Industry News

By Megan DiMaria

Welcome to the one-year anniversary edition of Novel Rocket’s industry news column. Summer is sizzling, and there’s lots going on, so let’s get to it!

• The International Christian Retail Show’s 2014 event last month was a bit lackluster, but change is in the air. For more info . . . 
• The first ever BookCon was a huge success. For more info . . . 
• The 2014 Christy Awards announces its 2014 winners.
• American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) announces its 2014 Carol Award Finalists and Genesis finalists. 
• INSPY Award winners are announced, including our own founder, Gina Holmes for Wings of Glass in the general fiction category.  
• Literary agent Sandra Bishop, former VP of MacGregor Literary, opens her own shop. For more info . . . 
• Literary agent Mackenzie Brady, moved from the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency to New Leaf Literary & Media. For more info . . . 
• Despite the ongoing Hachette/Amazon tussle, J.K. Rowling's Silkworm (one of the books that had it’s preorder button removed by Amazon) sold 21,000 copies in its first week. For more info . . . 
• Taking advantage of the Amazon/Hachette dispute, the ABA has come up with a “Thanks, Amazon” campaign for booksellers. For more info . . . 
• Not to be left out of the excitement, indie booksellers launch an “I didn’t buy it on Amazon” sticker campaign. For more info . . . 
• Interesting—Walmart benefits from the Amazon/Hachette dispute. For more info . . . 
• Marcher Lord Press rebranded as Enclave Publishing. For more info . . . 
• According to BookStats, industry sales last year were flat. For more info . . . 
• The Book Industry Study Group votes against renewing its agreement with BookStats, which runs the most comprehensive statistics program developed by the industry. For more info . . . 
• Simon & Schuster announces an e-book lending program for libraries. For more info . . . 
• Québec's new government disappoints book industry with decision not to proceed with its price-fixing legislation. For more info . . . 
• Want to know who the world’s 56 largest book publishers of 2014 are? For more info . . . 
• Looks like the American Library Association wraped up another successful annual conference. For more info . . . 
• Donna Tartt and Doris Kearns Goodwin win the ALA 2014 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction. For more info. . . 
• Good news, bad news. ICRS celebrates authors while publishers scale down. For more info . . . 
• Christian fiction publishers pursuing more direct-to-digital releases. For more info . . . 
• Barnes & Noble to split, creating two entities: retail and its Nook division. For more info . . . 
• And also, B&N and Samsung agree “to develop co-branded tablets that will include Nook software.” For more info . . . 
• Hachette to buy Perseus Books Group. For more info . . . 
• Finally, a settlement has been made with Apple on monetary damages in the long-running e-book case. For more info . . . 
• Thank you, docs! The American Academy of Pediatrics officially promotes reading aloud to children daily, beginning in infancy. For more info . . . 
• The e-book copyright case Open Road vs. HarperCollins continues after failing to arrive at a voluntary settlement. For more info . . . 
• Zola Books and BiblioCommons partner to offer book recommendations to libraries. For more info . . . 
• And another few bite the dust. Book World to close two stores this summer. For more info . . . 
• But several long-time bookstores survive by transitioning to new owners. For more info . . . 
• Detroit to get another indie bookseller, doubling the number of indies in town, when Pages on Livernois opens. For more info . . . 
• Blaming market saturation, UK-based Angry Robot closes down its YA and crime/mystery imprints. For more info . . . 
• Harper Voyager, HarperCollins science fiction and fantasy imprint, broadens its digital-first line. For more info . . . 
• HarperCollins Canada launches HarperAvenue, a new fiction and non-fiction imprint. For more info . . . 
• Entitle Christian, a Christian e-book subscription service launched. For more info . . . 
• Looks like Chicago’s a book loving, author loving city! Their 30th Printers Row Lit Fest was a huge success. For more info . . . 
• Hachette Book Group announces a round of layoffs. For more info . . . 
• Baker Publishing Group appoints Kim Bangs senior acquisitions editor for the Bethany House and Chosen divisions. For more info . . . 
• Simon & Schuster launches private social network to connect authors with one another. For more info . . . 
• Despite sending customers a notice about shutting down its downloadable audio book section, Barnes & Noble pledges to return to digital audio books. For more info . . . 

It's been my pleasure to compile this news and present this monthly column for the past year. Thanks for stopping by. See you next month!
  

Megan DiMaria is Novel Rocket’s industry news columnist. An author and speaker, she enjoys cheering on writers and loves to encourage others as they journey through life’s demands and delights. Megan is the author of two women’s fiction novels, Searching for Spice and Out of Her Hands.