Follett sells their school book fair business to Literati
Follett, which distributes to schools and libraries, has announced the sale of its book fair business to Literati, a book subscription startup.
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New Open Road Media CEO touts company’s success
After a month in his position, CEO David Steinberger sent a letter to colleagues noting the company’s recent accomplishments.
Book sales update: Feb. 2, 2022
According to NPD BookScan, while overall print book sales year to date have declined versus 2021, fiction categories are outperforming.
Kindle Vella Sees Loyalty among Some Authors—for Now
Authors contributing to Vella hope Amazon will use its marketing power to boost its new serial reading platform.
Publishers Marketplace reports significant deal growth in 2021
US deals were up 9.4 percent overall, which is on top of an 8 percent gain from 2020.
Amazon Trend Report: Epic Fantasy
Epic fantasy—marked by a grand scale of events and complex story structures—has seen a resurgence in growth since the pandemic.
Traditional publishers report sales growth of nearly 12 percent in 2021
Consumer book sales were up, but digital sales were flat.
Major Media Coverage Doesn’t Sell Books Like It Used To
Book discovery and book buying continue their shift to online channels, which tends to benefit older titles and means more power in the hands of Amazon
OverDrive reports 16 percent increase in digital lending
OverDrive just announced that 2021 saw a 16 percent increase in lending of ebooks, audiobooks, and digital magazines.
So, about that depressing Gallup poll on Americans reading less
Here at Hot Sheet, we’re always a bit skeptical of polls that focus on the health of reading.
Closing Image: Jan. 19, 2022
NPD BookScan, which tracks US book sales, recently released an executive summary of 2021 results.
IngramSpark prices increase again for print-on-demand
The previous price increase was just a few months ago, on November 6, and it was a significant one:.
AWP may forgo an in-person conference in March
Currently, AWP is scheduled for March 23–26 in Philadelphia, but due to rising COVID cases, the organization is reconsidering its plans.
Book sales update: Jan. 19, 2022
Sales are off to a slow and unfavorable start compared to 2021, falling 14 percent overall in terms of print units sold.
IMHO: What motivated the book thief?
You probably heard about a mysterious book thief who used fake identities and phishing schemes to obtain manuscripts prior to publication.
“It’s Scary”: Publishers Face Tight Paper Market in 2022 and Beyond
Low supply and high demand for book-printing papers may lead publishers to increase prices
2021 Ends on a High Note: Print Sales up by 9 Percent
Sales growth was driven primarily by backlist.
Town Hall Addresses Fiscal and Cultural Health of the RWA
Facing financial instability and high turnover, the RWA board appeals to members for support.
Harlequin subscription service launches
For $14.99 per month, Harlequin Plus offers subscribers access to movies, games, and books.
Harvest: a new lifestyle imprint from HarperCollins
Harvest, which will be housed under the William Morrow group at HarperCollins, will focus on publishing nonfiction books in the food, health, and wellness space.
Random House launches a children’s nonfiction imprint
Bright Matter Books, operating under Random House Children’s Books, will publish educational nonfiction.
Paul Bogaards establishes a PR firm
Bogaards, who was a Knopf executive for 32 years, has launched Bogaards PR.
RBmedia launches in German-language audiobook market
Years ago, RBmedia’s corporate parent acquired a major German audio publisher known as ABOD.
Barnes & Noble’s Sterling Publishing will rebrand as Union Square & Co.
Barnes & Noble has long operated its own publishing division, known as Sterling.
A new literary journal about the refugee experience
Helmed by a team of refugees and immigrants, The Other Side of Hope aims to challenge common perceptions of refugees.
Spotify takes down comedians’ albums over royalty dispute
Given that Spotify is moving more into spoken-word content, including podcasts and audiobooks, the following case is worth watching.
Norman Mailer collection gets passed over by Random House
Well-known journalist Michael Wolff has written snarkily about Random House passing on a new Norman Mailer book.
Book sales update: Jan. 5, 2022
In the final two weeks of the year, adult fiction print sales in the US surged, led by new releases from John Grisham, Mitch Albom, and Nicholas Sparks.
Amazon Trend Report: Post-Apocalyptic & Dystopian Fiction
While editors and agents have discouraged writers from submitting COVID-inspired fiction, pandemic- and disease-related tropes remain popular on Kindle.
New agency: Next Level Lit
J.L. Stermer, previously of New Leaf Literary, started Next Level Lit in late 2021.
New agent at UK’s Blair Partnership
Rachel Petty has joined Blair Partnership as an agent heading up the children’s and young adult list.
Closing Image: Jan. 5, 2022
According to Marketplace Pulse, the Amazon marketplace (third-party sellers) doubled in the last two years.
New imprints and agents announced in 2021
We’ve rounded up every agent and publisher announcement mentioned in Hot Sheet during 2021 and categorized them for browsing.
Closing Image: December 22, 2021
Print book sales are up 10 percent over 2020 according to NPD BookScan, although that figure is expected to soften somewhat by end of year.
Multiple RWA board members resign
According to the Romance Writers of America website, multiple board members have resigned, including the president, president-elect,
Penguin Random House and S&S fire back at DOJ; trial date set
Last week, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster filed a response to the US Department of Justice’s antitrust suit,
Vaynerchuk’s new book is a bestseller, but it’s not on any bestseller list
Author and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk’s self-help book Twelve and a Half (Harper Business), released on November 30, has sold nearly a half million hardcovers during its first week on sale
Bertelsmann launches a multimedia streaming service in Germany
Bertelsmann, the parent company of Penguin Random House, launched a multimedia subscription service called RTL+, meant to compete with Netflix in Germany.
Radish acquires Wuxiaworld
Mobile storytelling platform Radish, owned by the Korean Kakao Entertainment Corp., has acquired the English-language Asian fantasy-fiction platform Wuxiaworld.
Book sales update: December 22, 2021
According to NPD BookScan, backlist has continued to drive print sales this year comprising over two-thirds of all unit sales.
Most-Clicked Links of the Year 2021
Stories, which all appeared in Links of Interest, received the most clicks by a wide margin. What you couldn’t resist reading more about in 2021
What’s in Store for 2022?
In the first issue of the year, I’ll offer my take on what’s ahead for publishing in 2022. Do you have your own predictions?
Patrick Rothfuss launches Underthing Press
Grim Oak Press, a small press, has partnered with Patrick Rothfuss to create a new imprint, Underthing Press. The first project will be Digger: The Complete Collection by Ursula Vernon.
Berkley accepting unagented submissions
An imprint of Penguin Random House, Berkley has an open reading period now through Jan. 9, 2022.