New publishing company: Row House Books
Starting in January 2022, Row House Books will publish six titles in the first year, 12 in year two, and 20 in year three.
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New YA and middle-grade graphic novel imprint
kybound Entertainment—an imprint of Image Comics—is launching Skybound Comet in 2022 to publish original graphic novels for the YA and middle-grade market.
New UK-based literary agency: Bergstrom Studio
Abigail Bergstrom has founded a literary agency that includes a services arm—or “publishing consultancy”—that helps emerging writers build their brand and readership.
Closing Image: July 7, 2021
YA fiction sales have grown in 2021, driven by an influential community of book readers on TikTok rather than big-name releases.
Kindle Vella updates its content policies once again
It’s probably good news that Amazon is listening to the concerns of authors who are balking at restrictions that could limit the reach and value of work published on Kindle Vella.
Audiobook royalty rates come under scrutiny in the UK
Agents are urging publishers to offer a greater share of audiobook royalties beyond the standard 25 percent net (the same as ebooks).
2018 Racism Survey: BIPOC employees at US book publishers share their experiences
While 16 percent of respondents said they did not feel they had experienced racism or microaggressions in publishing,
Wattpad and Webtoon merge their studio divisions
it makes sense that the studio arms of both companies have been merged into a single division known as Wattpad Webtoon Studios.
Longread: Did Twitter break YA?
For those who blame social media for what’s gone wrong with the world today, Twitter is one of the most favored targets and often for good reason.
Book Sales Update: July 7, 2021
Through the week ending June 19, NPD BookScan shows year-to-date print sales up 19.6 percent over 2020. Adult fiction has enjoyed a 31 percent gain over 2020
IMHO: Substack is not disrupting publishing with its book serialization
Last week, Substack, the email newsletter platform, announced that it was paying an advance to author and entertainment writer Zack O’Malley Greenburg to serialize a book, We Are All Musicians Now
CEO of Penguin Random House Points Out Misconceptions about the Publishing Industry
Markus Dohle, who has more than 30 years of experience in the industry, says people are often pessimistic about the future of books—and he knows why
There’s Never Been a Better Time for Book-to-Screen Deals
Original and exclusive content is in high demand among all streaming services, creating increased opportunity for screen adaptations—especially for authors with a sizable backlist
What Kind of Book Translates Well to Screen?
Well-constructed stories, snappy dialogue, and surprising twists can all contribute to a book’s chance of being chosen for adaptation.
Simon & Schuster launches a Black celebrity imprint
The new imprint, 13A, is dedicated to publishing Black voices in culture and politics; the imprint’s name refers to the constitutional amendment that abolished slavery.
HarperCollins is being “very aggressive” in buying new titles
The CEO of HarperCollins, Brian Murray, recently spoke at an investor conference, where he said the publisher has seen the “book pie grow” by about 15 percent.
Mirror: “Publishing like never before”
What would happen if you crossed Medium with cryptocurrency? That’s how people are explaining Mirror. The one-year-old startup is now valued at $100 million
Kindle Vella loosens restrictions on authors prior to launch
When Kindle Vella, a platform for serialized fiction, was first announced in the spring, Amazon’s content guidelines stipulated that serial work published through Vella could not be published.
Legible: a new reading and publishing platform for ebooks
So far, the Canadian-based platform has 30,000 free and public domain titles and is beta testing sales of books from Grove Atlantic and Open Road Media.
Could Amazon get broken up?
After a year of investigation, the US House Judiciary committee has introduced multiple bills that would potentially break up tech giants Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google.
Draft2Digital adds BorrowBox to distribution network
Draft2Digital, a leading ebook distributor for authors, recently announced distribution to BorrowBox, an app that provides library patrons in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom
Post-Brexit, UK publishers worry about the resale of printed books across borders
Publisher and author trade associations in UK are raising alarm over potential effects of Brexit on book market due to “copyright exhaustion.”
