register.
  • Australia’s biggest online bookseller isn’t doing so well. Booktopia has been around for 15 years, and the company went public during the pandemic. It constitutes more than half of the Australian online book market, but clouds are forming on the horizon. Read Sarah Danckert at The Sydney Morning Herald.