Is Your Work Ready for the Global Stage? A Primer on Foreign Markets and Translations
At writing and publishing industry events alike this year, we’ve noticed growing attention and conversation on the growing global market for ebooks.
Premium Content
Book Publishers Pursue Online Education Half-Heartedly, Leaving Lots of Opportunity for Authors to Do Better
It’s been on pundit prediction lists for a while that online education is one of the next biggest publishing growth areas.
UK Literary Prizes: Is Gender a Shadow Criterion?
A new discussion worth attention has just opened in London with the arrival of an opinion piece titled “On Noticing” by Cathy Rentzenbrink.
A Small Report on Small Presses and Ebooks: Help Make It Larger
Do you work with a small press? London-based Australian editor and ebook producer Simon Collinson could use your help with his survey.
On the List: Everything I Never Told You
Selected by Amazon as the number-one book of the year, Everything I Never Told You is Ng’s debut novel.
Boring But Important: A New Ruling That Affects How You Deal With Piracy or Copyright Infringement
A new ruling from a US appeals court says that copyright owners must consider whether fair use applies before issuing takedown notices.
Forget Good Looks and Charm: Fans Like Their Authors Dependable
According to Nielsen’s research, fans have a better opinion of authors than they do of sports figures and musical artists.
Barnes & Noble Stock Plummets: Tough Changes Ahead for Authors?
It’s been a difficult month for Barnes & Noble: their stock sank after they reported on losses, sparking articles such as “Can Barnes & Noble Survive?”
Can You Get Your Rights Reverted?
First things first: talk with your agent if you have one, and look at your contract language. If you don’t have an agent, consider getting legal assistance.
Survey Blues: The Latest Handwringing Over Author Income
The headline results of the new Authors Guild “The Wages of Writing” author-income survey probably didn’t shock you.
Children’s Author Cornelia Funke Leaves Her US and UK Publishers
Due to editorial disagreements with her publishers, bestselling author Cornelia Funke is self-publishing her next book—the third volume in her Mirrorworld series.
The Big Industry News Right Now: Oyster Clams Up
Google is paying Oyster’s investors quite handsomely to hire the company’s founders and presumably acquire its technical assets.
Closing Image: September 9, 2015
Demographics of leading social network platform users, according to Pew Research Center (August 2015).
Closing Image: September 9, 2015
Demographics of leading social network platform users, according to Pew Research Center (August 2015).
Nielsen Takes a Deep Dive into the Kids’ Book Market
Ebook sales are declining, most YA is read by adults, and a significant percentage of purchases happen on impulse.
Who Is Behind Booktrack’s Tenfold Growth?
A look at who’s using the service that provides soundtracks of music and ambient audio for ebooks.
Smashwords: Canary in Amazon Self-Publishing Coal Mine?
Commentary from Smashwords CEO Mark Coker gives us a glimpse of Amazon’s growing strength among the independent-publishing platforms.
Self-Published Title Gets Walmart Distribution: Sorry, Probably Not a New Era
Hybrid author Jamie McGuire’s deal with the retail giant is probably a unique outlier, not an indication of future trends.
On the List: The Martian
We asked Andy Weir’s agent, David Fugate, to comment on what helped the self-published sensation break out.
Best Practices for Ebook Discounting and Giveaways
BookBub has been blogging case studies and Q&As with authors and traditional publishers for nearly two years now.
Closing Image: August 26, 2015
Is reading going mobile? If so, it’s useful to know who’s earning money from mobile advertising. Source:
Authors United Asks the Justice Department to Investigate Amazon (Again?)
We can’t know whether Justice might see a viable case here, but what’s obvious is the deepening rift between the traditional and self-publishing sectors.
The Big Five: Becoming More Global and Integrated?
According to Mike Shatzkin, the Big Five will become increasingly focused on publishing in multiple languages and countries, rather than selling subrights.
How Marketing Strategies Might Change in a Mobile Reading Future
Reactions to new research from Nielsen indicating that the future of digital reading may be on phones, not tablets or e-reading devices.
Goodreads: Does It Reflect Existing Buzz or Create Buzz (or Both)?
We examine Goodreads case studies to see whether the site merely reflects the marketplace or has power to influence a book’s success.
Before You Query: Stop by #MSWL
Think of Manuscript Wishlist as a reverse pitch: agents and editors are pitching you, telling authors what they’re looking for using the hashtag #MSWL.
On the List: The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep
Insights from the author of a self-published global sensation.
How Is KDP Select’s Per-Page Payout Working Out for You?
Two indie authors, Hugh Howey and J.A. Konrath, offer their take on Amazon’s new payment policy which took effect July 1, 2015
Authors Offer Insight into Their Sales, Or: Audiobooks May Pay Your Bills in the Future
Two authors, one independent and one traditional, shed light on the diversity of formats and product types that contribute to their bottom line.
Two Author Services Bite the Dust—No, Make That One Down, One Saved
As early efforts to enable and capitalize on self-publishing evolve, some services fall by the wayside: in this case, Pubslush and HarperCollins Authonomy.