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A university press launches a comics imprint
Graphic Mundi, launched by Penn State University Press, will publish comics for adults and young adults, starting in spring 2021.
The Pros and Cons of Plottr
Plottr offers a useful timeline grid for novelists but also is in its early stages of development.
Foundry co-owners go their separate ways
In 2007, Foundry Literary + Media was co-founded by Yfat Reiss Gendell and Peter McGuigan, but they’ve now decided to part ways.
Closing Image: September 30, 2020
According to the latest stats from NPD BookScan, print book sales are up by 6 percent this year versus 2019.
In a surprising turn of events, Macmillan CEO will depart at the end of this year
Big Five US publisher Macmillan abruptly announced that CEO John Sargent is leaving on Jan. 1, 2021.
Audible launches in Spain with an unlimited subscription model
While news of Amazon’s Audible entering Spain may seem of little import, Audible has done so using an unlimited subscription model
Agent resigns over racist tweets
An agent at Talcott Notch Literary Services, Tia Mele, resigned over offensive tweets about Black people she posted in 2012 and 2014.
Vanity Fair reports that book publisher Skyhorse is a “house of horrors”
Skyhorse is an independent publisher based in New York City that has been accepting and releasing books that no one else wants
Obama’s memoir to publish on Nov. 17
Aside from accounting for his time in office, Obama said it, “offers some of my broader thoughts on how we can heal the divisions in our country.”
Agents prepare for Frankfurt rights meetings via Zoom
To help facilitate dealmaking, the fair is giving agencies a digital rights platform where they can upload rights guides, title information, and more.
BookClub, a new publishing startup, raises $6 million
The new platform that helps authors run their own online book clubs just announced it has raised cash to “scale” author-led book clubs.
Traditional Publishing Enjoys Its Best Sales in a Decade—Despite Supply Chain Problems
Book publishing faces a very tight printing market at the same time that sales have increased to levels not seen for ten years.
Macmillan rolls out a new podcast, Driving the Green Book
The podcast follows a broadcaster and an activist as they drive from Detroit to New Orleans.
Hot Sheet Index: September 16, 2020
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed statistics regarding Patreon membership and financing artists and their work for 2017 and 2020.
Closing Image: September 16, 2020
Patreon released recent stats showing an uptick in patron support due to the pandemic. Artists have generated more than $2 billion.
New graphic novel imprint: Torch Graphic Press
The imprint is part of Cherry Lake Publishing Group, a Michigan-based children’s publisher that specializes in picture books and middle-grade novels.
Audible Escape to be discontinued
Audible Escape is the audiobook subscription service for romance novels that debuted in 2017.
Biggest printer in the US sells off assets to Atlas Group
LSC Communications, which filed for bankruptcy in April 2020, announced that most of its assets will be purchased by a private equity group.
Bookshop launching in the UK
Bookshop, the US-based online retailer that funnels a portion of its proceeds back to independent booksellers, is launching in the UK this November.
Frankfurt goes all virtual; digital conference open to all
Due to new quarantine rules in Germany, Frankfurt Book Fair—the publishing industry’s biggest trade event—is moving entirely online.
A Big Five publisher expresses interest in buying Simon & Schuster
Bertelsmann—the parent company of Penguin Random House—has indicated interest.
Meanwhile, Penguin Random House sales are down 1.4 percent versus last year
Including all divisions, PRH reported a sales decline of 1.4 percent for the first half the year compared to 2019, with profits down nearly 8 percent.
Freelance writers get exemptions under California’s AB5 law
Initially, the law capped a freelancer’s contributions to the same publication at 35 pieces; beyond that, they’d be considered an employee.
The top cities and states for self-published authors, according to Amazon
Amazon recently released a series of infographics showing where self-published authors are most active in the United States.
Book sales update: September 16, 2020
Through the end of August 2020, NPD BookScan reports that total print unit sales are up by 5.6 percent over last year in the US.
Storytel acquires iCast
Founded in 2006, Israel-based iCast, with a library of 2,500 audiobooks in Hebrew, became profitable three years ago.
Barnes & Noble CEO Committed to a Local-First Selling Strategy
In an industry-facing Q&A, James Daunt makes a case for trusting local booksellers with decisions that maximize book sales.
Authors A.I.: A New Service That Will Analyze Your Novel in Minutes
The authors designed an algorithm to read the bestsellers and come up with the hallmarks of bestseller DNA.
DBW Highlights: The Growing Importance of Consumer Sales, Plus Library Borrowing Statistics
In response to the pandemic, publishers are implementing and improving online direct-to-consumer sales; meanwhile, libraries continue to see high demand and patronage.
Closing Image: September 2, 2020
While the NPD Group tracks sales of traditionally published romance only, they’re seeing growth in the category this year as a result of COVID-19.
Major media report on publishers’ printing woes
In the US and UK, a crowded fall season makes it challenging to get media attention for new releases and to keep popular books in stock.
Agents demand that publishers protect authors during virtual events
At this point, just about everyone has heard about “Zoombombing,” where Zoom events are infiltrated and intentionally disrupted by trolls.
Agent gets fired from agency for tweets about trans people
Sasha White, an agent at Tobias Literary Agency, was fired last month for tweets about trans people.
Carlin Romano remains on the board of the National Book Critics Circle
Earlier this summer most of the organization’s board resigned after internal dissension over its anti-racism statement.
Ingram advises publishers shift from B2B to D2C marketing tactics
While overall demand for books has not lagged, the purchasing journey has shifted from in-store placement to social media and retail websites.
New agent alert
Stephanie Kim has joined New Leaf Literary & Media. Previously, she worked in traditional publishing at William Morrow and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Literati expands into celebrity book clubs
Literati is a service that delivers a selection of children’s books (print only) to subscribers every month for $9.95
Book sales update: September 2, 2020
For the week ending Aug. 15, year-to-date sales for print books were up by 5.5 percent versus 2019.
Independent Bookstores Take a Cautious Approach When Placing Orders
Unpredictability permeates all aspects of bookstore operations, including inventory selection, title availability, and mail delivery.
Meanwhile, Audible Launches a New Subscription Offering
Audible is essentially rolling out a cheaper subscription plan that, in part, competes with Spotify—and carries no advertising.
ReBoot virtual conference to take place in October
So far the online event features industry experts from Nielsen, Ingram, Bonnier, Kobo, Storytel, and more.
Netflix features Black authors in new series
Bookmarks is a new Netflix series, launched Sept. 1, that features children’s books by Black authors read by Black celebrities and artists.
Find out which libraries carry digital editions of your book
Through a partnership between OverDrive and Authors Guild, Authors Guild members can now find out which libraries stock their book.
Hot Sheet Index: September 2, 2020
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the change in unit sales in January 2020 versus January 2019 in traditionally published romance.
Emory undergrads start a children’s publishing house
A company plans to publish children’s books to help young children better understand the pandemic.
Ingram advises publishers shift from B2B to D2C marketing tactics
While overall demand for books has not lagged, the purchasing journey has shifted from in-store placement to social media and retail websites.