As it became clear in the trial, economics experts made analyses that no one else ever has, because they had access to data from multiple publishers. Similarly, the trial itself highlighted information across the industry that is rarely spoken aloud or compared between companies. Here’s what we’ve learned about publishing from a wide swath of industry players. All About Agents As an expert witness testifying about the role of literary agents, Jennifer Rudolph Walsh gave the court and the public a primer on agenting—information that can be helpful for writers or aspiring industry professionals. “The literary agent finds the author, […]
Archives for October 2022
Ask An Expert: Jane Friedman
Jane Friedman, Publishing consultant and author Jane Friedman has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in business strategy for authors. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, which was named 2020 Media Outlet of the Year by Digital Book World. She is the author of The Business Of Being A Writer (University of Chicago Press). Learn more at Jane Friedman. Below are highlights of Jane’s Discuss forum, and for the complete conversation, go here. What tips do you have for assessing a publisher’s reputation? Are there certain things to […]
Costco Eliminates Book Sections in Hawaii, Alaska
Costco has stopped selling books in Hawaii and Alaska, Honolulu Civil Beat reports. The company told publishers that shipping costs were the a reason to stop selling outside of the contiguous US, but that doesn’t account for sales or returns from local distributors and publishers, who benefitted from the discoverability of the warehouse’s book sections for both residents and tourists. “We knew Costco had the ability to reach a broader market and as a result we’d print a wider selection of books and high print runs,” said Buddy Bess, publisher of Hawaiian publisher Bess Press. “Without that widespread distribution, it […]
Easier Listening
Building on the recent launch of our daily audio version of the day’s publishing news, our Publishers Lunchcast is now available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, where you can listen or subscribe.
Oprah’s Book Club
The next pick for Oprah's Book Club is Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.