Indie Publishing News
The Week of June 16, 2024
Print Book Sales Rose 5% in May
Though the publishing industry seems to be in a period of malaise, there are some signs that business is improving. Earlier this week, the Association of American Publishers’ StatShot program reported an 18% increase in April sales over a year ago. That news has been followed up by Circana BookScan’s report that unit sales of print books increased 5% in May over May 2023. [Read more]
Indie Publisher Associations Prepare for an Inflection Point
The heads of the IBPA, IPC, and PubWest share insights on the challenges and opportunities for independent publishing.
When PW convened a roundtable discussion with several prominent players in the independent publishing scene last month, a lot of industry chatter was about the recent launch of Authors Equity, a publishing house founded by former high-ranking Big Five executives that would operate along a largely hybrid model. Then, shortly after, the indie press world was shocked by the announcement that Small Press Distribution was abruptly closing. The news sent some 400 publishers scrambling to find new distribution under stressful conditions.
Those two events were real-world examples of…[Read more]
DK Launches New Adult Imprint, DK Red
DK has launched a new imprint, DK Red, focused on “lifestyle publishing and narrative nonfiction that will enrich the lives of readers and inspire them to live bigger lives,” the publisher said. The imprint was announced at DK’s 50th anniversary party, held at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in London on June 18. [Read More]
In the world of book publishing, success is often equated with blockbuster bestsellers and mainstream, front-window-of-the-chain-bookstore recognition. However, there is an alternative, "underground" style of creating and selling books that is more about passion than profit, and that depends more on connecting intimately with readers than by reaching them with a huge promotional budget…[Read More]
The Untold Story of Books: A Writer's History of Book Publishing
Making Sense of an Increasingly Disrupted Publishing Industry
I know, the old "must-read" blurb is the most overused cliché in publishing, but this book truly should be read by everyone involved in the business of books, and especially for anyone considering trying to make a living in the business of books. And I mean anyone, from the teenager applying for a summer job at the local bookstore, to the stay-at-home mom who writes romance fiction. The reason: book publishing is a constantly changing beast, and the changes that began with Gutenberg in 1450 have been accelerating faster and faster ever since. So, author Michael Castleman has done us all a great service by researching and writing this compelling book, schooling us on how it's all gone down, and shedding new light on what we might expect for the future of this "impossible business" of books. [Read More]