Industry News

By Megan DiMaria

Welcome to spring and the monthly industry news roundup.

• E-book retailer, Kobo has signed agreements with Nickelodeon Publishing and Blue Apple Books to make their children’s titles available for sale. For more info . . . 
• Class action status granted in the Apple e-book case. Also, the judge rejected Apple’s expert witnesses. For more info . . . 
• And there’s more. New claims have been made against Apple and the five major publishers involved the 2010 e-book price-fixing conspiracy—this time by retailers who claim they were damaged by the scheme. For more info . . . 
• E-book settlement funds with Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin are now being paid out. For more info . . . 
• Social reading app and company, Readmill, to close. For more info . . . 
• Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade publisher saw a dip in profits last year. For more info . . . 
• The 2014 Bologna Children’s Book Fair confirms continued popularity in middle-grade books, with an emphasis on realistic YA over paranormal and dystopian fiction. For more info . . . 
• After nearly ten years in business, indie e-book retailer Diesel eBooks closed. For more info . . . 
• Brooklyn-based Paper Lantern Lit launches The Studio, a boutique e-publishing imprint. For more info . . . 
• U.S. Census Bureau reports bookstore sales fell in January. For more info . . . 
• Sales drop 10% at Hastings Entertainment. For more info . . . 
• Books-A-Million reports a 5.5% decline in revenue. For more info . . . 
• Scholastic reports a small drop in third quarter sales. For more info . . . 
• John Wiley & Sons report a third quarter drop in income. For more info . . . 
• Hachette Book Group enjoys a “significant” earnings increase. For more info . . . 
• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s trade division sales rose 9% in 2013. For more info . . . 
• Harlequin reports sales and earning declined in 2013. For more info . . . 
• Widbook, a Brazilian writing and e-book publishing platform, has renovated its service to be more  "intuitive, social and interactive." For more info . . . 
• For children’s books, 2013 was officially the year of Divergent. The trilogy selling a combined 6.7 million copies. For more info . .. 
• Bloomsbury combines its Walker Books for Young Readers imprint into the larger Bloomsbury Children’s Books. For more info . . . 
• A significant ruling regarding backlist e-book rights favors HarperCollins. The judge ruled that e-book publisher Open Road infringed copyright on a HarperCollins contract signed in 1971 with the late Jean Craighead George. For more info . . .  However, damages are not what were previously expected. For more info . . . 
• Newly launched crime and mystery fiction publisher, Syndicate Books, has announced a distribution agreement with Soho Press. For more info . . . 
• Authors Guild members elect new officers. For more info . . . 
• Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) launches comprehensive multi-channel bestsellers list. For more info . . .  
• American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) explains its policy changes. For more info . . . 
• The National Book Critics Circle announce awards for books published in 2013. For more info . . . 
• The Pew Research Center report says Americans are actively engaged with public libraries. For more info . . .
• More good news for libraries—Rowman & Littlefield sign agreement to provide e-books directly to the Douglas County Libraries (Colorado) e-book platform. For more info . . . 
• HarperCollins to rebrand and revamp their It Books imprint. For more info . . . 
• Barnes & Noble gives Microsoft the right to sell Nook content. For more info . . . 
• Amazon raises the annual fee for Amazon Prime clients. Formore info . . . 
• The Retail Industry Leaders Association and the National Retail Federation urge lawmakers to address the sales tax issue concerning local retailers and remote sellers. For more info . . . 
• New app allows folks to read novels in under 90 minutes. Interesting, but what about people who enjoy savoring a book?  For more info . . . 
• Authors, ever feel bullied by Amazon reviewers? You’re not alone. Even Anne Rice has felt their sting. She has joined with other authors and signed a petition requesting Amazon remove anonymity from its reviewers. For more info . . .  

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. 

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Industry News

By Megan DiMaria

Welcome to the March edition of Novel Rocket’s industry news—the good, the bad, and the thought provoking.

