Trends
- Graphic novels drive buzz at the biggest industry book fair for children’s work. At Bologna Book Fair this year, an editor says the category is a “vibrant space” they are hoping to get into more. Read Caroline Carpenter at The Bookseller.
- The Bridgerton books get a makeover. The cover redesign speaks to how tricky it can be to market romance. Read Anne Wallentine at Slate.
- The two extremes in today’s book promotion: You’re either a “golden child” or hustling on your own. Read Kenneth Whyte’s newsletter.
- An academic publisher with crossover appeal: Duke University Press mingles high and low art. Read Jennifer Wilson at The New Yorker.
- Dr. Seuss books selling better than ever. A year after six Dr. Seuss books were shelved for racist imagery, sales are up significantly. Read Sara Fischer and Russell Contreras at Axios.
Brandon Sanderson
- Brandon Sanderson does a self-interview about his Kickstarter. He clarifies that he is not leaving traditional publishing and likes his publishers (despite low royalties for digital editions). And he addresses many other questions. Read at his site.
- Anne Trubek considers the merits of subscription publishing. Jumping off from Sanderson’s success, Trubek revisits the history of subscription publishing, which is how Jane Austen and Mark Twain sold books. Read her newsletter.
- Another interview with Sanderson. While Sanderson is wary of Amazon, he believes that authors without an audience can develop one by using Kindle Unlimited. Read Christian Hoffer at ComicBook.
Russia & Ukraine
- The largest Russian publisher asks the industry to reconsider its ban on Russian books. The publisher of Eksmo writes, “I am afraid the consequences might be bitter, and mutual understanding between countries, cultures, and nations might decrease even more.” Read Ed Nawotka in Publishers Weekly.
- Ukraine publisher fights to survive. Many of Vivat’s workers have had to leave their homes, move to other regions, or flee abroad. Read Ed Nawotka in Publishers Weekly.
Amazon
- Amazon’s ad business is bigger than YouTube and more profitable than AWS. Benedict Evans considers the difference in margin between e-commerce and advertising. Read at his site.
Culture & Politics
- Author Philip Pullman quits as Society of Authors president. Fallout continues after Pullman supported author Kate Clanchy, accused of racial stereotyping. Read more at The Bookseller.
- Learn about the history of quotation books—and the most authoritative one you can buy. They still serve a purpose in a world where many quotes are misattributed. Read Bryan A. Garner at LA Review of Books.
- Book bans rev up political activism in the suburbs. Some say the latest bans are censorship campaigns that threaten democracy. Read Odette Yousef at NPR.
- What it’s like to be a deaf novelist. For starters, it’s not possible to read your own work aloud in order to edit it. Read Sara Novic at The Guardian.
- Anne Frank book recalled by Dutch publisher. The Betrayal of Anne Frank, which purports to identify who exposed the family’s hideout to the Nazis, has been widely discredited. The English edition has not been pulled by HarperCollins. “HarperCollins Publishers continues to stand by the publication of The Betrayal of Anne Frank. While we recognize there has been some criticism to the findings, the investigation was done with respect and the utmost care for an extremely sensitive topic,” a spokesperson said in a statement. The book has sold about 50,000 copies in the US, according to NPD BookScan. Read at US News.
- Why don’t artists and writers do as many drugs these days? Today, artists are less troubled geniuses than public figures, expected to “respond uncontroversially.” Read M.H. Miller at New York Times Style Magazine.
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.