As publishers continue to experiment with generative AI for in-house processes, three of the big five publishers—Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, and Macmillan—have begun including language surrounding AI in their contracts. These three publishers have boilerplate language available stating that the publisher will not license or use an author’s work to train AI without the author’s express permission—a win for agents and the Authors Guild, which updated their model contract with an AI clause last year. In many cases, the new language is not standard to the publishers’ contracts, but will be added if an author or agent asks […]
People 5/17
Buzz Books Fall/Winter Season Preview: Fiction
Earlier this week we launched our Buzz Books 2024: Fall/Winter sampler, with excerpts from an array of great forthcoming literary and debut fiction. If you haven’t downloaded your copy yet, the “trade edition” is available now from NetGalley and Edelweiss, or find the consumer editions all linked at our main Buzz Books website. It’s another exciting season of new books ahead. Readers will find their way to the books previewed here and others yet to be discovered. To help you sift through the many thousands of planned fall and winter titles, we’ve selected what we think are among the most […]
People 5/16
Kaustubh Kamat will join Macmillan in the newly created role of SVP, technology on May 20, reporting to COO Neil Strong.
Trade Sales Down 3.6 Percent In the First Quarter, As AAP Launches Expanded Stats
The Association of American Publishers released revamped versions of their monthly StatShot reports, with more granular data breakouts as well as an expanded pool of reporting publishers. The reports now break out sales by fiction and nonfiction, plus formats, for both adult and children’s books, more precisely reflecting the actual fluctuations within the market. (The new breakouts also apply to sales for religious presses and university presses.) Also, they are now receiving data from about 130 additional publishers (the total pool is up to 1,277 publishers) — including over 50 additional Simon & Schuster distribution clients, and about 50 additional […]
Final Reminder: Buzz Books Editors and Authors Panel Tonight
There’s still time to register for our virtual Buzz Books Editors and Authors Panel happening TONIGHT at 7:00 PM Eastern. Please note, we are using a new, simplified platform for the panel — so you don’t have to deal with a Zoom app or an Eventbrite login. Just click on the link in your registration email and you will able to watch from within your browser! You can register here. This is your chance to hear from the authors and editors of some of the fall’s next potential breakout books! Be sure to download our latest digital sampler, Buzz Books […]