OverDrive and Amazon have begun limiting summary titles from their online catalogs, similar to a recent move we reported recently by Barnes & Noble. These titles, which are based on existing popular books, have long frustrated authors and publishers because they are confusing to consumers who think they are purchasing the original work (and bring up legal questions around fair use). According to OverDrive, suppliers have been notified that approximately 30,000 books have been removed from the platform. “OverDrive decided to remove the summary books based on salability of the materials and customer feedback that this is not a category […]
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The Black List Expands to Host, Promote Novel Manuscripts
The Black List, which since 2005 has been a go-to for producers to find unproduced screenplays, is expanding into book publishing. The goal is for authors and agents—as well as the existing film and TV professionals—to be able to find quality work from unpublished novelists. “Our mission has always been to increase access and visibility for writers and help industry members discover great writing, so it’s a no-brainer that we would one day expand into the world of fiction,” their site notes. “With this expansion, we hope to make fiction writing more visible and connect the film, television, and publishing […]
St. Martin’s Responds To Marketing Boycott
On Friday morning, St. Martin’s posted a statement on Twitter “about who we are and what we stand for,” apparently in response to a marketing boycott of their brands by a group of influencers called Readers 4 Accountability. They write: “The St. Martin’s Publishing Group is committed to publishing a wide variety of books from many viewpoints and perspectives. We condemn racism in all forms, including Islamophobia and antisemitism. This is a value of our company, and one that we hold ourselves accountable to every day. “We want authors, readers, media professionals, social media influencers, booksellers, librarians, and employees to feel […]
Lakeside to Add New Press at Willard, OH Facility
Lakeside Book Company announced today it will add a new 64-page, 4-color offset, wide-web press (a manroland Goss Lithoman) at its big 1.3 million square foot Willard, Ohio plant. The press will be operational in less than a year and the company says the investment will create 100 new jobs at the facility. The plant already “produces upwards of 50 million books a year.”
Embedding Michael Wolff, with A Tape Recorder
The latest episode of the Open Book podcast features former Macmillan ceo John Sargent — recorded when he was promoting his book — discussing his battle with Amazon over ebook agency, his earlier days working for Dick Snyder at Simon & Schuster, and more, including this story about why Holt was so confident about Michael Wolff’s sourcing for his book, FIRE AND FURY: “Trump gets elected. Michael Wolff is under contract to write a book with us. Michael Wolff comes and says, ‘How about if we put that book on hold? I can get access into the Trump White House — […]
B&N to Limit Erotica And Summary Titles On Their Site
Barnes & Noble is eliminating certain books from their online catalog. Some digital book distributors have been tasked with removing all of their erotica ISBNs from feeding onto the site, as well as public domain works and “summary” titles that bill themselves as guides to other popular books. Additionally, B&N is updating the search function on their site so that customers “can decide to see clearly explicit content or not.” Senior director of book strategy & customer experience Shannon DeVito told PL that this is a quality-control move that will not affect major publishers. It will also not influence what’s […]