Bookselling
- How do bookstores decide what to sell? This interview with a bookseller is helpful for understanding how bookstores decide what to buy and stock, but don’t forget this key part: “Each independent store is different, with its own ethos about how to stock their books.” Read Lincoln Michel at Counter Craft.
Audio
- What do audiobook earnings look like for a new nonfiction self-help book? Amie McNee’s husband, James Winestock, analyzes her audiobook sales and finds Spotify particularly important. Read at Amie’s Substack.
Trends
- The way we talk about romance has changed. The person who edits the Publishers Marketplace deal newsletters discusses how the deal announcement language for romance is driven by tropes. Read Sarah Perillo at Buzz Books.
- Lady knights are having a moment. Some fantasy enthusiasts on BookTok have declared this the year of the lady knight. Publishers Weekly finds 10 different chivalric fantasies starring young women in armor published this year alone. Read Kerensa Cadenas.
AI
- AI-powered artists are reaching Billboard’s rankings. Sometimes AI assistance is disclosed; sometimes it’s suspected. Read Xander Zellner at Billboard.
Culture & Politics
- Pan Macmillan apologizes to author. In 2021, author Kate Clanchy was accused of using racist descriptions in her memoir, and her publisher, Pan Macmillan, did nothing to support or defend her. They now regret their actions. The BBC has released a six-part series, Anatomy of a Cancellation, about the events. Read Katie Razzall at BBC.
- Bookstores set up as food banks. During the government shutdown, some bookstores are collecting food donations to help people in their communities not receiving federal aid. Read Elizabeth A. Harris and Alexandra Alter in the New York Times (gift link).
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.