• Publishers Weekly has announced the finalists for their 22nd annual PW Bookstore of the year award. For more info . . .
• Audible, the Amazon-owned audiobook retailer, announced it’s lowering royalty rates for authors who self-publish their audiobooks through the website. For more info . . . 
• Barnes & Noble’s Nook division expected to continue to shrink. For more info . . .
• Also, Barnes & Noble’s third-quarter revenue decreased 10.3%. For more info . . .  
• In more B&N news, a private investment firm has made a proposal to acquire controlling interest in the bookseller. For more info . . . 
• Apple’s appeal in its (ongoing!) e-book price-fixing case contends the federal judge relied on too much circumstantial evidence. For more info . . . 
• Indies First, a movement to encourage authors to support local independent booksellers by handselling books, is celebrating Storytelling Day on May 17th. For more info . . . 
• Vook, a digital publisher/distributor, has purchased Booklr, a data and analytics service for for authors and publishers. For more info . . .
• Pelican Book Group has launched Pure Amore, a new sweet romance line.
• Yay for continued freedom of the press. The FCC has pulled the plug on the Obama Administrations efforts to monitor America’s newsrooms. For more info . . . 
• Who knew Amtrak was a patron of the arts? They’re now offering writers’ residency programs to writers on long roundtrip rides. For more info . . . 
• The American Booksellers Association added 44 stores in 2013. For more info . . . 
• Capstone Publishing adds new YA imprint, Switch Press. For more info . . . 
• True to his word, James Patterson makes good on his intention to donate $1 million to independent bookstores. For more info . . . 
• “To further integrate the self-publishing community into the publishing mainstream,” BookExpo America introduces Author Hub to attract independent authors to the trade show. For more info . . . 
• LA Times Book Prizes Finalists Announced. 
• The Carla Furstenberg Cohen Literary Prize winners announced.
• Entering the self-publishing market, Thomson-Shore has acquired PublishNex. For more info . . .
• Graphic Arts Books has acquired the trade books and publishing rights of Companion Press. For more info . . . 
• MacGregor Literary Inc. hires Holly Lorincz as their newest literary agent. For more info . . . 
• Love Inspired Suspense editors offer pitch opportunity for writers. Don’t delay, the deadline’s March 14th. For more info . . . 
• Christian Writers’ Guild awards Operation First Novel prize, $20,000 and pub contract with Worthy Press, to Brandy Cole-Vallance. 
• Hanover Publisher Services, a small press distribution unit saw revenues rise 50% in 2013. For more info . . . 
• Bad news and good news—bookstore sales dropped 1.6% in 2013, but that was the smallest drop in the past five years. For more info . . . 
• Bad news for readers flying out of Oregon. Powell’s Books to close two stores at the Portland Airport. For more info . . . 
• Simon & Schuster profits rose 32% in 2013. For more info . . . 
• Profits again rise for Worthy Publishing Group. They finished 2013 with an impressive 84% growth in sales. For more info . . . 
• Hachette Book Group enjoyed a 6% rise in revenue for 2013. For more info . . . 
• Independent press Skyhorse Publishing reports record sales for 2013 as well. Their profits rose 14%. For more info . . . 
• HarperCollins profits rose 33% in the 2nd quarter at end of year. For more info . . . 
• Indigo Books & Music saw profits rise 3% in the third quarter ending December, 2013. For more info . . . 
• Digital press Open Road Integrated Media has agreed to purchase E-Reads. For more info . . . 
• The Canadian government and four multinational publishers reach agreement on e-book pricing. For more info . . . 
• The Association of American Publishers contends The Canadian government's protection of intellectual property right for U.S. content creators is insufficient. For more info . . . 
• DreamWorks Animation launches DreamWorks Press, an inhouse book imprint for both digital and print books. For more info . . . 
• E-book pioneer Sony to throw in the towel and will close its e-bookstore. Their North American customers may migrate to Kobo. For more info . . .
• And Kobo gets new leader. For more info . . . 
• Simon & Schuster has revealed the name and logo for its new imprint science fiction, fantasy and horror imprint, Saga Press. For more info . . . 
• And another bookstore bites the dust. Mendham Books in Mendham, N.J. has ended their 17-year-run. For more info . . . 

