It's an old song, but it's still ringing out from the global marketplace: ebook sales are down, print sales are up, and we think the kids are to blame. In all seriousness, the very early days of the digital publishing revolution showed us that ebooks could hold their own in the book publishing arena, or at the very least come in a close enough second to not be scorned as a … [Read more...] about Down with eBooks, Up with Print
Digital Publishing News
The State of the European eBook Market
The European e-book market has been growing since 2007 when Amazon started selling the original Kindle. Over the course of the next ten years many companies have started to sell digital books, magazines and newspapers. Have you ever wondered what EU markets have the highest e-book penetration and how much the format is generating in revenue? Welcome to the state of the European … [Read more...] about The State of the European eBook Market
Adult Coloring Books Are No Longer Relevant
A recent fad has meant a huge boom for the book industry, with publishers and booksellers alike sharing the joyous news of record quarterly sales increases. Unfortunately, the adult coloring book craze that gave the industry this much-needed boost may be on its way out, much to the chagrin of those with a stake in it. One phenomenon that happened in young adult lit may also … [Read more...] about Adult Coloring Books Are No Longer Relevant
Spreading Empathy through Children’s Lit
Children across the state of North Carolina have reason to celebrate their reading skills, thanks to a new initiative from the state library system and OverDrive. The program, launched by N.C. Public Library Directors Association, provides nearly four thousand ebooks, audiobooks, and read-along titles for young students, with more than 300 of the titles available for … [Read more...] about Spreading Empathy through Children’s Lit
Are Your Favorite Characters Taking Over Your Life?
To rephrase a line from the really fun comedy The Truth about Cats and Dogs, "You can love books, just don't loooooove books." Unfortunately, a new survey has found that for many fiction readers, their favorite characters are stepping out of the pages and into their daily lives. Before you have to wonder if Christian Grey has invaded more than a few bedrooms, never fear, it's … [Read more...] about Are Your Favorite Characters Taking Over Your Life?
New Author Services Startups Focus on Speed
A day in the life of a traditional publishing deal... According to one author, her manuscript was submitted to various agents between January and April of 2010. There were a few nibbles from people who wanted to see "fulls," or agents who requested the entire manuscript. In August of 2010, it had been greenlighted with a major publisher following its win in a writing … [Read more...] about New Author Services Startups Focus on Speed
Authors and Politics Don’t Mix
We've probably all been there. We come across a great book by a new author, and immediately seek out our new favorite writer on social media. After connecting, the truth comes out: this person is not who we thought they were based on their ability to craft a wonderful story. Their Facebook feed may be filled with shared memes that go against our political and religious views, … [Read more...] about Authors and Politics Don’t Mix
New Scholastic Report Sheds Light on Kids’ Reading
Scholastic is arguably the go-to source of information on the children's publishing industry, and it's not just because they've had some out-of-the-park smash hits (ever hear of Harry Potter? The Hunger Games?). Scholastic also runs a thriving education division and as such it makes it the company's business to know what kids want to read, how they interact with books, and what … [Read more...] about New Scholastic Report Sheds Light on Kids’ Reading
Take the Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge
Are you looking to up your reading game in the coming year? Is this the year you've vowed (again) to re-read all of those Hemingway books you only skimmed to get through high school? Are you trying to avoid becoming part of the literacy statistic in the country? Then you're in luck. There's nothing like an internet challenge that carries no prizes whatsoever to motivate you … [Read more...] about Take the Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge
Is Accurate Book Discovery Really Possible?
One of the major plagues for authors and publishers--from the lone self-published writer to the Big Five--is book discovery. Short of taking out expensive ads and sending literally thousands of copies to advanced readers, there's no surefire guarantee that a book will land in front of paying customers, and that's something even the big guys can't do for every title they … [Read more...] about Is Accurate Book Discovery Really Possible?
Lulu Launches Academic SelfPub Branch Glasstree
It's been a long time since something truly innovative happened to digital publishing and indie presses. Just in time for one semester to end and another to begin, though, self-publishing company Lulu announced the launch of something that might finally be a disruptive force in publishing. One of the much-anticipated and completely disappointing aspects of the digital … [Read more...] about Lulu Launches Academic SelfPub Branch Glasstree