- There’s now a Netflix for comic books. Amazon’s ComiXology has launched a subscription service: $5.99 for all the comics you can read. Notably, titles from Marvel and DC are not available. Read more at Entertainment Weekly.
- BookBub will soon allow authors and publishers to buy advertising in their deal emails. Get more details from BookBub’s blog.
- Sales of audiobooks increased 20.7 percent in 2015. The Audio Publishers Association released the details of their latest survey, which showed expected strength in both unit and dollar sales for audiobooks. The number of titles published in audio also grew, by 37 percent over the prior year. Adult titles dominate the category, accounting for more than 90 percent of audiobook sales. Find out more at Publishers Weekly.
- Engagement on Facebook links is declining, while video content gets more attention—at least for major publishers. If you’ve noticed your Facebook links aren’t getting as much engagement as before, you’re not alone. Read more at News Whip.
- A new blog focused on advice for self-published children’s authors has just launched. It’s the work of hybrid author Darcy Pattison, who has been successful publishing her own children’s picture books. Check out Indie Kids Books.
- The UK bookseller Waterstones will no longer sell ebooks. Customers are being transferred to Kobo. Read more in the Bookseller.
- The US-based traditional publisher Bloomsbury has reorganized into two divisions: consumer and non-consumer, with plans to phase out their consumer-focused publishing by 2020. Read more at Publishers Weekly.
- The New York Times has debuted a new visual look for its bestseller lists. Take a peek.
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.