Links of Interest: June 26, 2019

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News

  • The New York Times reports on Amazon’s counterfeit book (and product) problem. Amazon still takes a “hands-off approach,” intervening typically when customers complain. Read David Streitfeld. Here is Amazon’s response, notable for its length and detail.
     
  • The publishing industry speaks out against proposed China tariffs. Over the last week or so, people from book publishing and bookselling explained to Congress why tariffs would be harmful to the business. You can find a summary of testimony at Publishing Perspectives, including comments from the vice president for global policy at the Association of American Publishers, M. Lui Simpson.
     
  • The Department of Justice sues to block the merger of two printers. Last fall, Quad announced its intent to merge with LSC Communications, which would unite the country’s two largest printers of books and magazines. But the merger is now in jeopardy. Read Jim Milliot in Publishers Weekly.
     
  • James Daunt relishes the challenge of leading Barnes & Noble. In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Daunt comments on the task of turning around B&N, saying it may entail a “steep learning curve,” since the US is larger and more diverse than the UK. Read Ed Nawotka. 
     
  • The Association of American Publishers has released sales stats for 2018—showing a gradual decline. The AAP stats are not necessarily the most accurate figures—and they are also subject to revision after the fact—but they help show which way the wind is blowing. Read in Publishing Perspectives.
     
  • Heads up: Dropbox is changing a bit. Many writers use Dropbox to store and backup manuscripts. It’s becoming a more “collaborative workspace.” Read Harry McCracken in Fast Company.  

Trends

  • A massive selection isn’t a magnet any longer for consumers shopping for books—which is a problem for Barnes & Noble. Industry vet Mike Shatzkin comments on why it will be challenging to turn around the fortunes of Barnes & Noble. Read at his blog.
     
  • How the paper shortage has affected book publishing. This article is based on the insight of a production/manufacturing director at children’s publisher Lee & Low Books. Read Rachel Kramer Bussel in Forbes.
     
  • “Deep Bookstagram” is where dark, book-based comedy thrives. If you’re bored by the average book-related posts on Instagram, then you’re looking in the wrong place. Read Heather Dockray at Mashable.

Culture and Politics

  • How has the internet changed book culture? A New York panel featuring leading book personalities on the internet hoped to answer that question. One takeaway: many outlets are phasing out professional book reviews and instead prioritizing personal essays from diverse writers (with a women-focused editorial strategy). Read John Maher at Publishers Weekly.
     
  • A professor has released an updated look at diversity in children’s books. There has been improvement since 2015, but misrepresentation continues. Learn more at School Library Journal.
     
  • Learn how to engage critics on Goodreads: don’t. The story of Kathleen Hale is a worst-case scenario of what happens if you allow bad reviews to get to you. Read Scaachi Koul in BuzzFeed News.

Stranger Than Fiction

  • An unusual writing fellowship was funded—and then quickly ended—by the Riggio family. Most writing scams take money from writers, but this one offered $10,000 under a cloak of secrecy. Read Daniel A. Gross in The New Yorker. Here’s another take on it by Hafizah Geter at Medium.
     
  • A profile of novelist Sherrilyn Kenyon offers an up-close look at the author’s decline and her allegations against her husband. The long feature includes photos of Kenyon’s home, stocked with oddities. Read Lila Shapiro in Vulture.

Traditional Publishing

  • Get into the head of five agents. On a regular basis, Poets & Writers speaks with a range of agents to talk shop. Kevin Larimer has the latest offering.
     
  • Harper UK is combining the digital-first lines Harper Impulse, Killer Reads, and Avon Impulse. The new division will be called One More Chapter; it has been declared “dynamic.” Read Heloise Wood in The Bookseller.
     
  • There’s a new online literary magazine for translation. Counterpoint is run by the European Council of Literary Translators Associations. It will be published twice a year in English and French. Read the inaugural issue.
     
  • Publishers look for new revenue streams in licensing. Book publishers exhibited at this year’s Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, looking to license their proprietary, book-based brands to manufacturers of toys, arts and crafts, apparel, and more. And they were also seeking to license others’ brands for new books. Read Karen Raugust in Publishers Weekly: part 1 and part 2.

TV and Film

  • Harlequin has a new film and TV arm. Harlequin Studios will draw on existing IP, or more than 30,000 books. Read Rachel Deahl in Publishers Weekly.
     
  • Tie-in fiction is alive and well. Tie-in books continue the story where the TV show or movie left off. It requires writers to work within very tight constraints—and possibly endure criticism from fans of the original show or movie. Read David Barnett in The Guardian.

Amazon

  • The making of Amazon Prime—the most successful online membership program. This is a history of Amazon Prime, which launched in February 2005, when Amazon sold primarily books and DVDs. Read Jason Del Rey at Vox.
     
  • Speaking of shopping at Amazon, the “Amazon’s Choice” designation does not mean a product is good. Think twice before being swayed by that flag. Read Nicole Nguyen in BuzzFeed News.

Media

  • Learn about the kids app market and its key challenges. It’s a challenge to develop apps in a market where the user isn’t your customer. Read Björn Jeffery at his blog.
     
  • The end of app stores is approaching. Or so says this developer. Read Owen Williams at Medium.
     
  • It’s time for Mary Meeker’s annual trend report on the media industry. This time, the key takeaway is gloomy. Read Alexis C. Madrigal in The Atlantic.
     
  • Twitch is becoming a favorite platform of publishers—where money can be made. Publishers experimenting include The Washington Post, Cheddar, and BuzzFeed. Money is made from in-stream ads and subscriptions. (Note: Twitch is owned by Amazon.) Read Kerry Flynn at Digiday.
     
  • There’s a union wave among digital media outlets. BuzzFeed is the latest to attempt to unionize. Read Marc Tracy at the New York Times. 

Libraries