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Readyland: printed books that work with Alexa
Readyland books work with Amazon Alexa to allow kids to talk with characters, respond to questions, play games, choose songs, and more.
Closing Image: June 22, 2022
Scholar Adam Mastroianni argues that pop culture—whether the medium is movies, music, books, or games—has become an oligopoly.
IBPA’s Departing CEO Diversified Organization’s Membership during Her Tenure
Angela Bole, who will be the new CEO of Firebrand, focused on building an inclusive membership at the IBPA.
Trendspotting: How Do You Grow an Audience? Find Your “Friends”
A recent discussion highlighted the value of finding the right audience, not necessarily the largest.
Kathleen Ortiz launches KO Media Management
Her new firm offers full-service literary and media representation and helps leverage licensing opportunities.
Knopf Canada launches Alchemy publishing program
Alchemy is led by poet and novelist Dionne Brand and will publish two to three fiction and nonfiction titles per year.
Soft Skull Press partners with Kimbilio
Soft Skull Press will acquire up to two books a year from Kimbilio fellows and faculty members over the next three years.
Conservative publisher Post Hill Press launches Twin Flame
Twin Flame is a nonfiction imprint focused on “spirituality, tantra, relationships, and sexuality” that will publish up to two dozen books per year.
Links of Interest: June 8, 2022
The latest in trends, Amazon, online publishing, audiobooks and more.
Closing Image: June 8, 2022
The 10 biggest book markets in the United States have seen their sales performance decline relative to the overall market.
Copyright Claims Board open for business on June 16
The Copyright Office has now announced that the CCB will start accepting claims on June 16.
Amazon Kindle leaves China
Amazon will stop selling Kindles in China and close its China ebookstore in June 2023.
New York state passes Freelance Isn’t Free Act
The law grants protection to freelancers of all kinds who work in New York or work with entities based in New York.
Book sales update: June 8, 2022
Despite losses, 2022 remains the second-strongest year on record in NPD BookScan (2021 was the strongest).
Publishing Veterans Forecast Gloomy Times Ahead
Inflation and supply chain issues lead a long list of concerns facing the publishing industry.
Publishers and Authors Adjust to Facebook Advertising Changes
Publishers and authors ultimately advocate for building direct relationships with readers in order to reduce reliance on ad platforms like Facebook.
Do you have ISBNs starting with 979? Pay attention.
Self-publishing authors who sell books via Ingram with a newer ISBN might have problems if those books are ordered by Amazon (via Ingram).
Amazon Trend Report: Clean & Wholesome Romance
Sales of this category have grown over the years, attracting writers from multiple genres and blurring the lines with women’s fiction.
Amazon launches book club
Sarah Selects is a new book club whose monthly selections will be made by Sarah Gelman, Amazon’s editorial director for books.
The Believer returns to McSweeney’s
You may recall that the beloved literary magazine The Believer was sold by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to a digital marketing company.
UK’s Bloomsbury hires 100 staff
Bloomsbury has announced it’s hiring 100 new employees across the company to help with workload and work-life balance.
Book sales update: May 25, 2022
The latest figures from NPD Books show that US book sales remain in a solid position, with little change over the last five weeks.
IMHO: Book Bans, Libraries, and You: What’s Happening and What Can Be Done
Changes in the number and nature of book bans require book-loving community members to push back against bans at a local level.
Trendspotting: The Challenges of the Midlist Author
Publishers are often accused of insufficiently supporting their midlist authors. The situation may be worse than usual.
A New Process for US Authors to Fight Copyright Infringement
The Copyright Claims Board is less expensive and more accessible than federal court. But a few of its provisions may cancel out the benefit.
Random House establishes imprint dedicated to licensed book publishing
In the children’s market alone, one in three books sold in the US features a licensed character.
UK’s Canelo launches a US-based imprint
Canelo will begin publishing fiction, including thrillers, romance, and historical fiction, in the US market.
The Atlantic and Zando partner on a new imprint
Atlantic Editions is a new imprint that will publish up to a dozen nonfiction paperback titles per year.
Closing Image: May 25, 2022
With some caveats, banned books that make national news typically enjoy a sales bump, according to figures from NPD Books.
Barnes & Noble in Virginia targeted for carrying “obscene” books
The case was brought by a Virginia politician running for Congress, Tommy Altman, and he isn’t interested in school library removal alone.
Amazon’s growth slows, as expected
Amazon saw great growth and profit during the pandemic, but during the first quarter of 2022, the company posted a loss.
Storytel grows in 2022 but also changes strategic direction
The biggest audiobook subscription service outside the US, Storytel has seen its sales grow by 35 percent over last year.
Closing image: May 11, 2022
Recently, NPD Books analyst Kristen McLean discussed how BookTok is driving adult fiction sales in the US.
Literary mag The Believer bought by digital marketing agency
Last fall, the University of Nevada Las Vegas announced that it would be closing The Believer this spring.
Book sales update: Adult fiction and BookTok still drive sales growth
During the first quarter of 2022, NPD Books reports that adult fiction sales (in print format) are up by 7 percent.
Amazon Trend Report: Historical Fiction, Female Detectives
Female authors, protagonists, and readers contribute to gains in historical fiction as well as mystery, thriller, and suspense.
Selling Your Books at Conventions
The key to engaging directly with customers is authenticity and enthusiasm.
A new audio originals imprint in the UK
Bonnier Books UK is launching Twelve Point Audio, an imprint focused on audio originals and podcasts.
Spiracle Audiobooks launches in the UK
The audiobook and ebook retail platform offers a selection of literary fiction and nonfiction titles from small and independent presses.
UK’s HarperVoyager launches a TikTok creator house
Eight top BookTok influencers will convene in Hay-on-Wye in Wales to create content for the new HarperVoyager TikTok channel.
New agents at Red Fox Literary
Sarah Stephens and Eve Adler have joined as agents at Red Fox Literary.
AALA revises Canon of Ethics to allow for paid editorial services
Under the new standards, agents may now provide editorial services for a fee to writers as long as those writers are not clients.
ABC launches a book podcast
The Book Case will be hosted by ABC News journalist Charlie Gibson and daughter Kate Gibson.
Literary agency launches new division for children’s literature
Greenburger Associates has established Greenburger Kids, which specializes in representation of authors and illustrators of children’s books.
Simon & Schuster outperforms the industry. Will it reinvest profits in staff?
During the first quarter of the year, Simon & Schuster saw earnings nearly double due to strong backlist sales, BookTok, and low returns.
Book distributor Baker & Taylor launches a publishing imprint
B&T’s Paw Prints Publishing will publish books for children ages three to eight.