Industry News

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. 

Welcome to the December edition of Novel Rocket's industry news. As usual I've gathered both hard news and fun tidbits about the publishing/book world. Enjoy! 

• Finally. Amazon and Hachette Book Group reached an agreement. For more info . . .
• However, that doesn’t mean an end to controversy, “the next disagreement may pit authors against publishers over how to share e-book revenue.” For more info . . . 
• Bleeding Heart Publications, a new literary publishing house, launched last month and is looking for full-length creative non-fiction and fiction. For more info . . .
• Black Friday sales were very, very good for Amazon’s Kindle and Fire tablets. For more info . . . 
• Books-A-Million chugs along with sales up 1% for the last quarter. For more info . . . 
• Quarterly earnings fell at Simon & Schuster. For more info . . . 
• Indigo Books & Music enjoyed a solid second quarter. For more info . . . 
• Holiday generosity is alive and well at Penguin Random House. Each time #GiveaBook is used on Facebook and Twitter before December 25, Penguin Random House will donate a book to Save the Children, up to 25,000 times. For more info . . . 
• Ride the subway, shop on Amazon. Amazon is the first advertiser to use NYC’s subway system’s kiosks as digital pop-up stores to drive sales of holiday gifts. For more info . . . 
• The Inspire! Toronto International Book Fair, deemed a success. For more info on the consumer-oriented fair . . . 
• Perseus Books Group had “strong financial results" and “outstanding publishing" in 2014. For more info . . . 
• Wow! “The Rise of the Seven-Figure Advance.” For more info . . . 
• Is it really over? Maybe not, but Judge Denise Cote approved the Apple e-book settlement. For more info . . . 
• This is an interesting marketing angle. HarperCollins will provide content for Jet Blue’s in-flight wi-fi, and each e-sampler will include buy buttons. For more info . . . 
• Taiwan’s Eslite store is bucking the trend for struggling bookstores in an unusual way—it’s a “nightclub for literature.” For more info . . . 
• The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression to merge with the American Booksellers Association. For more info . . . 
• The 2014 National Book Awards announced. 
• The e-book subscription service, Oyster, debuts an online literary journal. For more info . . . 
• Also, “Oyster is adding a Book Lists feature to expand its ability to offer book recommendations to readers.” For more info . . .  
• Simon & Schuster opens up its e-book lending program to all libraries. For more info . . . 
• Want to buy a piece of literary memorabilia? The 1959 typewriter used to write  the screenplay for Alfred Hitchock’s Psycho is going up for auction. For more info . . . 
• This will make a book lover’s heart happy: “Why IndependentBookstores Are More Than Just Places to Buy Books.” 
• Barnes & Noble to release Nook audiobooks app for Android devices. For more info . . . 
• Scribner’s Magazine, a literary journal that rivaled Harper’s Monthly and the Atlantic Monthly launches online. 
• Canada’s Governor General’s Award announced. For more info . . .
• Sales of adult trade books up. For more info . . . 
• Independent booksellers unhappy about HarperCollins direct sale program. For more info . . .  
• Vice Media launches sci-fi site. For more info . . .  
• Compared to last year, sales numbers for Hachette Book Group USA’s third quarter fell 18.5%. For more info . . .
• Vook buys publishing arm of digital publishing platform Coliloquy. For more info . . . 
• Book retailers advocate for e-tax fairness. For more info . . .  
• Jerry Jenkins shuts down Christian Writers Guild. For more info . . .  
• Harlequin's Heartsong Presents to shut down. For more info . . . 
• Amazon wins auction for .book domain. For more info . . . 
• Crown Publishing announces reorganization of its Christian publishing operations. For more info . . . 
• Barnes & Noble announces its Sync Up program, bundling print and digital editions, allowing customers to keep or gift selected paperbacks and the $4.99 e-book. For more info . . .
• The judge rules against HarperCollins in the e-book copyright case Open Road vs. HarperCollins. For more info . . . 
• Digital library Scribd now offers audiobooks. For more info . . . 
• Parable Christian stores to phase out e-book sales. For more info . . . 
• Diversion Books launch EverAfter, a bookstore app dedicated to romance titles. For more info . . . 
• E-book publisher Start Publishing acquires more companies. For more info . . . 
• Elementary, my dear Watson: Sherlock Holmes is now in the public domain. For more info . . . 

It is my wish that you close out the year with gratitude for all you've experienced in 2014 and full of hope for an exciting 2015! 

Have a great month.