A good final sales week, ending on December 25 — with one extra shopping day compared to the same week in 2020 — put print sales for the four final holiday weeks as measured by NPD Bookscan just about even with 2020. At just under 110 million units, 2021’s total was less than a million units behind last year’s sales. That strong finale leaves 2021 sales running 8.9 percent ahead of last year’s print sales, pointed towards another year of robust sales for print books. After 51 weeks, Bookscan counts print sales of 810 million units — compared to 744 […]
Archives for December 2021
New York Governor Vetoes Library eBook Bill
New York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill from the State Assembly that would have imposed restrictions on the terms under which publishers license ebooks to libraries. The legislation was similar to the Maryland law that the AAP is currently challenging in Federal court, imposing a vague requirement of “reasonable terms”. Hochul wrote in her veto, “While the goal of this bill is laudable, unfortunately, copyright protection provides the author of a work with the exclusive right to their works. As such, federal law would allow the author, and only the author, to determine to whom they wish to share […]
A PM Discount For the End (or Beginning) of the Year
Starting tomorrow, December 29, we have one more chance for people to check out PublishersMarketplace.com for a full month at a substantial discount. Use the code PM4ME from December 29 through January 2 to get the first month’s membership for only $15, and finish (or begin) the year with a wealth of research and information. Feel free to share the code with friends; make sure to put the code in the indicated “Promo Code: ___” field when registering.
2021 Hugo Award Winners
In-Person Winter Institute Canceled
The American Booksellers Association canceled its plans for an in-person Winter Institute, originally scheduled for February 13-16 in Cincinnati. They will refund attendees’ registration fees in January, and will cancel hotel reservations at ABA hotels. The organization plans to announce updated programming details in the coming weeks. In a statement, the ABA said: “We have been full steam ahead with programming, planning, and safety precautions, but the rising number of COVID cases, the contagion of the new variant, and the hospital crisis in Ohio — including the National Guard being called in to assist understaffed hospitals — have forced us […]
The Atlantic’s Best Books Of 2021
The Atlantic announced their best books of the year.