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.
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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.
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.
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Nielsen BookScan recently released a report measuring print book sales growth globally.
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.
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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.
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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.
Hot Sheet Index: December 30, 2015
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed publishers in translation and the statistics for adults under 32 who don’t pay for TV.
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In the United States, Amazon accounts for 51 percent of all online sales growth, as well as about 25 percent of all retail growth.
Small Indie Presses That Serve as Major Publishers’ R&D
“It sometimes feels as though smaller independents are the research and development departments for the big publishers,” writes the U.K.’s Bluemoose Books founder Kevin Duffy.
Speaking of Pitches: Don’t Query That Agent Just Yet
Agent Kristin Nelson cautioned authors this month about rushing out to market with NaNoWriMo drafts.
How Authors Can Run Successful Preorder Campaigns
2015 is the first full year that self-publishing authors had access to preorder capability for their ebooks on Amazon.
What Self-Published Authors Can Expect to Earn Through Kindle Unlimited in India
We’ve been avidly following developments in Amazon’s new per-page payments for books that are published via KDP Select, then borrowed by readers via Kindle Unlimited.
Profile: John Joseph Adams
In November, John Joseph Adams was named by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as editor in chief of John Joseph Adams Books, its new imprint for science fiction and fantasy titles.
Looking Ahead to 2016: We Predict a Tougher Field, New Competition, and Rising Tech Capabilities
Certain trends seem ready to hit inflection points, and it may not be too reckless to propose three such areas for authors in 2016.
Hot Sheet Index: December 16, 2015
The Hot Sheet Index reviewed the percentage of patrons who have read an ebook in the past year and those who have borrowed one.
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Goodreads recently posted a case study on the effect of winning a Goodreads Choice Award and how it can boost a book
Smashwords Adds Three New Distribution Partners + Releases Annual Survey
Earlier this fall, ebook distributor Draft2Digital announced a partnership with Tolino to distribute ebooks to the German market. Smashwords, the biggest ebook distributor for indie authors, has now announced the same.
Audiobooks Outselling Print? No, but They’re Increasingly Important
Earlier editions of The Hot Sheet have discussed the opportunity and growth in the audiobook market.