News
- Simon & Schuster names new publisher. Dana Canedy succeeds Jonathan Karp (who just moved into the CEO role after Carolyn Reidy’s passing). Canedy has been the administrator of the Pulitzer Prize and worked for The New York Times for 20 years. Read Elizabeth A. Harris in The New York Times.
- A handful of independent bookstores are pulling JK Rowling’s work from their shelves. Rowling stands accused of transphobia and hate speech. Read Claire Kirch in Publishers Weekly.
- The creator of the Sh**ty Media Men list can’t escape (yet) from a libel suit. The list first appeared in 2017, but the resulting suit—brought by author Stephen Elliott, named on the list—continues. Read Eriq Gardner in The Hollywood Reporter.
- Quad has sold one of its book-printing plants to another printer. Quad still has one more book-printing plant left to sell. Read the press release.
Pandemic Life
- Ingram invests in print-on-demand operations. The world’s largest book distributor will grow capacity in the US, UK, and Australia. In the US, hundreds of new employees will be hired to run new equipment now being installed. Learn more in Shelf Awareness.
- Stop microwaving your books to get rid of coronavirus. Your library is begging you. Read Marika Gerken at CNN.
- Consumer spending at Amazon has grown 50 percent versus last year. By comparison, Walmart grew 13 percent. That’s according to Facteus.
- New York’s editors and agents miss socializing. An editor at Knopf says, “I still believe there are aspects of sitting together over a meal that foster intimacy and trust in ways that are genuinely essential to how we do business.” Read Elizabeth A. Harris at The New York Times.
- How small presses are faring … In a second coronavirus update, Publishers Weekly looks at how well independent publishers are adapting to the new normal. Of note: Belt Publishing says that while sales through their distributor PGW have declined 40 percent this year, direct sales have jumped by 85 percent, resulting in a 20 percent increase in net revenues year to date. Read Claire Kirch and Ed Nawotka.
- … and also how university presses are navigating the challenges. Most are expecting to miss budgeted revenue by 5 to 15 percent, with projected decreases of 20 to 40 percent for 2021. Read Laura Brown at Ithaka S+R.
Trends
- The rise of the true crime podcast novel. A new subset of journalist is rising: the podcasters. Read Kit Frick at CrimeReads.
- College student spending on course materials continues its decline. Use of digital materials—and the number of students who download free materials—continues to grow. Learn more at Publishers Weekly.
- More children’s books are tackling sexual harassment and abuse. A sensitive approach and light touch are key. Read Concepción de León at The New York Times.
Culture and Politics
- Regional differences exist in the most popular anti-racism books at libraries: The Panorama Project goes beyond the bestsellers to uncover lesser known titles being read in the US. Take a look.
- Who profits from Black books on the bestseller lists? Employees of Waterstones want to see the bookseller donate to Black Lives Matter; it has so far refused to do so. Read Ellen Peirson-Hagger at New Statesman.
- What is wrong with “Black lists” and what is good. The wrong: they can reduce Black people to a “hologram of suffering” or a charity case. Read Rich Benjamin at The Intercept.
- Ex-wife of Dan Brown alleges he leads a double life. The details of The Da Vinci Code author’s divorce include allegations of extramarital affairs, a clandestine children’s book, and “several Friesian horses.” Read Michael Casey at AP.
- A book critic reads almost every memoir by a Trump official so you don’t have to. Laura Miller says that only together do they reveal the full picture. Read at Slate.
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.