In what is possibly the slowest death in the publishing industry, German publisher and retailer Bertelsmann announced this week that it would be leaving the bookselling business to focus on content, which it produces not only as a book publisher but also in other forms of media. The company, which hit its heyday in the years immediately after the end of World War II and leading … [Read more...] about Germany’s Bertelsmann to Close Bookselling Division
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US Publishers Earn More through Online Sales than Physical Stores
In a report from two entities that watch the publishing industry in the US, sales figures for 2013 show some surprising trends. These trends, followed by the Book Industry Study Group and the Association of American Publishers in their annual BookStats report, found several interesting changes in certain genres of the book market. Adult non-fiction made the leap above … [Read more...] about US Publishers Earn More through Online Sales than Physical Stores
Hachette to Cut 3% of US Staff
Hachette Book Group, who is currently engaged in a tumultuous battle with Amazon, sent out a statement to its employees regarding news that they would begin a round of layoffs that would cut three percent of its US staff, or roughly thirty people. According to the company, this news is unrelated to the drama unfolding over sales contracts with the world's largest book retail … [Read more...] about Hachette to Cut 3% of US Staff
Amazon Compiles Bestsellers, Most Well-Read Cities Lists
As big data works its way into the publishing industry mindset, information gathered from online retailers can provide an insightful peek at what's happening in the world of bookselling. Amazon's editors have once again compiled comprehensive lists based on sales data, figures which have helped translate that information into rankings by not only bestselling titles but also … [Read more...] about Amazon Compiles Bestsellers, Most Well-Read Cities Lists
Publisher Terms: Amazon Behaving Badly, or Business As Usual?
News came out last week that Amazon is butting heads with one of the Big Five publishers, Hachette Book Group, over contract terms. In true "I'm bigger than you, so I can" fashion, Amazon has imposed lengthy delays on the shipment of some of Hachette's titles, almost amounting to refusing to sell them at all. In an even more nefarious approach, Amazon is even suggesting … [Read more...] about Publisher Terms: Amazon Behaving Badly, or Business As Usual?
Libri, Bookline.hu Merger in Hungary Strengthens Bookselling Industry
US bookstores aren't the only ones feeling the pinch of lower prices and convenient shipping options luring their customers away in favor of online shopping, although the situation has gotten so dire--especially since the advent of "showrooming" and apps that make the practice even easier--that some industry publications actually keep a running announcement of bookstores that … [Read more...] about Libri, Bookline.hu Merger in Hungary Strengthens Bookselling Industry
More News on Authors Behaving Badly, Using Well-Known Authors’ Names as Pseudonyms
In an interesting chain of events, ebook retailers' crackdown on erotica titles that were mislabeled as children's content--intentionally or not--led to another crackdown of sorts. During the process of examining the titles in their online stores more carefully, retailers like Amazon enforced an existing aspect of their terms and conditions that prohibits using famous book … [Read more...] about More News on Authors Behaving Badly, Using Well-Known Authors’ Names as Pseudonyms
US Bookstores Decline by 1.5% in 2013
The bookselling industry in the United States declined by 1.5% in 2013 and fell 0.5% in December alone. This is primarily due to the Hunger Games and 50 Shades of Grey trilogy breaking sales records in 2012. 2013 did not have any breakout success stories. Over the entire course of 2013 bookstore sales fell 1.6% and this equates bookstores earning $13.2 billion. The bright … [Read more...] about US Bookstores Decline by 1.5% in 2013
German Bookstore Chain Weltbild Goes Bankrupt
Weltbild is the second largest bookstore in Germany and the company has a very complex ownership group that was not willing to put anymore money into it. On January 10th 2014 the company officially filed for insolvency and the future of the German book selling landscape looks bleak. Weltbild’s owners is a very complex consortium of over a dozen dioceses of the Catholic … [Read more...] about German Bookstore Chain Weltbild Goes Bankrupt
Dissecting Amazon’s Predatory “Everything” Strategy
At the Digital Book World Conference and Expo, publishing industry professionals come together to analyze the state of the industry and its near and far future projections. This morning, Brad Stone, author of The Everything Store, spoke about the horizontal and vertical shifts of Amazon, beginning with the initial bookselling in 1995 and moving into other offerings beginning in … [Read more...] about Dissecting Amazon’s Predatory “Everything” Strategy