Goodbye NaNoWriMo, hello Novel November
In the spring, the nonprofit NaNoWriMo closed due to financial problems, among other complications. Now there’s a replacement event.
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Book sales update: September 24, 2025
The Association of American Publishers reports that sales have declined 1.7 percent during the first half of 2025, compared to 2024.
Takeaways from the AALA People of Publishing Conference
From the first annual Association of American Literary Agents’ conference in NYC, here’s what’s on industry professionals’ minds.
New agent at Rosecliff
Arizona Bell has joined as an agent, specializing in nonfiction that tackles resilience, belief, and the human spirit under pressure.
New agent at Susanna Lea Associates
This marks a return to agenting for Laura Mamelok; she was previously with Susanna Lea for a decade.
New online magazine: Alderbrink
Adam Morgan, founder of Chicago Review of Books, has launched an online magazine dedicated to fine press books, including reviews and news.
New streaming service from Scholastic
You can download the app and start streaming more than 400 hours of ad-supported content if you have a Roku or Amazon Fire TV.
Links of Interest: September 24, 2025
The latest in bestsellers, trends, accessibility, culture & politics, and AI.
Former bookstore co-owners launch hybrid publisher
The former owners of Tattered Cover have launched Left Field Publishing, where authors pay half of the upfront costs and share royalties with the company.
Links of Interest: September 17, 2025
The latest in children’s publishing, the Anthropic settlement, media, culture & politics, and AI.
Bookstore Co-op: What Does It Look Like Today?
If publishers want to support independent bookstores through co-op specifically, they probably need to re-envision how these programs work.
President Trump sues Penguin Random House
This is not the first time Trump has sued a publisher; so far none of his lawsuits against publishers have been successful.
Library distributor Baker & Taylor to be purchased by ReaderLink
This is the fourth ownership change for the distributor in recent years; it was bought out by current CEO Aman Kochar from Follett in 2021.
On the List: She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena
Shari Lapena is a former lawyer and English teacher whose nine novels have been New York Times, UK Sunday Times, and Globe and Mail bestsellers.
Webtoon and Disney partner on comics platform
The new partnership acts as an expansion upon Disney-owned Marvel Unlimited, Marvel’s current digital comics subscription service.
Penguin Random House UK launches first Christian imprint, Ebury Vine
The publisher says the launch is in response to a “clear market need,” especially for young readers.
Spotify enters marketing partnership with TikTok
Spotify has launched a “Big on BookTok” landing page offering audiobook playlists based on viral book recommendations on TikTok.
Anthropic Lawsuit: Judge is Unhappy about the Details of $1.5 Billion Settlement
Judge Alsup has asked for more information about who is in the class and how the claims process will work before granting preliminary approval.
James Patterson gives 12 writers up to $50,000 each to finish their books
Patterson is already known for giving money to bookstores, librarians, and literacy programs. Now he’s turning his attention to fellow authors.
New imprint at University Press of Kansas
Plainspoken Books is a new nonfiction trade imprint focused on Midwest stories.
Links of Interest: September 10, 2025
The latest in traditional publishing, bookselling, the creator economy, culture & politics, and AI.
ElevenLabs offers a direct-sales platform for AI-generated audiobooks called ElevenReader
Now authors can sell their AI-generated audiobooks directly through ElevenReader and earn a 60 percent royalty rate.
Three new agents at Watermark Agency
The agency welcomes Lily McMahon; Pete Mulvihill, of Green Apple Books; and Lynn Grady, who is also the new vice president.
On the list: The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing and Julie Durrell
The seasonal theme of the book creates an opportunity for refreshed sales each year as a new set of kindergartners gets ready for the big day.
Links of Interest: September 3, 2025
The latest in trends, traditional publishing, culture & politics, marketing & promotion, and AI.
IMHO: If a Major Podcast Doesn’t Sell Books, What Does?
When substantial visibility doesn’t move the needle, ask: is there meaningful overlap between the podcast’s audience and your ideal reader?
Will a settlement actually happen in Anthropic class action lawsuit?
In a nutshell: a settlement is more likely if it’s narrowly tailored to the piracy issue and the court finds it fair, reasonable and adequate.
A horrible discovery brought on by the Anthropic suit: Publishers don’t always register for copyright (!)
Some authors are finding their publishers did not in fact register their books as they are contractually obligated to do.
Penguin Random House: increased sales, lower profits in first half of 2025
The biggest US publisher recently reported that sales are up by 2 percent but profits fell 12 percent versus 2024 due to increased costs.
NEA cancels writing fellowship grants
The Trump administration has announced that creative writing fellowship grants will no longer be issued in 2026.
New AI narration startup: Spoken
The Portland, Oregon-based company partners with Hume AI and ElevenLabs to offer authors AI-generated voices or human voice clones.
New agents at Caldwell Agency
Victoria Harris, previously an editor at Oxford University Press, and Darryl Oliver, previously at Random House, have joined as agents.
Tiny Bookshop video game: enjoy the charms, escape the problems
For those who dream of opening a bookstore but don’t want the headaches, maybe try this little game for $20.
New agent at Neighborhood Literary
Aashna Avachat has joined as an agent, building a list of children’s and adult fiction in various genres and select nonfiction.
Links of Interest: August 27, 2025
The latest in trends, marketing and promotion, and culture & politics.
Anthropic settles class-action suit
Anthropic has decided to settle out of court. Everyone involved has so far declined to comment, and terms have yet to be disclosed.
Amazon now allows Kindle-exclusive authors to distribute their ebooks to libraries
A screenshot on social media shows Amazon customer service confirming that distribution to public libraries is okay.
New imprint at Simon & Schuster, led by former CEO
Simon & Schuster’s CEO Jonathan Karp is stepping down to run his own imprint, Simon Six, as soon as a replacement can be found.
Scribner UK (Simon & Schuster) launches new imprint
Scribner Editions will publish literary fiction and narrative nonfiction that plays with genre, form, and style.
New agent: WLA Books
Barry Harbaugh has joined (formerly known as Waxman Literary Agency). He was previously an editor at Spiegel & Grau.
New literary roleplaying platform: Hidden Door
Tech studio Hidden Door is building immersive environments with choose-your-own-adventure stories based on famous public-domain works.
Links of Interest: August 20, 2025
The latest in traditional publishing, trends, AI, and culture & politics.
Florida’s book banning law found to be overbroad and unconstitutional
A federal judge said that the law’s prohibition on books describing sexual conduct was overbroad and violates the First Amendment.
Readers respond: Substack’s future
A reader responded to last week’s suggestions that a deep-pocketed party might buy Substack, and possible traffic suppression.
What Authors Need to Know about the Return of Findaway as INaudio
As of August 1, Findaway has been carved off from Spotify and is independent once again, this time under the name INaudio.
GlobeScribe: Promising Startup for AI Translation
With a focus on quality over quantity, the UK company offers “publish ready” translations in five languages at an affordable price.
What happens if the Anthropic AI training lawsuit proceeds as class action?
AI advocates argue that class certification could potentially force a settlement that could cripple both the company and the broader AI sector.
Bloomsbury notifies authors about AI licensing deal
Authors can decide if they wish to opt in; if they agree, they’ll be paid a 20 percent royalty rate.
Survey: AI and the Writing Profession
Your responses will help educate writers and everyone in the profession about prevailing attitudes toward AI.
Book sales indicators via HarperCollins
HarperCollins grew profits by 10 percent in fiscal year 2025 but saw disappointing results in the fourth quarter, when earnings dropped 12 percent.