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On the List: A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney
Wallis Kinney studied planetary science and molecular biology at the University of Colorado and has a master’s degree in economics from Purdue University.
New Sourcebooks imprint: Stonefruit Studio
Sourcebooks has launched Stonefruit Studio, a new imprint for children’s books—all ages and formats, fiction and nonfiction.
New HarperCollins imprint: Harper Pop
Harper Pop will focus on licensed publications, popular culture, and trend-driven publishing for adults and children.
New HarperCollins UK imprint: Monument Books
The imprint will publish three nonfiction books each year with select fiction and classics.
Sophia Coppola now has her own imprint: Important Flowers
Sophia Coppola has partnered with UK publisher Mack to launch Important Flowers, a photo book imprint.
New Bonnier Books UK imprint: LEAP
LEAP will publish across nonfiction categories, including memoir, psychology, parenting, cookery, soft business, activism, and more.
Links of Interest: December 4, 2024
The latest in traditional publishing, trends, culture & politics, and AI.
Spotify launches analytics dashboard for authors
Spotify for Authors is a new feature from Spotify to help both authors and publishers better understand their audience on Spotify.
Costco will still sell books year-round at a small selection of locations
Earlier this year, Costco announced it would no longer carry books outside of the holiday season (the last three months of the year).
Spines: AI Has a Role in Publishing, but This Isn’t It
Don’t let buzzwords and trends mislead you about the viability or meaningfulness of a publishing startup.
Pitch Decks for Novels: Do They Work and Are They Here to Stay?
A successful pitch deck may act as a simple vibe check or perform a function similar to that of a nonfiction book proposal.
On the List: The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon
In The Small and the Mighty, McMahon proves that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people who didn’t make it into the textbooks.
ElevenLabs launches a reader app
The Apple and Android app can bring realistic narration to any book, article, PDF, newsletter, or text that you import.
New agent at The Blair Partnership (UK)
Ed Wood has joined as a fiction agent and director of fiction development at The Blair Partnership.
New imprint: Mubi Editions
Next year, the streaming service Mubi is launching Mubi Editions, a publishing arm dedicated to cinema and the arts.
Nielsen BookScan (UK) launches podcast on bestsellers
Learn about the UK’s bestselling books every month from the folks who work at Nielsen BookScan.
Oprah launches a podcast
Oprah will announce her new monthly book selections on a new companion podcast sponsored by Starbucks.
New conservative imprint at Hachette sparks employee protest
Hachette launched two new imprints: Basic Venture, for business and economics titles, and Basic Liberty, for conservative titles.
New literary agency: Noyan Literary
Georgia Bodnar has launched Noyan Literary; she was formerly at UTA and Viking. The agency will represent both fiction and nonfiction writers.
New small publisher: Under the BQE
Authors of each year’s list at the Brooklyn-based publisher will acquire the titles to be published by the press in the following year.
New imprint: 8080 Books
Microsoft has launched 8080 Books, an imprint for “original research, ideas, and insights at the intersection of science, technology, and business.”
Links of Interest: November 20, 2024
The latest in culture & politics, trends, and marketing & promotion.
HarperCollins secures AI licensing deal for nonfiction backlist
HarperCollins has struck a deal with Microsoft to provide some of their nonfiction backlist for training for an as yet unidentified AI model.
Sourcebooks signs deal with self-publishing author for Hear Your Story series
Sourcebooks just announced a partnership with author Jeffrey Mason for world rights and audio rights.
Amazon offers one free audiobook to Amazon Music customers
Perhaps in response to Spotify, Amazon Music subscribers in the US, UK, and Canada can listen to one full audiobook per month.
Self-publishing output increases
Bowker, the US agency that sells ISBN numbers, reported that the number of self-published titles with ISBNs increased in 2023 over 2022.
Another independent book distributor will close: National Book Network
National Book Network has about 150 clients, and all have been given a chance to move to Simon & Schuster’s distribution services.
Book sales update: 2024 sales may beat 2023 sales
Circana BookScan predicts a strong holiday season that may leave the industry with better sales than it enjoyed in 2023.
What Does the US Election Mean for Publishing?
Trump’s first term led to increased printing costs; a second term could bring cuts to arts funding and more litigation surrounding books in schools and libraries.
The Crave Series Copyright Case: Interesting for Many Reasons except Copyright
The lawsuit raises questions about the author-agent relationship and book packaging.
On the List: Catch You Later by Jessica Strawser
Catch You Later is Strawser’s seventh novel and received a starred review from ALA’s Booklist.
On the List: The Last Dragon on Mars by Scott Reintgen
Reintgen let past successes inform his craft and focused on accessible prose, fast-paced storytelling, big stakes, and cool worldbuilding.
New John Green imprint: Crash Course Books
The line launches with Green’s own book, Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection, to be published on March 18.
Spotify has boosted the audiobook market
During the first seven months of this year, the category in the US has grown by 25 percent in dollars versus last year’s 12 to 15 percent.
Meanwhile, Everand (Scribd) inks new deal with all of the Big Five publishers
Now, subscribers to Everand will be moved next year to a credit-based model for digital book consumption.
IBPA and PubWest plan to merge
Both organizations will hold special elections for their members to vote on the merger approved by the boards of directors.
More YA authors crossing over to adult this year
Publishers are seeking YA authors who have an engaged audience who have grown up with them and who are interested in writing for adults.
Book sales update: year-to-date sales look great
Year to date, traditional publishing revenues are up 7.8 percent, according to the latest report from the Association of American Publishers.
IMHO: Don’t demonize print on demand
POD has an important role to fulfill in the publishing industry, and eventually your book is likely to be printed using it.
Readers Respond: Counterfeits, Copies, and Fakes
Tips, caveats, and a look at how counterfeit authors skirt the rules to get ahead.
On the List: How to Catch a Monster by Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton
Adam Wallace loves writing stories that make children laugh and get excited about reading and drawing and writing.