Independent publisher associations Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and PubWest will combine under the IBPA name, effective July 1. According to a release, the organizations have long collaborated and had overlap in their membership. The combined entity will allow the associations to better advocate for independent businesses. “Bringing together IBPA and PubWest will allow the two organizations to strengthen their member benefits, trade market programming, networking opportunities, and education so that we can provide one destination for all members’ association needs,” the release says. PubWest will cease operations on June 30, and its membership and programming will be incorporated into […]
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Jamie Oliver Pulls Children’s Book After Protests
Jamie Oliver has pulled his children’s book Billy and the Epic Escape from publication around the world, following protests by indigenous Australians. The book is published by Penguin Random House UK. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Commission (Natsiec) spoke out about the book, calling it “damaging” and “disrespectful” and saying it perpetuated stereotypes. Indigenous literary figures in Australia supported the effort to get Oliver to withdraw it. In the portion of the book that raised concern, a First Nations girl living in foster care in an Indigenous community is abducted. Sharon Davis, chief executive of Natsiec said this […]
HBG Employees Write Letter Protesting New Basic Liberty Imprint
Employees of Hachette Book Group wrote a letter to management protesting the publisher’s new conservative imprint Basic Liberty and the hiring of former Heritage Foundation fellow Thomas Spence. (The letter was posted on the Instagram account xoxopublishinggg.) The employees write: “As employees of HBG, we stand together in firm disapprobation of The Heritage Foundation, Project 2025, and any conservative movement of thought that strips away sacred rights and the humanity of people. We disavow David Shelley’s unsympathetic and insensitive remarks, and maintain that the dignity, rights, and freedoms of all people should be upheld by everyone, especially those in positions […]
Paul Coates’s NBF Literarian Award Is Questioned
This year’s National Book Foundation Literarian Award recipient Paul Coates has been accused of publishing “racist, antisemitic, and homophobic books and authors” in an “enthusiastic and uncritical” manner, in an article by Mark Oppenheimer in Arc Magazine. That article expands considerably on questions first raised in a piece in The Jewish Insider by Matthew Kassel, which focused on one book in particular. Additionally, Oppenheimer suggests the selection “was a surprising choice” because Coates previously served as a National Book Foundation board member. The Literarian Award is given for “outstanding service to the literary community.” Coates, who is the father of […]
Nan Graham Will Step Down As Scribner Publisher, Transition To New Editing Role
Nan Graham will step down as publisher of Scribner and take on a new role editing at the imprint in 2025. Simon & Schuster says it will “begin an open and thorough search for the next publisher of Scribner.” Graham joined the imprint in 1994 as its first editor-in-chief. In her new role, she will edit her existing authors and acquire new books. Simon & Schuster ceo Jonathan Karp said in a release, “Nan’s range as an editor is extraordinary. In addition to being a great editor, Nan has been a superb publisher and generous mentor. A revered and integral […]
8th Note Press Partners With Zando On Print Editions
ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, announced a partnership between its digital-only imprint 8th Note Press and Zando to expand into print books. Zando “will debut its titles for the first time in print to a worldwide audience.” The two companies plan to release 10 to 15 romance, romantasy, and YA titles a year in print, beginning in early 2025, with a focus on millennial and Gen Z readers. Under the partnership, some titles will be completely new and others will be print versions of existing e-books. 8th Note’s head of editorial Jacob Bronstein told the NYT, “Physical books […]