Harry Potter will be adapted into a decade-long TV series
Each season will be based on one of the seven Harry Potter books and available for streaming on Max (formerly known as HBO Max).
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US book deals fell in first quarter of 2023
According to Publishers Lunch, deal reports have dropped 4.4 percent versus the first quarter of 2022.
Has the time come for ads in audiobooks?
Audible has been testing ads in select audiobooks, podcasts, and original content specifically for non-members.
James Patterson lashes out at the New York Times bestseller list
Patterson is annoyed that his latest nonfiction book, Walk the Blue Line: No Right, No Left, did not make the New York Times bestseller list.
Book sales update: April 12, 2023
For Penguin Random House in 2022, organic sales fell 3.3 percent as book markets normalized from pandemic highs.
Does ChatGPT violate copyright law? If so, what’s to be done about it?
Whether or not AI-generated content becomes copyrightable skirts the issue of whether the tools themselves are committing infringement.
Trend Watch: April 12, 2023
What agents and editors want in romance and YA fiction—plus a kerfuffle about grief stories.
On the List: Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
Icebreaker is Grace’s debut novel and the first book of the sports romance series The Maple Hills.
Kobo Plus opens in US and UK
Kobo Plus is so far available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, the UK, and the US.
Links of Interest: April 12, 2023
The latest in trends, bookselling, audio, culture & politics, and serialization.
Questlove starts new Big Five imprint
The new imprint, AUWA Books, will feature an eclectic mix of fiction and nonfiction.
New publishing podcast: Publishing Rodeo
Two authors seemingly on similar publishing trajectories experienced very different outcomes, and started a podcast to examine why.
New children’s publishing effort
Transit Children’s Editions, an offshoot of Transit Books, will feature noteworthy picture books from around the world.
IBPA launches PubSpot, a new online resource for authors and publishers
PubSpot gathers all the educational content that IBPA has produced—articles, webinars, podcasts—and puts it in one spot.
Spotify begins selling audiobooks in Canada
Spotify users in Canada can now purchase audiobooks through the service.
Links of Interest: March 29, 2023
The latest in traditional publishing, audiobooks, bookselling, the creator economy, libraries, and culture & politics.
If TikTok gets banned in the US, book sales will suffer
The Biden administration suggests it will ban TikTok if not sold to a US-based company, but China has indicated it will oppose a forced sale.
Internet Archive loses ebook lending case but plans to appeal
As widely expected, the Internet Archive has lost its case against publishers regarding its operation of the Open Library.
Manuscript thief sentenced to time served
The man who stole pre-publication manuscripts for his personal reading pleasure for several years was sentenced to time served.
Book sales update: higher returns may be ahead
Sales data from the AAP shows a slight sales increase, with gains in the adult market and declines in the children’s/YA market.
Copyright and AI: It’s Complicated
A key question to be answered, not all that simple: What constitutes human creation?
Amazon Trend Report: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Standout subcategories include domestic thrillers, organized crime, paranormal mysteries (featuring shifters), and legal thrillers.
On the List: On Air with Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
The second book in the Zoe Washington series was recognized as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.
New Advance Reader’s Club at Simon & Schuster
A senior editor has announced a new initiative which will send advance reading copies of the books he’s publishing to “everyday people.”
New app from manga publisher Kodansha
K Manga is a new app launching in May that will include 400 titles and early access to new chapters from Kodansha’s most popular series.
On the List: The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
Set in Chicago in 1910, the novel follows the family of a formerly enslaved man who rose to great wealth through entrepreneurship.
Registration opens for third annual US Book Show
After hosting a virtual US Book Show for two years, Publishers Weekly will now offer a hybrid event in May 2023.
Mattel launches publishing imprint
The imprint is designed to “focus on titles that tie in closely with franchise launches and priorities, story content, and more expansive world building.”
New children’s imprint at Gibbs Smith
Known for its illustrated books, Utah-based publisher Gibbs Smith is launching 7 Cats Press, an imprint devoted to “early learning concepts.”
Draft2Digital print program is now open to all
Draft2Digital is now opening up its print-on-demand service, which is powered behind the scenes by Ingram, to all authors.
Links of Interest: March 15, 2023
The latest in the creator economy, marketing & promotion, self-publishing, Amazon, audio, and culture & politics.
Find out how many Amazon customers follow you
Earlier this month Amazon started revealing to authors just how many followers they have, but not their names or contact info.
Two Big Five publishers offer voluntary resignation/buyout
Hachette and HarperCollins have both announced voluntary programs to encourage long-time employees to resign or retire.
NPD BookScan is now known as Circana
In August 2022, the NPD Group—the owner of BookScan—merged with another company known as IRI, a data and analytics company.
Book sales update: March 15, 2023
According to Circana, US print book sales are down by 2 percent versus last year but up by 16 percent compared to 2019.
AI Becomes a Hot-Button Issue in Contracts and Agreements
A look at proposed remedies to rights issues in generative AI.
Simon & Schuster is doing great (and still for sale)
Simon & Schuster exceeded $1 billion in sales for the first time ever in 2022—an increase of 18.5 percent over the prior year.
Bookshop will start selling ebooks, plus start publishing new books
Bookshop, launched in 2020 as a virtuous alternative to Amazon, has until now sold primarily print editions.
Bowker reports increase in ISBNs issued for self-published titles
In 2021, the number of new self-published titles that have both ISBNs and BISAC codes was 53% higher than those registered in 2018.
Barnes & Noble membership program increases price
When it first started many years ago, the membership program cost $25 per year. The cost is now $40 and comes with new perks.
Book sales update: March 1, 2023
According to NPD BookScan, US print sales are down 2 percent versus last year but still ahead of 2019. Romance remains the strongest driver.
IMHO: The New Era of AI-Generated Junk
What we all could have predicted would happen is now happening.
BookBub Advertising: Principles for Success
Testing and targeting can make or break your BookBub ad.
On the List: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Before The Housemaid, Freida McFadden self-published 14 other novels and edited one anthology, with many Amazon bestsellers among them.
New agent at DeFiore & Company
Elise Howard has joined as an agent. She was the founding publisher of Algonquin Young Readers, which she led from 2011 to 2022.
New children’s book imprint at Entangled
Entangled is a women-owned publisher distributed by Macmillan that is best known for romance.
Links of Interest: March 1, 2023
The latest in traditional publishing, culture & politics, libraries, Amazon, and TikTok.
Roald Dahl’s work revised by UK publisher, leading to criticism
Last month, the Telegraph reported it had found hundreds of changes in the latest UK editions of Dahl’s children’s books.