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.
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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%.
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The IBPA and NetGalley conducted a joint study to learn how much independent authors budget for publishing and marketing.
AAP Files with the FTC, Slamming Amazon
The Association of American Publishers (AAP) filed a statement with the FTC laying out the US book business’s grievances against Amazon.
Facebook Changes Will Focus on a Future That’s “Private”
One thing you can count on with social media, it’s changes are on the way—often those changes directly affect author marketing and promotion.
Trends in Adult Nonfiction: What Agents and Editors Are Looking For: July 10, 2019
It’s tougher to sell political books these days, but one thing hasn’t changed: authors need a tribe if they want to land a book deal.
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.
Hot Sheet Index: July 10, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the reading habits of Canadians as reported by Booknet Canada. The Kindle seeing usage by 39 percent.
Closing Image; July 10, 2019
According to the Pew Research Center, social media use has plateaued. Only Instagram has seen a small uptick in use in 2019.
Trends in Adult Fiction: What Agents and Editors Are Looking For: June 26, 2019
Publishing insiders see continued focus on psychological suspense and a resurgence of interest in rom-com and horror.
How Public Libraries Affect Book Sales
With help from OverDrive, it’s now possible for anyone to identify the most popular (but less well-known) ebooks based on library lending.
Books Pitched at Cannes to Producers This Year: No Laugh Riot
It’s interesting to see what’s being presented by publishers and agents to producers in settings like the Cannes Festival.
The Canadian Copyright Crisis Stalls in Parliament
Struggle by authors to address the 2012 Canadian Copyright Modernization Act isn’t over, but it’s reached a new inflection point.
Another Day, Another Author Income Report
The latest surveys from the UK reiterate downward trends in writers’ earnings. ALLi called for including self-publishing
Hot Sheet Index: June 26, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the top trends for Q1 for 2019. Online retail saw a 12.4 percent growth during Q1 of 2019.
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In 2018, advertising spend matched the level of time that consumers spent on their desktop and mobile devices.
Barnes & Noble Presents a Daunting Task for James Daunt
The New York hedge fund Elliott Management, whose UK arm bought a majority stake in Waterstones in 2018, is now buying Barnes & Noble.
The State of the Publishing Industry, By the Numbers
For traditional publishers of fiction, growth comes from suspense/thrillers, up 1 percent in 2018. Patterson dominates this category.
The Future of Kids’ Books
Major brands and icons, often featured in streaming, on-demand entertainment, play the biggest role in what sells for children.
Launching a Debut Novel from a Debut Imprint: Alex Michaelides’s The Silent Patient
With a full year’s lead and direct promotion, a brand-new imprint at Macmillan made the most of a novelist’s debut.
Agents and Writers in Hollywood: At the Table Again—Briefly
The Writers Guild of America and talent agencies continue their stare-down over the agencies’ practice of packaging.
Hot Sheet Index: June 12, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the main reasons Canadian use public libraries. One of the most popular reasons is to borrow bestsellers.
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BookNet Canada studied the intersection of library use and book buying, surveying adult, English-speaking book buyers and library users in Canada.
BookExpo 2019: Audio, Audio, Audio, and a Non-Book Show
The annual US trade show tries a couple of new attractions, including a parallel show of non-book items to help booksellers woo consumers.
Mailchimp Pivots; Authors Look for the Exit
Recent changes to the Mailchimp service make it a less attractive option for email marketing. We look at a few popular alternatives..
Authors Step into the Brexit Quagmire
Previously having left the messaging to industry insiders, UK authors had a message for voters in the European elections last week: stay.
Podcast Watch: Tips and Insights across the Publishing Community: May 29, 2019
We round up insights and select podcast episodes you may want to consider during your next commute or listening session.
Storytel’s First Quarter: Strong in the North, More Expansion Ahead
The audio and ebook subscription business is stable and growing, thanks to its huge popularity in Nordic countries.
Hot Sheet Index: May 29, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed how Canadian readers discover books–the most popular method being word of mouth.
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On the 10-year anniversary of Amazon Publishing, Amazon shared a list of its bestselling AP books of all time.
Just One National Book Wholesaler Remains in the United States
Baker & Taylor announced it would stop serving as a wholesale book distributor to retailers and focus on its support of the library market.
Gaining Discoverability and Dollars through Libraries: The SELF-e Program
The SELF-e program is mainly a library marketing vehicle for indie authors, but new possibilities for payment have arrived
Patreon’s Terms of Use: Another Opinion on the Language
Do terms of use at Patreon undermine users’ control of their content? An expert says no—but emphasizes this is the right question to ask.
Book Clubs: The View from a Rights Specialist and an Author
From both an industry and author perspective, book clubs have played a key role in bookselling for decades—and are still looking hot today.
A Big Five Executive’s Take on Instagram Marketing
A big-publishing communications chief says Instagram can work well if you’re able to frame and sustain your messages in a visual context.
Hot Sheet Index: May 15, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the percentage of artists and other workers who are self-employed. There are more self-employed artists.
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The NEA released Artists and Other Cultural Workers: A Statistical Portrait, summarizing data it tracks on 11 distinct artist occupations.
The Mueller Report: A Redacted Runaway Hit
The Mueller Report is a hit, especially for a book that can be read for free. Three publishers brought out print and ebook editions.
Libraries and Publishers: Improving a Tense Relationship
Libraries seek opportunities to work directly with publishers—and alleviate difficulties and restrictions presented by distributor-middlemen.