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. 

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Industry News

By Megan DiMaria

Happy New Year! I hope 2014 is a wonderful year for you, in which dreams come true and goals are met. Welcome to the January roundup of publishing industry news.

• The sale of Marcher Lord Press, Christian fantasy and science fiction publisher, to Steve Laube was finalized on January 1, 2014. For more info . . .
• Barbour Publishing is launching a new imprint, Shiloh Run Press, which will include both genre fiction and nonfiction. For more info . ..
• Don Pape has started a new position with NavPress. Pape will lead the publishing team acquiring and developing new resources to be brought to market by the company’s alliance partner, Tyndale House Publishers. For more info . . . 
• Online retailer, Zola Books, has acquired Bookish, billed as the Pandora for books. Bookish is backed by Hachette, Penguin and Simon & Schuster. For more info . . . 
• Kensington Publishing has bought Lyrical Press, an e-book publisher. For more info . . . 
• Eagle Publishing is for sale, and rumor has it Salem Communications is the buyer. For more info . . .
• Skyhorse Publishing has launch Yucca Publishing, a new imprint is a partnership with International Transactions literary agency. For more info . . . 
• Distributor of e-books for self-published authors, Smashwords, had a record year and looks forward to continued growth. For more info . . .
• Scribd, an e-book subscription service, has announced a global deal that will make Smashwords titles available in the Scribd library. For more info . . .  
• In the ongoing Apple e-book price-fixing saga, the Department of Justice urged the judge to deny Apple’s bid for a stay while its appeal is heard. For more info . . . 
• They’re not giving up. The Author’s Guild is appealing judge’s decision to dismiss its copyright suit over Google’s library scanning program. For more info . . .
• Chuggling along! Simon & Schuster is on track to “deliver record profits, a healthy gain in revenues, and our best-ever margins.” For more info . . .
• Plagiarism is a serious issue, so why is Shia LaBeouf only skywriting an apology? Wonder if we’ll hear more about this situation. For more info . . .
• Morgan James Publishing and CML Entertainment will launch a new series imprint with nine titles slated for release in the fall of 2014. The imprint will release adult, young adult, and children's titles. For more info . . .
• Writers, do you need a home to write in, and are you willing to locate for a great deal? How doess Detroit sound to you? Write-A-House, a Detroit-based literary organization, is giving houses away to writers who live in them for two years. No kidding. For more info . . .
• Forty-year industry veteran Rubin Pfeffer has left East West Literary to open his own agency, Rubin Pfeffer Content. 
• Bookstore sales slipped 1% in October, while entire retail sales rose 4.7%. For more info . . .  
• Penguin Random House has purchased Times Media Group's majority stake in South Africa-based Random House Struik. For more info . . . 
• Say it ain’t so. A Pew Research Center survey says 52% of respondents believe they do not need libraries as much as they used to. I know, I’m showing my bias, but who doesn't love libraries? For more info . . . 
• And in other news, the first bookless public library system in the country opened San Antonio, Texas. For more info . . .
• Interesting item: The Tattered Cover Bookstore, one of the nation’s largest independent bookstores, has opened four locations at Denver International Airport. For more info . . . 
• A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by independent booksellers against Amazon and the big six publishers that alleged conspiracy to restrain trade through Amazon’s use of proprietary DRM in its Kindle e-reading platform. For more info . . . 
• Young adult books are publishers' fastest-growing market. For more info . . .
• Amazon Publishing launches StoryFront, a short fiction imprint. For more info . . . 

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. 

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Industry News

By Megan DiMaria

Welcome to the December edition of industry news. 

