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Hot Sheet Index: October 2, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed The state of independent bookselling in Canada. 87 Percent of revenue comes from in-store purchases.
Closing Image: October 2, 2019
A recent report from BookNet Canada compares the inventory breakdown for Canadian booksellers against BNC’s sales data.
When Third-Party Sellers Win the Buy Box, What’s the Damage?
The buy box is prime real estate on Amazon selling platform. Here’s when and how to wrest the territory back from a third-party seller.
Beta Management Services Compete for Authors
Authors see beta readers as an essential resource, and entrepreneurs have responded with new online platforms for corralling beta readers.
Student Pirating Not to Blame for Publishing’s Problems
Higher education publishers continue to experience revenue declines as students seek more affordable purchasing options.
Hot Sheet Index: September 19, 2018
The Hot Sheet Index breaks down the financial performance for the first half of 2018 for the Large Trade Houses.
Digital Book World 2019: Industry Takeaways
This year’s Digital Book World, hosted by Score Publishing, featured a predominant focus on audio, voice tech, and artificial intelligence.
Ebook Distributor PublishDrive Moves to a Flat-Fee Model for All Plans
PublishDrive announced a new (but then optional) model: authors could pay a $100 monthly fee for 100 percent royalties for up to 100 titles.
How to Identify and Respond to Backlist Sales Opportunities
At Digital Book World 2019, Ingram’s Peter McCarthy presented a digital marketing session on surfacing opportunities for sales growth.
Hot Sheet Index: September 18, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed performance of big publishers for first half of 2019 versus 2018. The Big Pubs had a mixed first half of 2019.
Simon & Schuster’s Head of Marketing Discusses Bookselling Innovations and Challenges
Successful efforts have blended new tech with tried-and-true marketing standards.
Closing Image: September 19, 2019
At this year’s Digital Book World, Ingram’s Peter McCarthy presented “Marketing Insights: Surfacing New Opportunities for Growth.”
Other Authors Are Not Your Competition
At the annual Writer’s Digest Conference, a sales and marketing consultant offered a step-by-step process for market research.
#MSWL: What Agents and Editors Wish For
A study of the popular hashtag on Twitter reveals how agents and editors can be influenced by pop culture and current events.
What Do Big Five Publishers Do for Their Authors?
The bare minimum a debut author needs to effectively market their book—aside from high-quality writing—is a willingness to collaborate.
Hot Sheet Index: September 4, 2021
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed Penguin Random Houses statistics for the first half of 2019. They’ve had 178 New York Times Bestsellers so far.
Closing Image: September 4, 2019
In Joanna Penn’s annual earnings report, she shares sales variability by store. Her audio sales are primarily nonfiction.
Major Publishers Sue Audible over Captions Feature
Audible (owned by Amazon) announced it would start offering captioned audiobooks through a feature known as Captions.
Cross-Promotional Magic with Multi-Author Facebook Groups
While they can take considerable time to organize and administer, Facebook groups focus community and collective marketing power.
OverDrive’s Steve Potash: Ask Your Publishers about Library Pricing and Access
Authors and agents can expand a book’s reach and readership by offering libraries more lending access models.
The New Book Club Influencers
In the years since Oprah’s show ended, many have wondered who the next big book influencer might be in the United States. An answer is starting to emerge.
A New Tool to Help Indie Authors and Small Publishers Calculate Royalties
PublishDrive has recently launched Abacus, a standalone royalty-splitting service for self-publishing authors and small publishers.
The Power of Positioning
Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference provides education for authors on craft and business of succeeding in a highly competitive genre..
An Inside Look at How Children’s Books Get Adapted for the Screen
Books as source material are all the rage right now in the children’s entertainment market, and at the annual SCBWI conference in Los Angeles.
Will Legislation to Hold Big Tech Accountable Backfire?
EU legislation designed to make big tech content providers more accountable to rights holders may stifle small-scale competition.
Hot Sheet Index: August 21, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the change in print sales from 2018 to 2019 for popular categories. Overall, sales for US trade books dropped.
Closing Image: August 21, 2019
BookNet Canada recently released book sales statistics on gardening books related to houseplants. Sales have been rising steadily since 2008.
Amazon Charts Launch in the UK and Germany
In the States, we’ve had the Amazon Charts rankings since May 2017, but only on July 24 were they rolled out to the UK and German markets.
Authors Guild Files Commentary on Piracy and Counterfeits
The Author’s Guild makes the point that the key form of pirated book is digital. The Guild lists three forms of book piracy.
Hot Sheet Index: August 7, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the types of materials circulating in US libraries as of 2018. Print books made up 57 percent of materials.
Closing Image: August 7, 2019
According to the 2019 Library Journal Materials Survey, top circulating fiction categories—for print and ebook format—mystery and suspense.
Macmillan’s New Library Licensing Terms Ignite an Industry Debate
Major publishers are revisiting how they make ebooks available to libraries—with Macmillan deciding to embargo new releases for two months.
Are Libraries Eroding Author Income?
Obtaining definitive or long-term data on authors’ ebook earnings—much less on how libraries affect retail sales—is not easy.
Trump’s New Threat of Tariffs Raises Alarm for Publishing
With the US industry heavily dependent on printing work done in China, the threat of new tariffs is deeply concerning.
The Publishing Industry Pushes Back on Audible’s Captions
Publishers and authors’ organizations say copyright law doesn’t allow for Audible’s audiobook feature that shows the text as it’s read aloud.
CASE Act for a Copyright Small Claims Court Clears Senate Committee
The small claims court for copyright protection cases has passed its Senate committee markup and is much closer to passage in Washington.
Trends in YA and Middle Grade: How the Times We Live in Affect Acquisitions
Current trends in children’s publishing favor dystopia and horror, graphic novels, and more audio and TV/film adaptations.
Wattpad Monetization Programs Roll Out Worldwide
Wattpad’s writer-payment program and the paid-subscription plan for readers have been rolled out worldwide
How Authors Can Work Effectively with Independent Bookstores
A recent panel of booksellers offered pointed and practical advice on how to make the most of an in-store event.
Hot Sheet Index: July 24, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed Audiobook sales for 2018 and found an Increase in the number of audiobook titles released in 2018 vs 2017: 5.8%.
Closing Image: July 24, 2019
The IBPA and NetGalley conducted a joint study to learn how much independent authors budget for publishing and marketing.
Scribd and getAbstract Offer Contrasting Approaches to Nonfiction Summaries
Scribd’s creation of free, short summaries of nonfiction books has rankled publishers—who were not contacted in advance.
Bitterness Deepens in the Standoff between Hollywood Agencies and Writers
Three of the four main agencies have countersued the writers for refusing to condone agency packaging with studios.