Industry News

Welcome to autumn and Novel Rocket’s October industry news column.

• Come on, folks. Let's start reading more fiction! A recent study analyzed American’s reading and found general book reading in 2012 was even with levels in 2008. However the National Endowment for the Arts says folks reading novels, short stories, plays and poetry had declined. For more info . . . 
• Apple’s still on the hook . . . In a minor decision last week, the judge limited the state statutory penalties Apple faces after being found liable for conspiring to fix e-book prices. The ruling will likely diminish the final amount Apple could eventually be ordered to pay. For more info . . .
• Tyndale House Publishers has acquired the Happy Day children’s books and Faith That Sticks sticker brands from Standard Publishing. For more info . . . 
• Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas announces the launch of a new romance imprint. The Candle Light Love series will launch in April, 2014. Two new books in the series will release every quarter. For more info . . .
• Harper Collins credits the acquisition of Thomas Nelson for the 15% increase in revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30. HarperCollins finalized the purchase of Nelson in July 2012. For more info . . . 
• Penguin reengages with the library e-book lending market. In mid-September the publisher announced that more than 17,000 Penguin e-books are again available for purchase. Titles can be licensed for one year, with frontlist titles to be priced at $18.99, and backlist titles ranging from $5.99 to $9.99. For more info . . . 
•  At their annual conference awards banquet last month, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) recognized exceptional novels in 11 different categories. For a complete list of winners . . .  The organization also awarded Frank Peretti (This Present Darkness), with a lifetime achievement award. For more info revealed at the conference last month. . . 
• Tyndale House Publishers and NavPress have formed a publishing alliance. Under the agreement, NavPress will maintain its separate identity and continue to acquire and develop content, maintaining an editorial staff in its Colorado Springs, Colo., office. Tyndale will take over manufacturing, warehousing, marketing, sales, and fulfillment. For more info . . . 
• The Authors Guild vs. Google case nearing an end. Oral arguments were heard last week in the long-running lawsuit against Google over its library book-scanning project. The original suit, filed in September of 2005, is now poised for a resolution. For more info . . . 
• According to The Association of American Publishers’ monthly StatShot report, adult e-books rose only 4.8% in the first six months of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. For more info . . . 
• The National Book Foundation has announced the 2013 National Book Award Longlist for Fiction. Finalists will be announced mid months, and the winners on November 20. For more info . . . 
• Penguin Random House  has announced the formation of the cross-company Penguin Random House Audio Group, to blend the responsibilities across the Penguin and Random House audio lists. For more info . . . 
• Start Publishing has acquired Salvo Press, an independent house specializing in science fiction, fantasy and horror. For more info . . . 
• Book sales in brick and mortar stores dropped in July. This is the second consecutive month with a meaningful decline. June’s bookstore sales dropped 9.5%, and in July sales dipped 6.3%. For more info . . . 
• Not a big surprise—a study of consumers' digital consumption revealed Amazon has a dominant 79% share of the e-book market in the UK, as it does in the US market. For more info . . . 
• Lulu is making it easier and faster for indie authors to self-publish. For more info . . . 
• A Netflix for books? Oyster Books is offering unlimited subscription access to over 100,000 books for mobile devices. For more info . . . 
• Amazon has started Kindle MatchBook, a new bundling program. Under the program, customers who buy—or have bought—print editions of titles can buy the e-book at prices ranging from $2.99 to free. For more info . . . 
• The gloves are off—temporarily. Overstock and Amazon are putting aside their differences concerning a pricing war to work in tandem to prevent New York and other states from imposing a so-called “Amazon tax.”  For more info . . . 
• The literary community mourned the loss of Lee Hough, literary agent and vice president at Alive Communications. A much loved and respected gentleman, Lee died Sept. 10 after a two-year battle with brain cancer. He was 58. 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.