Another state, New York, passes library ebook bill
Not even a month after Maryland passed a library ebook bill, New York passed one of its own; (which Governor Andrew Cuomo still needs to sign
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A recent Nielsen Books & Consumers survey shows that the total UK book market grew 6 percent in terms of volume in 2020.
Library distributor OverDrive acquires Kanopy
OverDrive, the leading digital reading platform for libraries, acquired Kanopy, a video streaming service, which includes 30.000 films.
A new conservative publisher has launched, drawing big headlines
The new effort, All Seasons Press, comes from two former Big Five editors—one from Simon & Schuster, the other from Hachette.
Book sales update: June 23, 2021
Fiction continues to perform well in 2021 across all categories, including adult, YA, and graphic novels, while adult nonfiction sales are soft.
From Podcast to Book Deal: What Agents and Editors Want
Podcasters who can elevate or transform their podcast concept or content into a unique book are best positioned to secure a publishing deal
The Future of Digital Events
The ease of being able to deliver the event from the convenience and comfort of home remains a primary advantage.
Running a Profitable Facebook Ad Campaign
Testing your ad creative and pushing past your first few ideas is key to a successful and cost-effective Facebook ad campaign
New children’s imprint at Astra house
Astra Publishing House is launching a children’s book imprint in fall 2022 that will target ages newborn to 12, focusing on illustrated titles.
UK’s Octopus launches mass-market nonfiction list
The new initiative (as part of Hachette UK) will target “defined communities of potential readers, whether it’s a trusted household name with a core community of fans
UK’s Quarto launches Happy Yak
The new children’s imprint debuts this summer with board books, picture books, and more for children up to seven.
Bonnier Books UK launches music imprint
Nine Eight Books launches in November and “will provide a year-round publishing home for broad, bold, and entertaining musical perspectives.
New literary agency: ArtHouse
Literary agents Latoya Smith and Felice Laverne have launched ArtHouse, which is dedicated to “pushing forward in the industry with diverse voices and perspectives.
Chain bookstores Indigo and Waterstones see sales declines for the last fiscal year
Indigo reported that net revenue was down 5.5 percent for its fiscal year ending on April 3, 2021. Its online sales more than doubled
US Independent Bookstore Closures Remain Minimal, But Booksellers Call For a Better Margin From Publishers
The American Booksellers Association recently held their annual meeting and offered the latest stats on membership.
We Need Diverse Books will no longer use #OwnVoices
The hashtag #OwnVoices has been used for years to indicate a book written by an author from an underrepresented group
IMHO: Questions raised by the recent AAP annual meeting
The CEO of PRH said just last month, quite logically, that if the revenue pool grows for them, it also grows for authors and agents.
Book Sales Update: June 9, 2021
author organizations conduct surveys that inevitably show authors’ incomes in decline, while publishers continue to report their strongest sales ever.
Political Books Have Been a Financial Boon for Publishers—but for How Much Longer?
Last year was the biggest year for political book sales since BookScan began tracking the category in 2004, in no small part due to the Trump administration
The Anatomy of a USA Today Bestseller Launch Campaign
Self-published authors can make their way onto the USA Today bestseller list through a strategic campaign of pre-orders, newsletter marketing, and advertising
Audiobooks Increase Their Market Share of Listening Hours, Even as Sales Growth Has Slowed
As exponential growth in audio inevitably slows, publishers will have to vie for market share with other content providers and services
Clarification: Curious Fictions
However, with most platforms, creators have to shoulder the payment processing fees. That isn’t true, however, of Curious Fictions.
Canelo Launches Canelo History
UK-based fiction publisher Canelo is launching a new nonfiction imprint, Canelo History. The program will start with three books a month
A Podcast About Writing With Scrivener
Journalist Kirk McElhearn interviews writers about how they use Scrivener, a popular app for book writing.
Chicago’s Seminary Co-op Bookstore Launches Two Imprints
The first imprint, Offsets, is in partnership with Northwestern University Press and will focus on new translations, out-of-print titles
Bookwire Launches in The US
Bookwire currently offers ebook and audiobook distribution services in Germany, Brazil, Mexico, and the UK—with a catalog of a half million ebooks