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.
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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.
Alice Sebold’s memoir pulled from distribution
A memoir that was published more than 20 years ago has been pulled from distribution by its publisher, Simon & Schuster.
RBmedia has acquired Toronto-based Author’s Republic
RBmedia is the corporate parent of multiple publishers of audiobooks
Open Road Integrated Media acquired by investment group
Founded in 2009 by Jane Friedman (the former CEO of HarperCollins, not the editor of this newsletter), Open Road launched with a focus on acquiring and selling backlist books in ebook format.
Book Sales Update: December 8, 2021
We’re now past Black Friday, which analysts considered more of a gray Friday—a result of pandemic precautions and supply chain issues.
A Top 10 Audiobook Publisher Moves into Ebook Publishing
One of the most successful audiobook publishers today is likely a company you haven’t heard of: Podium Audio.
Amazon Trend Report: Teen and Young Adult
YA top sellers tend to remain so for a long time, and series do best (no surprise)
Trendspotting: Alternatives to Goodreads
Each Goodreads alternative offers something Goodreads doesn’t—but none of them compare in terms of community size
New agent alert: Rachel Yeoh
After interning since 2019, Rachel Yeoh is now an associate literary agent at Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency.
George Saunders joins Substack
We only mention this because Saunders’s newsletter, Story Club, ties into his latest craft-focused book, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain.
Zestworld: a new publishing platform for comic books
Launching in 2022, Zestworld will offer creators greater control over their rights within a subscription model for comics.
Crazy Maple Studio gets into comics
The app known for publishing romance through the Kiss mobile app is now venturing into comics. Kiss Comics has launched with an exclusive adaptation of Anti-Stepbrother by bestselling author Tijan
Closing Image: December 8, 2021
According to the UK’s Publishers Association, audiobooks represent about 6 percent of sales volume and 6.4 percent of value.
Trump allies launch publishing house
Former president Donald J. Trump has not yet signed a deal for his memoirs, but there are increasing indicators and speculation he will strike a deal with a company outside of the Big Five.
New York’s Gagosian gallery launches new imprint
The influential art gallery is collaborating with author Emma Cline on Picture Books, which will pair authors with visual artists on individual books.
Links of Interest: November 24, 2021
The latest news in traditional publishing, culture & politics, and more.
Closing Image: November 24, 2021
Every year, NPR and Edison Research release a report on spoken word audio, which includes consumption of radio, podcasts, and audiobooks.
ABA board member resigns in protest of free expression policy
Brechner says the ABA’s policies are shifting away from defending publishers against calls for censorship that affect not only booksellers but also schools.
A critique of MFAs and contemporary fiction produces the requisite eye-rolling
For anyone active in the literary/MFA community, this is merely the latest critique of MFA programs, a well-worn punching bag at this point.
Book sales update: November 24, 2021
US bookstore performance continues to look good versus last year, according to Census Bureau figures.
Spotify and Storytel Make Moves into US Audiobook Market
The acquisitions of Findaway and Audiobooks.com signal a possible shakeup in the US audiobook market and more competition with Audible.
Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle Thinks PRH Will Win against DOJ
Dohle argues that the existing market is more vibrant and competitive than ever, and PRH’s acquisition model preserves competition among its imprints.
Amazon Trend Report: Science Fiction and Fantasy
Consistent with themes in other genres, the SFF category performs best in series and with elements of romance.
Wattpad and Webtoon launch graphic novel imprint
Webtoon Wattpad Studios is launching Webtoon Unscrolled, a new graphic novel imprint that will bring previously digital-only Webtoon comics to bookstores.
DPLA will soon make Audible audiobooks available to libraries
Earlier this year, the Digital Public Library of America struck a deal with Amazon Publishing to license its ebooks to libraries.
New agent alert: Lauren Bittrich at Lucinda Literary
Bittrich formerly worked as an editor at Pen and Press and Flatiron Books.
Santa Monica Press will start publishing books for teens
Santa Monica is known for adult nonfiction but starting next year will begin releasing a mix of YA fiction and nonfiction.
Bestseller Anna Todd launches a fiction imprint
Yet another well-established author has launched an imprint under an existing company—this time with Wattpad.
Get an inside view of how publishers pitch their books
The Book Report Network is hosting an annual event where publishers suggest book club selections to booksellers, librarians, and book group leaders.
New “transparency code” added to titles printed by Amazon KDP
Amazon KDP’s new transparency code is similar to a QR code and included next to the book’s barcode on the back cover of POD titles.
Links of Interest: November 10, 2021
The latest news in audiobooks, supply chain, social media, trends, Amazon, and culture & politics.
Closing Image: November 10, 2021
Print book sales are up by more than 10 percent over 2020, with all major categories seeing positive growth except for juvenile nonfiction.
Publisher Chelsea Green sues Senator Elizabeth Warren
In September, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Amazon about the role of its algorithm in promoting vaccine misinformation.
Follett sells Baker & Taylor to private investment group
Baker & Taylor, a key book distributor to public and academic libraries, has been sold to an independent, privately owned company.
Study finds that print bestsellers are longer and more complex than audio bestsellers
Best-streaming audiobooks, by contrast, are shorter, more straightforwardly written, and appear to highlight plot and dialogue.
Newsletter fatigue sets in for Rushdie and others
We’re not even at the six-month mark since some of the star-powered Substack and Facebook newsletter deals were announced.
Book sales update: November 10, 2021
NPD BookScan is reporting strong print sales versus last year, indicating that people may be getting their holiday shopping done early.
IMHO: Win or Lose, the DOJ Suit against Penguin Random House Won’t Change Authors’ Fortunes
The DOJ, industry experts, and author advocacy groups disagree on how (or even whether) this filing will affect midlist authors.
Book Sales and Marketing on Amazon: Latest Insights
Better sales through online retail means paying attention to the small details and taking advantage of any opportunities that Amazon gives you.
Latest Trends in Children’s Publishing
Growth in the children’s market continues, especially for series and licensed characters; BookTok emerges as an organic social media boost for backlist YA.
Podium launches AudioCollab to attract and support narrators
Audio-first publisher Podium has announced a new partnership initiative for its voice talent.
Daily Wire launches conservative imprint
The conservative media outlet Daily Wire has started a publishing imprint, DW Books, that will begin publishing in spring 2022.
UK’s Unbound launches a new imprint for debut writers of color
Unbound Firsts will take on two writers of color every year for a debut work of either fiction or nonfiction.
UK’s Bluemoose launches a nonfiction list
Bluemoose is an award-winning independent publisher of adult fiction. In summer 2022, Bluemoose will begin publishing nonfiction.
New UK literary agency: DunnFogg
The agency is founded by Jack Fogg, former publishing director of HarperNonFiction; and Ben Dunn, also a former publisher.