Literary Agent Fails: When an Author’s Worst Nightmare Comes True
Recent allegations of agent misconduct have raised anxieties among writers over whether agents can be trusted with their best interests.
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Simon & Schuster Rolls Out a New Direct-to-Consumer Effort
Simon & Schuster announced its launch of Book Club Favorites. The program is designed to target readers in a promotion of its authors.
A Possible Revival of the Canadian Booksellers Association
American Booksellers Association is an advocacy group for independent booksellers in the US. For many years, Canada had an association, too.
Selling on Nook: Worthwhile Opportunity or Lost Cause?
Barnes & Noble recently announced that authors in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand can sell directly on Nook.
Book Clubs Can Be Great—When They’re Buying Books
Local book clubs in UK seem to be sharing unpaid-for copies of books, which raised potential need for a standard, simple book-club contract.
Hot Sheet Index: August 8, 2018
The Hot Sheet Index compares US print book sales for traditional publishers during first half of 2018 to the same time period for 2017.
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More than 50 Canadian publishers responded to a BookNet Canada survey on digital publishing. Report covers ebooks, digital audio, and more.
IBPA Board Says BookExpo Is “Rather Hostile” to Author-Publishers
We’re watching BookExpo shrink not only in floor space but also in influence. Having drawn fewer booksellers this year than last year
Hot Sheet Index: July 25, 2018
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the global increase in digital library lending in 2018 versus 2017. Audiobook checkouts reached 68 million.
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Based on data from 40,000+ libraries and schools, OverDrive says in last two years, audiobook usage via libraries has increased 46 percent.
New US StatShot Annual: A Flat Five Years for Traditional Publishers
Unlike the monthly StatShot, the annual report uses publishers’ reports and extrapolated data modeled on the market to produce an estimate.
UK Publishing Yearbook Reflects the Importance of Exports to UK Publishers
The 2017 Yearbook cite an 8 percent rise in exports, it also says exports accounted for 60 percent of British book industry’s revenues.
Audiobooks for Indie Authors: When Are They Worth the Investment?
Traditional publishing has enjoyed double-digit sales growth of digital audio every year, but indie author reports have been mixed.
Act Like a Publisher, Not an Author: How Indies Can Better Market Children’s Books
children’s books are the toughest sell for indie authors, given how much success can depend on access to libraries and schools.
The Book-Stuffing Crackdown at Amazon
Amazon modifies policy and shuts down accounts to show it’s serious about stopping abuse of the KU payout system.
Supreme Court Tax Ruling Leaves Questions
Most observers agree it’s too early to get a clear read on what the June 21 Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair will mean.
Could UK Authors and Publishers Actually Start Talking Turkey?
The 2017 earnings report indicates the median annual income (from writing) of a professional author in the UK has slipped below minimum wage.
The Toughest Sell? Children’s Books by Indie Authors
In a Reedsy marketing-advice article, author Martin Cavannagh looks at marketing children’s books outside of mainstream trade publishing.
BetaBooks Offers New Features to Help Authors Find Beta Readers
BetaBooks is a reader-management web app for authors that helps streamline the beta-reading and feedback process.
Hot Sheet Index: July 11, 2018
The Hot Sheet Index reviews changes in print book unit sales in 2018 versus 2017 and changes in different category sales for these periods.
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The Association of American Publishers, which tracks the sales of traditional publishers each month, released first-quarter figures.
Booksellers and Librarians Remain Reimagined at BookExpo
BookExpo decided to go all in on booksellers this year to shore up the trade show’s faltering fortunes and eroding attendance numbers.
Hot Sheet Index: June 27, 2018
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the change in audiobook sales from 2016 to 2017 and looked at the percentage of listeners who use a smart phone.
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Late in May, Mary Meeker delivered her infamous annual internet report, which is highly anticipated in Silicon Valley.
The Appearance of Morality Clauses in Book Contracts
In an age when public figures fly off the handle in public—can Roseanne Barr’s book be far behind?—the UK is debating morality clauses in author contracts.
Barnes & Noble: The Struggle Continues
The big news from Barnes & Noble has been a series of layoffs and the announcement of a “new labor model.”
BookExpo 2018: Panel Takeaways on Wattpad and Pre-orders
In a panel, an editor from HarperCollins discussed how she works collaboratively with Wattpad to surface and publish new talent.
Digital Subscription Services Are Good Business for Traditional Publishers
During a panel sponsored by Ingram, two publishers described how and why they sell ebooks through digital subscription services like Scribd.
BookExpo 2018: A Loud Call to Preserve the Bookstore Ecosystem
The largest US book-publishing trade show seemed at times to have only one message: for the love of books, we must save the bookstores
BookExpo 2018: Nonfiction and Children’s Are the Bright Spots for Traditional Publishing
Nostalgia drives retail across sectors, not just book publishing; millennials take comfort in brands they’ve loved since they were children.
The Authors Guild Introduces Amazon Complaint Resolution
For Amazon, the Authors Guild brings to the table something important: a trusted and professional filter for handling problems.
When Is DBW Not DBW? The Conference That Isn’t the One You Think
F+W sold the DBW conference and assets to Tennessee-based Score Publishing. It is now running from October 2 to 4 in Nashville.
Amazon Original Stories: The Sound of a Bundling Rebound
Amazon has an advantage in audio-ebook bundling because Whispersync makes it possible to toggle between the two formats.
Hot Sheet Index: June 13, 2018
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the growth of US publishing print book sales in 2016, 2017 and the first part of 2018.
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About two-thirds of Americans have purchased something at Amazon; over 40 percent say they purchase at least once a month or more often.
Tablo: An Australian Self-Publishing Platform Expands Its Offerings
Australia’s Tablo is a self-publishing service established in 2013 by Ashley Davies, who was having no luck getting a publishing contract.
Hot Sheet Index: May 30, 2018
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the sales revenue difference and change in profits from 2017 to 2018 for Big Four Publishers.
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According to a 2018 Feedvisor study, the majority of Amazon users scroll past the first page of search results when looking for an item.
The Split Heard round the World: BookExpo Loses Its Rights Center
BookExpo opens as North America’s key publishing trade show—with no international rights center. It was BookExpo’s to lose, and it lost it.
And Another One Bites the Dust: Amazon Closes Kindle Worlds
Earlier this month, email notices started to go out: Amazon is shutting down Kindle Worlds, with submissions closed effective immediately.
Higher Margins: An Amazon Publishing Imprint Emerging from the Shadows
Speaking of Kindle Worlds and Kindle Scout being shuttered by Amazon, we see a parallel gain in traction for Amazon Publishing (APub).
The Case of the Disappearing Amazon Reviews
After paid-review practices received heightened media coverage, Amazon purged reviews from its site, but never explained its methodology.
Cockygate: Learning More Than We Ever Wanted about Trademark Law
author Faleena Hopkins started sending cease-and-desist letters to other romance novelists using the word cocky in their book titles.
Working toward a Copyright Break for Authors of Short Works
If you’re a writer of short work, you’ll be happy to hear of the Authors Guild’s efforts earlier this month at the US Copyright Office.