Barnes & Noble Has a New COO, but Not Yet a CEO; Earnings Remain Down
Barnes & Noble released their quarterly earnings report: revenues fell 4%, which they blamed on lower store traffic during election season.
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Germany’s Tredition Publishing Platform Expands Operations to US, UK
Tredition provides a white-glove service to publishers who want a self-publishing wing and to newspapers and universities.
Society of Authors Demands Right to Say No to Deep-Discount Clauses
The UK’s Society of Authors cries foul on deep-discount deals many publishing contracts carry, which operate to the disadvantage of authors.
Progress on Author Payment for Festival Appearances
The Oxford Literary Festival has reversed its earlier refusal to pay authors. The festival will now pay authors to speak at its festival.
Links of Interest: November 30, 2016
Links of interest covering trends, self-publishing, and marketing.
Hot Sheet Index: November 30, 2016
The Hot Sheet Index looks at revenue growth for the first half of 2016 for some key areas like YA, religious, and adult publishing.
Closing Image: November 30, 2016
This chart from the Association of American Publishers compares book sales (by format) from 2011 to 2016 for the first half of the year.
BookExpo’s Coming Changes: Smaller, and Not Only in Name
New BEA director Brien McDonald has announced key changes for the leading US book publishing trade show, including name change to BookExpo.
Yet Another Self-Publishing Platform—This Time from Books-A-Million
Through a partnership with FastPencil, Books-A-Million offers a way to self-publish and an integrated in-store book placement program.
Europe’s Court Rules That All’s Fair in Print and Ebook Lending
In Europe, the conditions under which ebooks can be lent by public libraries are being newly examined, evaluated, and defined.
The Authors Guild’s Look at Potential Election Implications
After the US general election an Authors Guild essay asks practical questions, but its main concern is the protection of free speech.
The Latest New Imprints in Traditional Publishing
New imprints include McFarland Publishing’s Exposit books and Polaris Förlag in Sweden.
Links of Interest: November 16, 2016
Links of interest relating to the news, Amazon, marketing, and publishing trends.
Hot Sheet Index: November 16, 2016
Hot Sheet Index shows statistics for a decline in New York Times subscriptions and lists statistics for Facebook users.
Closing Image: November 16, 2016
Only 27 percent of non-Millennials are interested in romance novels, but it is the top genre for US Millennials, at 43 percent.
Palatium: A New Go-Between for Authors and Subscription Services
Based in Copenhagen, Palatium Books can get your ebooks into multiple subscription services without all the legwork you’d have to do yourself.
Amazon Customer Reviews: Revisiting a Tortured Topic
Amazon updated its customer review policy. The issue is a hotbed of discussion as authors surmise which reviews are deemed kosher.
A New Online Tool Helps Authors Evaluate Reversion of Rights
The Authors Alliance debuted its first tool to help authors: a free online questionnaire to help determine the rights status of your work.
Marketing to Millennials: Nielsen on Reaching for a Readership
At the Children’s Book Summit, Nielsen VP Jordan Rost suggested personal connection, not sales pitches, is what appeals to millennials.
Not Sure about Voting in the US? Consider the EU Directive and Authors
Like the Authors Guild in the States, the Society of Authors is leading the way in the UK on publishing-contract reform.
Writer’s Digest’s Novel Writing Conference: The Craft of Marketing
Garth Stein’s keynote at Writer’s Digest Conference was a clear-eyed admission of how central marketing has become for bestselling authors.
Links of Interest: November 2, 2016
Links of interest related to bookselling, publishing, and marketing.
Hot Sheet Index: November 2, 2016
The Hot Sheet Index looks at the attendance and exhibitor statistics for BookExpo and at deals made at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Closing Image: November 2, 2016
Detail of a stunning infographic showing the amount of consolidation that’s happened in the book industry, leading to the Big Five.
Note From Frankfurt Book Fair: Author Engagement This Year
The Frankfurt Book fair offers free programs to include indie authors who’d otherwise have to pay exorbitant fees for a seat at the table.