• Should Amazon and Overstock pay sales tax in New York State? That question will go unanswered since the Supreme Court won’t hear an appeal. Brick-and-mortar stores have long contended that online retailers have an unfair advantage by not charging sales tax. For more info . . . 
• Paraclete Press has announced the establishment of a new center in Italy and has added a new imprint. For more info . . . 
• Long-time press, Moody Publishers has acquired WingSpread Publishers. For more info . . .
• The ECPA 2013 Christian bestsellers have been announced. For more info . . . 
• Sales dip for Books-A-Million, but they’re still optimistic. For more info . . . 
• Apple’s Maverick, an updated version of its OS X operating system, now features support for iBooks. For more info . . . 
• The independent bookselling community is alive and still critical to the success of the book industry. In honor of that, Publishers Weekly has named Oren Teicher and the ABA Board have been chosen as PW’s Person of the Year. For more info . . . 
• Despite sales decline, B&N has posted a 13.7% increase in EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization). For more info . . . 
• Even though it enjoyed a robust debut in 2007 the success of the Espresso Book Machine, “ATM machines for books,” is uncertain. For more info . . . 
• This will take some of the drudgery out of holiday travel. Until January 1st, HarperCollins will provide American Airlines customers a selection of full-length and excerpted HarperCollins books, and Hudson Booksellers will offer a discount on featured print titles bought in Hudson Booksellers stores and online. For more info . . . 
• The Library Journal has announced its Best of list for 2013. For more info . . . 
• Total revenue up in fiscal 2013 for Courier. For more info . . . 
• This is an interesting evolution. Christian retailers are warming to self-published books. For more info . .  
• Winners of the 2013 National Book Awards have been announced. For more info . . . 
• Lee & Low acquires new imprint, Shen’s Books. The acquisition adds to their multicultural children’s titles. For more info . . . 
• Blackstone Audio strikes a deal to Distribute HarperCollins Audio CDs. For more info . . . 
• Good news! According the Cencus Bureau, bookstore sales were up in September. For more info . . . 
• However, AAP’s StatShot statistic program says trade sales were down through August. For more info . . . 
• Pelican BookGroup has acquired the ChristianBookVideos.com web site from Marketing Christian Books, Inc. This comes on the heels of the Pelican Ventures purchasing The Wordsmith Journal (now redubbed TWJ Magazine, a popular e-zine. 
• Although over earnings increased, HarperCollins reported a drop in sales for the fiscal quarter ending Sept. 30. For more info . . . 
• Midpoint Trade Books has entered into an agreement with the Ingram. For more info . . .
• Massachusetts’ Odyssey Bookshop celebrated its first half century. Happy birthday, and for more info . . . 
• MacGregorLiterary, Inc. announces Books on The Dusty Trail, a new website that will feature western novels. It has not been fully launched yet but you can see it here. 
• After more than eight years of litigation, the court dismissed the Authors Guild’s lawsuit over Google’s library book scanning project. For more info . . . 
• New York Yankees Hall of Fame-bound shortstop Derek Jeter is joining Simon & Schuster to launch Jeter Publishing, an elaborate co-publishing partnership that will release adult nonfiction, picture books, middle-grade fiction and more. For more info . . . 
• In a pinch to get Christmas books across the country? Amazon is offering Sunday deliveries in select cities. For more info . . . 
• Snippet, a new publishing and reading app, has moved their Writer Dashboard from private beta to open beta. For more info . . . 
• Romantic Times has announced their reviewers’ choice best book awards. For more info . . . 
• Regnery Publishing adds a middle grade imprint, Regnery Adventure. For more info . . . 
• UPNE, University Press of New England, to launch ForeEdge, a trade imprint. For more info . . . 
• Booksellers and other retail outlets can now sell Kindles, but they aren’t interested in the opportunity. For more info . . . 
• Harlequin sees drop in third quarter sales and earnings. For more info . . . 
• The Book Club Network has acquired Elk Lake Publishing and will launch a fiction line in 2014. For more info . . . 

I'll be back with more industry news on January 7th. Until then, have a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and have a Happy New Year. Make the end of 2013 the best you can. Be kind, be patient, be loving, and share some smiles. 

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. 

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