Author Elizabeth Gilbert has decided to withdraw her forthcoming novel, THE SNOW FOREST, from its scheduled publication date of February 13, 2024. Just announced with a cover reveal on Good Morning America on June 6, Gilbert said the book follows a family living in Siberia away from society as a way of resisting the Soviet government. In a video posted to social media, Gilbert explained that she heard from many Ukrainian readers who expressed “anger, sorrow, disappointment and pain about the fact that I would choose to release a book into the world right now—any book, no matter what the […]
Outlets That Pay for Book Reviews
Further to our reporting last fall on compensation for book critics and rates at various outlets, book critics Adam Morgan and Chelsea Leu have compiled an extensive list of publications that pay for books coverage. At the National Book Critics Circle site, their list includes contact information, word count, and more.
B&N Union Square Forms Chain’s Second Union
Booksellers and baristas at the Union Square, NYC Barnes & Noble voted to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, with 97 percent of the workers in favor. The union will represent more than 100 non-supervisory employees and contract negotiations will happen this year. “I am so proud of my coworkers and excited to move forward as a unionized bookstore and a member of RWDSU,” senior bookseller Jessica Sepple said. “We still have work ahead of ourselves, but today we have shown how dedicated we are to improving our store for ourselves and each other. We are ready to […]
PRH to Combine Production Departments
Penguin Random House has initiated the process of centralizing production, managing editorial, and production editorial into single company-wide departments servicing all divisions and imprints, ceo Nihar Malaviya announced to staff on Wednesday. One clear objective is efficiency, as Malaviya writes: “When fully implemented, this new structure will better serve our authors by utilizing resources efficiently, exploring new technologies, and standardizing processes where it makes sense. And bringing teams together will expand professional-development opportunities for our production, managing editorial, and production editorial colleagues while scaling our established excellence and expertise in bookmaking.” He also says, “This change will ensure that book […]
Trade Sales Flat in March
The AAP released StatShot results for March, with trade sales flat at $647 million. Adult sales totaled $440 million, up 6.5 percent ($27 million) from last year, with hardcover sales of $131 million and paperback sales of $158 million. Ebooks jumped up by 15.4 percent to $74.7 million, while digital audio continued its growth, up 13.4 percent to $55.4 million. Over half of the adult sales gain came from lower returns, which fell by $15 million. In children’s and YA books, sales were down 11.5 percent to $207 million. Hardcovers sold $77 million and paperbacks sold $98 million. Kids ebook […]
Behind the Minimum Wages at Indie Bookstores
Our reporting on compensation in different segments of the publishing industry continues with independent bookstores, where low pay seems like a foregone conclusion. Though indies have grown and diversified in recent years, sustaining workers—and in some cases, the stores themselves—is an ongoing challenge. Some stores, such as Tattered Cover in Denver and Powell’s in Portland, OR, are essentially corporations or mini-chains with multiple locations and HR departments, while others, such as Astoria Bookshop in Queens, have one storefront and fewer than 10 employees, including the owner. The growing unionization of individual bookstores around the country has helped secure pay and […]