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Links of Interest: March 13, 2024
The latest in traditional publishing, bookselling, trends, Amazon, AI, and culture & politics.
Coming soon: Better Audible royalty terms for indie authors because of Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson was able to bring Audible to the table to negotiate new terms not just for him, but for all self-publishing authors.
Bestselling author David Goggins sues Amazon over counterfeit sales
Self-publishing author David Goggins—who has sold millions of copies of his books—has filed a lawsuit against Amazon to recoup damages.
Findaway Voices reverses changes to terms of use for audiobook distribution
Two weeks ago, Findaway notified users they were changing their terms of use, which raised an alarm with authors who saw a big rights grab.
Revealing report on the Hugo Awards that explains (almost) everything
A member of the Hugo administration team released emails and files that explain why certain authors were deemed ineligible for the Award.
Book sales update: January 2024
US print book sales were down by 6 percent compared to the same period in 2023, driven by a decline in adult nonfiction
The Rise of Real-Person Fiction in Romance
Critics, scholars, and readers draw a line between “inspired” and “creepy”.
When Small Presses Find Themselves with a Bestselling Title
Challenges in printing, distribution, and cash flow can accompany a breakout hit at a small press.
On the List: The Airman’s Homecoming by Sabrina York
Sabrina York is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of hot, humorous romance.
Equity Directory launched by Literary Agents of Change
The Equity Directory is a new database of BIPOC literary agents to help BIPOC authors and illustrators more easily find BIPOC representation.
New agent at Wolfson Literary
Molly Ketcheson accepts commercial fiction, upmarket fiction, romance, young adult, fantasy, and select literary fiction.
New UK romance imprint: Serendipity
Publisher Legend Times is launching a new digital-first romance imprint, Serendipity.
New YA romance imprint: Delacorte Romance
Delacorte, a division of Penguin Random House, is launching an imprint dedicated to contemporary love stories for teenagers.
New kids’ graphic novel imprint: Abrams Fanfare
US independent publisher Abrams is launching a new graphic novel imprint for early, middle grade, and YA readers.
New imprint at Simon & Schuster: Primero Sueño Press
It will publish Latinx/Latine/Hispanic authors in English and Spanish, both fiction and nonfiction.
Asian American Book Club launches
The Asian American Book Club will advocate for Asian American readers and writers.
Links of Interest: February 28, 2024
The latest in traditional publishing, romance, trends, audio, and AI.
HarperCollins’s recent growth spurred by audiobooks; parent company NewsCorp to be “core content provider” for AI training
The publisher partly attributed its sales increase to “strong market growth for downloadable audiobooks,” as well as a new Spotify partnership.
Creative Nonfiction partners with Narratively
Lee Gutkind announced a partnership between Creative Nonfiction and Narratively—another literary magazine that specializes in true stories.
Trends to watch in 2024 according to BookScan
Circana BookScan book industry analyst Kristen McLean recently offered a list of areas to keep an eye on this year.
Book sales update: 2023 final results from Circana BookScan
Now that all the data is in, BookScan reports that US print sales were down 3 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.
UK ebook sales: Hachette rules
Hachette has the strongest ebook sales; it sold nearly 4 million more ebooks than Penguin Random House.
How Bloom Books Partners with Self-Published Authors for Bestselling Success
Bloom Books enters into bespoke publishing agreements with indie authors and measures growth by expanding readership, not title count.
Q&A with Anne Trubek: Belt Publishing Acquired by Arcadia
The founder of Belt says small presses like hers can’t survive on sales alone when using a distributor.
On the List: Midnight Ruin by Katee Robert
Katee Robert (she/they) is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of spicy romance; their books have sold over two million copies.
Soho Press launches horror imprint
Hell’s Hundred will join the publisher’s existing imprints of Soho Crime, Soho Press, and Soho Teen.
UK publisher Canelo broadens its nonfiction program
The publisher has announced an expansion of its nonfiction program into popular culture and popular science.
New agent at Storm Literary
Jenna Satterthwaite has joined as associate agent, opening to submissions on Feb. 16.
Links of Interest: February 14, 2024
The latest in organizations & community, bookselling, Amazon, trends, AI, and culture & politics.
New agent at Andrea Brown Literary
Sally M. Kim has joined Andrea Brown as an associate agent. She was previously children’s marketing director at Chronicle.
New AI platform for book publishers
Based in the US, tech company Veristage has launched Insight, an AI publishing assistant for publishers.
New science fiction and fantasy publisher
Comics pros Jim Krueger and Steve Orlando have launched a science fiction and fantasy publisher, Gungnir.
New nonprofit offers certification for AI models
Not all AI models are trained exactly the same, and a new nonprofit now offers paid certification for models that meet specific requirements.
Texas book rating law ruled unconstitutional
The Texas book rating law has been deemed unconstitutional in an unanimous verdict by a three-judge panel in federal appeals court.
Publishers Marketplace helps writers identify appropriate agents using AI
If you have an active membership at Publishers Marketplace, you can now use AI to help fuel your search for the right agent for your next book.
Audible filling with AI-narrated books
Audible quietly started allowing AI-narrated audiobooks to enter its storefront late last fall, long after other retailers had done the same.
Hugo Award nominations raise questions
Now that voting and nomination data has been shared, questions have been raised as to why some authors were not nominated for the awards.
How well are audiobooks doing on Spotify?
Early reports are filtering in on Spotify’s new audiobook listening program that offers 15 free hours for paid subscribers.
Book sales update: Who published more bestsellers in 2023?
Publishers Weekly crunched the numbers on their 2023 hardcover lists and found that the Big Five held about 85% of bestseller slots overall.
IMHO: Goodbye, The Writer Magazine and Hello, Creator Economy
The demise of The Writer magazine reflects deeply rooted media industry woes—such as fragile ad revenue—and long-term challenges for both journalists and authors.
Q&A with the Co-Founder of AI Writing Software Sudowrite
Sudowrite’s James Yu addresses concerns and best use cases.
On the List: Pestilence by Laura Thalassa
Laura Thalassa is the author of over 20 paranormal and fantasy romance novels, two of which have been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award.
Links of Interest: January 31, 2024
The latest in TikTok, traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, legal concerns, Amazon, AI, the UK, and culture & politics.
US book sales update: 2023 print sales come in 2.6 percent below 2022
That still beats the performance of 2020 and is way ahead of pre-pandemic 2019.
Los Angeles Public Library acquires publisher
In December, the LAPL, the fifth-largest public library system in the United States, announced its acquisition of Angel City Press.
Tor.com rebrands and relaunches its online magazine
On Jan. 23, the Tor.com online magazine will rebrand to Reactor.
The Ekus Group joins Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency
Ekus is a cookbook-focused literary agency, founded in 1982. Naggar established her agency in 1978.
Links of Interest: January 17, 2024
The latest in misleading polls, TikTok, Amazon, children’s publishing, libraries, AI, and 2024 predictions.