Perseus Gets Sold to Hachette and Ingram, Take Two
After beginning an open sales process in fall 2015, Perseus Books Group has announced a deal with Hachette and Ingram.
Premium Content
DBW 2016: The Persistence of Print in the Children’s Market
If you’re working in children’s books, some of the research offered at DBW via Dubit’s quarterly survey, Dubit Trends, is important for you to note.
DBW 2016: Research and Engage Your Readers Using Digital Media
This year’s DBW featured a popular speaker from outside the industry: Rand Fishkin of Moz.
Profile: RoomHate
RoomHate recently hit number two on the New York Times bestseller list and number one on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list.
DBW 2016: Data Data Data: What Do We Know about Print and Ebook Sales Trends?
Michael Cader of Publishers Lunch offered DBW an overview of what we know and how we know it when it comes to print and ebook sales.
On the List: The Last Painting of Sara de Vos
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos nabbed the last spot on the New York Times bestseller list during the week of May 1, and it’s enjoying high rankings on Amazon as well.
Hot Sheet Index: February 24, 2016
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the number of Kobo, and Amazon users against the number of ebooks sold on these sites.
Closing Image: February 24, 2016
The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (UW-Madison’s School of Education) has tracked diversity in children’s books for twenty-five years.
How Big Is Big? A Quick Look at the Amazonian Workforce
It can be difficult for those of us in the publishing industry to get a handle on Amazon’s tremendous scale.
Profile: Emmanuel Nataf
For our earlier report on Reedsy’s new Book Editor, we spoke with the startup’s twenty-five-year-old CEO, Emmanuel Nataf.
Scribd Ends Unlimited Ebook Subscription Model
Last week, Scribd publicly announced that it was ending its all-you-can-read ebook subscription plan.
Kobo: The Number-Three Ebook Retailer in the World, but an Overvalued One
Recent developments around Canada’s Kobo have brought new definition to its challenges in the industry.
A New Platform for Story Serialization (with Earnings Potential): Tapas Media
For years, serialization has been discussed as a significant area of opportunity for reading and publishing in the digital age.
Open Road’s Vertical Ascent: In the Niche of Time
Two models of vertical are operating now at Open Road, which publishes more than 10,000 books by more than 2,000 writers.
Ebooks: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Rest of the World
In much of the world, digital reading hasn’t taken off with nearly the strength that the United States market has seen.
Closing Image: February 10, 2016
Nielsen BookScan recently released a report measuring print book sales growth globally.
Hot Sheet Index: February 10, 2016
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the number of Facebook and WhatsApp users and the average revenue per user in key countries.
First Release of Reedsy’s Editor Tool for Authors
Next week, Reedsy will debut its new Editor tool, and CEO Emmanuel Nataf has given us a sneak preview.
Imprints That Are Starting, Relaunching, or Coming Back from the Dead
The new year is often full of organizational announcements; here are the latest to be aware of.
The Bookseller Opens an Indie-Sales Tracking Project in the UK
The Bookseller in London has given us advance word of its rollout of a new call for voluntary ebook sales data sharing among UK independent authors.
Amazon Quality Control Issues: A Quick Follow-Up
We recently discussed Amazon’s new plan to implement tougher formatting standards on self-published ebooks uploaded via Amazon KDP.
As Sales of Digital Audio Grow, Audible Goes on a Hiring Spree
Last week, news broke that Amazon is seeking to hire 100 people worldwide for Audible (the audiobook company), which it acquired in 2008.
Publishing’s Spider-Man Tweaks Author Earnings
It’s now roughly the two-year anniversary of Author Earnings, first launched in February 2014 by indie author Hugh Howey and “Data Guy.”
On the List: Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics
The second book in a series, Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics has been described as an ode to libraries and literature; it includes puzzles for readers to solve.
Hot Sheet Index: January 27, 2016
The Hot Sheet Index reviews US print sales of different book categories including adult nonfiction, computer, art/design and humor from 2015.
Closing Image: January 27, 2016
A high-level view of diversity in the US publishing industry, as surveyed by Lee & Low.
Profile: Philip Pullman
Every author-advocacy organization should have a Philip Pullman as its president.
Where Is the Diversity in Publishing?
In May 2015, children’s publisher Lee & Low announced it would conduct the first baseline survey of diversity within the US publishing industry.
Is Amazon Cracking Down on Quality Concerns in Self-Published Titles?
The short answer: kind of. Here’s the longer answer.
Pearson under Pressure
Pearson PLC, the world’s largest publisher of textbooks, has announced that cuts of 4,000 jobs, 10 percent of its workforce, are on the way.
Pottermore, J.K. Rowling’s Site, Lost Money in 2015
When it opened to the public in 2012, the Pottermore website was seen as a publishing-industry gamechanger.
Philip Pullman Successfully Leads Charge for Author Event Compensation
Author Philip Pullman, longtime speaker at the UK’s Oxford Literary Festival, announced in mid-January that he would no longer be a patron.
For Richer and Poorer, and Something In-Between
The Bookseller’s Tom Tivnan has revealed that around 0.1 percent of all authors in the U.K. market earned 13 percent of BookScan sales last year.
Agent Robert Gottlieb Responds to Changes at Penguin Random House
Agent Robert Gottlieb expresses worry about lower advances and less risk-taking among publishers in light of the ongoing consolidation.
Book Country: It Was Part of the Author Solutions Sale
We covered the Author Solutions sale last week, but there was an aspect of that sale that escaped just about everyone’s attention: Book Country.
Google and Search Engine Optimization: How Much Does It Affect Novelists?
We asked Peter McCarthy, former VP of marketing innovation for Random House, to explain the importance of Google and SEO for fiction writers.
Hot Sheet Index: January 13, 2016
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the number of ebooks statistics relative to BookBub discount deals and library circulation.
Closing Image: January 13, 2016
Consulting firm McKinsey & Company predicts that global spending on media as a whole will rise 5 percent every year for the next five years.
On the List: The Good Girl
First released in hardcover in July 2014, this story of a kidnapping gone wrong made its first appearance on the New York Times bestseller list a full year after its initial release.
What You Need to Know about Today’s Ebook Subscription Landscape
2015 saw considerable changes and reorganization in the ebook subscription market. Here’s where we’ve been and where the market may be headed.
How Many Americans Can Access Your Digital Content?
With about half the developed nations ranking ahead of it, the U.S. isn’t where it needs to be in terms of broadband access.
The Best of 2015 Publishing Recaps and 2016 Predictions
We scanned all of the 2015 year-end articles and 2016 predictions so you don’t have to. Here’s what authors need to know about the best of the pundit speculation.
The Author Contract Battle Takes on Global Scale
The Authors Guild has pulled off a surprise for the new year, launching a letter on Jan. 5 to publishers’ associations.
Penguin Random House Unloads the Author Solutions Albatross
Since 2013, AS has been battling class action lawsuits over claims of fraudulent business practices, which were finally dismissed late last year.
Was 2015 a Good Year for U.S. Print Book Sales?
Despite misleading headlines in the New York Times and elsewhere in 2015 about U.S. book publishing, there’s one significant trend to remember: print book sales continue to shift toward bookstores—bricks-and-mortar and online stores—and away from mass merchandisers.