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.
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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.
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.
Closing Image: June 26, 2019
In 2018, advertising spend matched the level of time that consumers spent on their desktop and mobile devices.
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
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.
Closing Image: June 12, 2019
BookNet Canada studied the intersection of library use and book buying, surveying adult, English-speaking book buyers and library users in Canada.
Hot Sheet Index: May 29, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed how Canadian readers discover books–the most popular method being word of mouth.
Closing Image: May 29, 2019
On the 10-year anniversary of Amazon Publishing, Amazon shared a list of its bestselling AP books of all time.
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.
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.
Closing Image: May 15, 2019
The NEA released Artists and Other Cultural Workers: A Statistical Portrait, summarizing data it tracks on 11 distinct artist occupations.
Hot Sheet Index: May 1, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the consumer use of audiobooks and found that the number continued to rise in 2018.
Closing Image: May 1, 2019
Consumers now have a virtually infinite supply of things to watch, listen to, and read. According to an article at REDEF.
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.
Kobo’s Michael Tamblyn on How Crucial Your Metadata Is Today
A major platform chief observes that smart use of metadata can boost sales and discovery, especially with series.
The Arab World’s Focus on Writer Development: Our 2019 Update
“The UAE is among the newest of the Arab world countries” to focus consciously on building its literary life.
Writers and Agents Face Off in a Bitter Hollywood Dispute
Writers allege a standard entertainment-industry practice harms their earnings–the movie and television-industry practice of packaging.
Amazon Ads: Can’t Live with ’em, Can’t Live without ’em
We’ve heard anecdotal reports from authors who’ve been running Amazon ads for a long time now that the ads have become less effective.
Award-Winning Children’s Author Offers Insights on Writing and Marketing Books with Diverse Characters
One of the most prolific authors of books featuring black characters talks about issues and approaches for children’s writers of color.
Poetry: The Bestselling Category for IngramSpark
Social media has sparked a younger generation’s interest in poetry and increased print sales in that genre.
No Safe Harbor: Authors’ Organizations and the Battle With Ebook Piracy
The Society of Authors in London issued their “Piracy Is Theft” appeal earlier this month to the UK secretary of state for business..
Hot Sheet Index: April 17, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the percentages of romances written by people of color by top publishers and in 2018 versus 2016 and 2017.