Closing Image: April 17, 2019
A Nielsen-Digimarc study looks at why people illegally download ebooks from torrent sites and the activity harms the publishing industry.
Premium Content
A Global Look at the Audiobook Market
The Audio Publishers Association and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair are mapping audio activity and interest.
Amazon’s New MFN Policy Doesn’t Affect KDP Authors
KDP authors aren’t third-party merchants and may not set a lower selling price on their books at other retailers.
Hot Sheet Index: April 3, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviews the change in sales and profits for some top trade publishers for 2018 versus 2017.
Closing Image: April 3, 2019
According to the GlobalWebIndex, while Facebook still has the largest number of users, YouTube is now number one in weekly visitors.
From Book to Screen: Current Trends in Adaptation
The ravenous film market seeks books with big themes for adaptation—just don’t ask buyers to read your book.
Where Kids’ Nonfiction Is in Debate: Women in Children’s Books
A special emphasis at Bologna this year: empowerment in children’s nonfiction. What about girls who aren’t superheroes?
Open Road Media Shares Best Practices for Ebook Marketing
Open Road Media shared case studies as well as new research that shows ebook promotions have a halo effect on print sales.
The EU Copyright Directive: Is It an Online Brexit?
We have a summary of the EU’s decision on the Copyright Directive, which on March 26 was given a thumbs-up by the European Parliament.
All Hail Digital Audio: Growth, Opportunities, and Challenges
Publishers are expanding audio production to include nonfiction and children’s titles; voice assistants expected to play an important role.
Agents Discuss Their Experiences with Amazon Publishing
Agents tell us that a contract with an Amazon Publishing imprint can be good for both debut and established authors.
Nonfiction Keeps Marching into Profits
in recent years nonfiction sales have either remained stable or grown across the industry, while adult fiction sales have been declining.
New Guidelines for Participating in International Events in Political Times
You don’t have to travel internationally to run into situations in which a speaking engagement or a book signing may seem questionable.
A Pivotal Vote Lies Ahead for Europe’s New Copyright Directive
For online copyright issues, battle for public sentiment is Article 13. The section concerns Silicon Valley’s operation in the content space.
Hot Sheet Index: March 20, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the number of employees and the median worker earnings for Amazon and Facebook employees.
Closing Image: March 20, 2019
Audiobook consumption has traditionally leaned more male than female, but new research in the UK shows the gender gap is closing.
BookBub’s Chirp: A New Audiobook Marketing Opportunity
BookBub is going beyond marketing and promotion with its latest service, which actually sells audiobooks through a new site and mobile app.
Despite New Tools, Author Research Is Essential for Success in Amazon Ads
In 2016, Amazon opened up Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) to all self-published authors distributing books via Amazon KDP.
The Larger and Darker Problem Revealed by the Romance Plagiarism Story
Acts and accusations of plagiarism are as old as time. The latest high-profile plagiarism case is unique to indie and digital publishing.
Authors, Illustrators on the Fine Art(s) of Diversity in Children’s Books
Diversity for illustrators and authors in the children’s sector is front of mind for the industry’s creative pros.
London Book Fair’s Author HQ Beats Other Trade Show Writer Programs
As other trade shows have faltered in their outreach to indie authors, London Book Fair has grown and refined its Author HQ events.
Hot Sheet Index: March 6, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the decline in print book sales in January 2019 versus January 2018 for fiction, nonfiction and political books.
Closing Image: March 6, 2019
According to eMarketer, this year for the first time, digital ad spending will exceed traditional ad spending.
Podcast Watch: Tips and Insights across the Publishing Community: February 20, 2019
We’ve taken it upon ourselves to try to offer Hot Sheet readers a guide to some of the notable podcast episodes we’ve scrubbed through.
Hot Sheet Index: February 20, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed book categories, comparing statistic from 2017 to 2018. Trade Book Publisher Revenue Increased 4.6% in 2018.
Closing Index: February 20, 2019
According to Amazon’s annual reports, Amazon has 48 times the square footage today (2018) as it did in 2004.
Reedsy Opens Discovery as a New Marketing Option for Indie Books
Reedsy is best known as a marketplace for author services—primarily used by editors and designers—on March 4 it will launch Reedsy Discovery.
How to Create a Million-Copy Bestseller (When Published By Amazon)
At a recent writers conference, an agent-editor-author panel offered rare discussion and insight about an Amazon Publishing success story.
Radish Originals Market to the Young and the Restless Readers
With an eye on Netflix, the serialization platform Radish has lured a bevy of soap opera talent to create the company’s own Originals.
Mike Shatzkin and the Changing Value of “Delivering Quality Words Quickly”
Mike Shatzkin is likely the longest-active insider in book publishing. The Shatzkin Files blog site is a regular stop for industry players.
Amazon Chronicles: Tim Carmody’s Newsletter on the “Elephant”
Carmody’s new Amazon Chronicles provides that wider perspective on Amazon not often discussed in publishing-industry circles.
Hot Sheet Index: February 6, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the growth of worldwide digital library checkouts in 2018– Toronto Public Library with highest digital lending.
Closing Image: February 6, 2019
Overdrive listed the top ten most popular ebooks circulating in libraries for 2018. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng topped the list.
Controlled Digital Lending: What It Is and the Fight Now Brewing
Library lending of scanned print books may not be legal under current copyright law; author and publisher associations begin to protest.
How the New Wattpad Books Works for Authors
Late in January, Wattpad announced that it’s launching a new publishing arm, Wattpad Books, with six titles releasing this fall.
One of Wattpad Books’ First Six Authors on Reaching the Core Demographic
Cupid’s Match is a valuable property on the platform and illustrates why Wattpad would be motivated to launch its own books division.
Barnes & Noble Offers Advertising to Indie Authors
B&N’s new ad platform launched with significant flaws, but B&N has already issued refunds and appears to be reshaping the program.
An Explanation of Public Lending Right for Authors
The Authors Guild’s effort to rekindle the idea of a public lending right in the US has prompted quick reactions.
Going Traditional after Self-Publishing
We were curious if recent dealmaking for self-published work would reveal helpful criteria for generating interest from agents and editors.
Pre-Publication Book Reviews Mistakenly Appear at Amazon
When customer reviews at Amazon started showing up on book product pages prior to release dates, we asked if there was a change in policy.
Traditional Publishers Emphasize Nonfiction and Children’s
Traditional publishers wrapped up 2018 with a slight gain in print unit sales, with adult nonfiction leading the way.
Smart Speakers: Cranking the Volume on Authors’ Audio
One reason smart speakers hold potential for authors’ audio is that they don’t require authors to produce an audiobook.
Hot Sheet Index: January 23, 2019
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed print book sales as reported by BookScan for 2013, 2017 and 2018. Print unit sales rose 1.3 percent in 2018.