It’s Been an Active Fall for Amazon’s Business Development
Amazon Prime members now get free access to a rotating selection of ebooks, digital magazines, comics, and more.
Roundup: Traditional Publishing’s Newest Imprints (and One Closure)
It’s been an active fall for the Big Five announcing new imprints, some celebrity driven. There also seems to be interest in the YA market.
HarperCollins UK Launches an Online Event Platform: BookGig
UK publishing has a free central online portal where all book-related events can be listed and searched, regardless of publisher or location.
Links of Interest: October 19, 2016
Links of Interest in traditional publishing, self-publishing, marketing, and news.
Hot Sheet Index: October 19, 2016
Hot Sheet Index looks at the number of people who read, watch, and follow the news, broken down by specific age groups.
Closing Image: October 19, 2016
Young adults are less enthusiastic about news, data shows. But when they do read the news, they are most likely to view it online.
If Your Books Are in Kindle Unlimited, You May Be Owed Money by Amazon
Amazon’s software glitch highlights the vulnerability of indie authors, who have little or no ability to conduct an audit with the retailer.
Author Earnings’ Big Swerve: Have Indies Finally Hit the Wall of Content?
Curation, marketing and branding, and readership development are successful routes forward in the increasingly saturated publishing marketplace.
Cracking The Bestseller Code (Or Is This Idea Just Cracked?)
The Bestseller Code: Anatomy of the Blockbuster Novel by Archer and Jockers suggests novels that hit the NYT bestseller lists are not random.
A Sneak Peek at Reedsy’s Free Courses for Authors
Reedsy, the author-services marketplace, debuted free online courses aimed at making publishing a book a bit less daunting.
A Forty-Year-Old Industry Analysis Group Looks Authors’ Way
While BISG hasn’t been a go-to resource for authors in the past, we welcome the new executive director’s interest in an author-inclusive format.
PEN America Reveals the Dark Combo of Censorship and Diversity Struggles
A report from PEN America on the lack of diversity in children’s literature underscores soft censorship and the imagination gap.
In the NINC of Time: Observations from the 2016 Conference
NINC’s conference is valuable because its members aren’t writers trying to break in; most of them broke in long ago.
Bowker Releases New Figures on Self-Publishing Output in 2015
Updated figures from Bowker clarify the number of books being self-published with ISBNs.
Don’t Get Confused: Amazon Review Policy Change Doesn’t Affect Books
Amazon recently updated its customer reviews policy to eliminate incentivized reviews, but it still allows advance review copies of books.
Links of Interest: October 5, 2016
Small items of interest in digital innovation, marketing, and traditional publishing.
Hot Sheet Index: October 5, 2016
A look at average reading time for Americans and at bookstore statistics that include sales and location data.
Closing Image: October 5, 2016
Based on census data, bookstore sales increased 1992–2004 but fell drastically in the next 10 years.
The Retail Pivot: Why “Make More Books!” Makes No Sense Anymore
As retail options narrow, industry consultant Mike Shatzkin suggests, “It is no longer irrational to cut the list and focus.”
Links of Interest: September 21, 2016
The latest news about Facebook marketing, Goodreads giveaways, the Harlequin lawsuit, National Magazine Awards, and more.
Hot Sheet Index: September 21, 2016
Hot Sheet Index for number of Americans who utilize library services, the perception of available services and services they utilize (2016).
Closing Image: September 21, 2016
Library usage in the last 12 months (20016(for adults over the age of 16; numbers include in-person, bookmobile, and virtual.
Self-Publishing Activity Continues to Grow—with a Fascinating Shift
Bowker releases annual report on ISBN usage utilized by self-published authors. The report shows continued growth for that sector.
Amazon Invests in Physical Retail Operations; Barnes & Noble’s Sales Decline
Amazon opened up its second bookstore location in San Diego, CA, and has announced plans for stores in Chicago, Portland, and Boston.
Have We Reached Irrational Exuberance with Audio?
The Interactive Advertising Bureau published podcast ad metrics guidelines. Measurability of audiences is a problem facing the medium.