Book Business: Digital Drift
Everywhere from the American
Midwest to the British
Isles to the Arabian Peninsula, one thing is for certain in this
uncertain time: the world of books is adapting to the digital world more
quickly than ever before. That doesn't come without some pushback, such as the
uproar over the Internet Archive's National Emergency Library, whose creator has once again
defended his efforts, this time replying to comments by Sen. Thom
Tillis. Nevertheless, the Covid-19 response, and fallout, continues: San
Francisco's beloved City Lights
Bookstore has bought itself some time with its successful
GoFundMe, while agents are still trying to figure out whether to submit
manuscripts to publishers during a pandemic. At Amazon,
third-party sellers are allowed to
start shipping nonessential items again, according to CNBC, while
the Washington Post reports that the e-tailer has fired two tech
workers who criticized the company’s warehouse workplace
conditions. And in Columbus, Ohio, more than 600 librarians are about to
be furloughed as libraries across the country continue to struggle
with closures. In El Paso, Tex., Cinco Puntos Press has launched a new
program, called Shelter in Books, aimed at helping to get
books into the hands of students as they remain homebound
nationwide. And finally, in a bit of awards news, journalist Jess Hill has won the
$50,000 AUD Stella Prize, honoring writing by Australian women,
for her book See What You Made Me Do.
 
Internet Archive Responds to Senator’s Concern Over
National Emergency Library
Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle told U.S. Senator Thom Tillis that the National Emergency Library is meant to provide digital access to students and readers who cannot access print collections during the Covid-19 crisis. more » 
Fundraiser Buys City Lights Time to Plan
San Francisco's City Lights Bookstore raised nearly half a million dollars on GoFundMe. The money was necessary to cover short term costs and buy time to form a viable strategic and succession plan for the future. more »  
Agents Weigh Whether to Submit Projects During the
Pandemic
As a plunge in sales caused by the recent coronavirus outbreak forces publishers to tighten their purse strings, agents are struggling with a new wrinkle to one of their age-old dilemmas: when to submit their clients’ new manuscripts. more » 
Midwestern Booksellers Step Up Virtual
Get-Togethers
The Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association and Midwest Independent Booksellers Association are both stepping up efforts to keep members in their far-flung regions connected with weekly Zoom conference calls. more » 
Virtual Book Fairs Debut In U.K. and UAE
In response to the pandemic, literary organizations in the U.K and the United Arab Emirates are launching virtual book festivals. more » 
Learning at Home in the Age of Covid-19
While schools are closed nationwide due to the pandemic, educational companies and publishers are rushing to offer digital resources for educators and families. more »  
Indigo Rehires More than 500 Managers
A Canadian governmental support program has enabled Indigo Books and Music to rehire 545 managers and salaried staff. The company had laid off 5,200 people last month after closing its 199 stores due to the pandemic. more » 
Poets & Writers Creates Covid-19 Relief Fund
The Poets & Writers Covid-19 Relief Fund has been established in order to provide emergency assistance to writers having difficulty meeting their basic needs due to the Covid-19 pandemic. more » 
White Owl Books Launches New Craft Series in U.S.
U.K.–based White Owl Books, the imprint of Pen & Sword Books publishing lifestyle, nature, and hobby and crafts books, will debut a new craft series, with the first titles publishing in North America, next month. more »
Covid-19 Industry Impacts
Video of the Day
The Pregnancy Guide for a New Generation
Pregnancy is about so much more than what to expect. It’s about the powerful transformation women go through on the journey to "becoming mama.” 'The Motherly Guide to Becoming Mama' is a holistic, evidence-based guide that redefines the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey—from the experts at the 30-million strong Motherly community. (Sponsored) more »
Job Moves
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enter your job move information. It will appear on our site
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Bookstore News
Click here
to join the conversation in PW's Facebook group for booksellers, and click here
to read ShelfTalker, our children's bookselling blog.
Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller List
'The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz' by Erik Larson is the #1 title on PW's adult hardcover nonfiction bestseller list. See the full list »   Review of the Day:
'Malorie' by Josh Malerman "Malerman returns to the world of 2014's 'Bird Box' for another taut, breathless supernatural thriller." more »   
Picture
of the Day
First Book Canada and the Leacock Foundation
invited high-needs families from the Saturday Morning Literacy Club at
Toronto, Canada's Woburn Junior Public School to receive curated book bundles
in the lobby area of their buildings for use at home during the Covid-19
pandemic. Pictured here, the Woburn Public School Parent Volunteer Leader
carefully handed out the bundles to a designated parent earlier this month.
Photo: First Book Canada
PW Daily team: Rachel Deahl,
John Maher, Jim Milliot, Calvin Reid, Emma Wenner
PW Daily logo: Nicole Cadavid To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to: jmilliot@publishersweekly.com Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to: cbryerman@publishersweekly.com
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address
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Copyright 2020, PWxyz LLC
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Printing Takes a Hit as Bookstores Plead for Funding
Adding to industry-wide struggles in a suddenly uncertain era,
the country's largest book printer has filed
Chapter 11 and fiscal reports from publishing's first quarter show a stark
drop-off once the virus hit. Independent booksellers are fighting to
get their funds from GoFundMe and, as the AP reports,
bricks-and-mortar stores of all kinds are struggling to
stay relevant with closed doors already. Meanwhile, the New
York Times asks whether the future of
comic books is in jeopardy. Still, the industry continues to
adapt, as has the Bologna Book Fair, which has set links to
its Bologna Global Rights Exchange live as of this week.
LSC Files Chapter 11
LSC Communications, one of the country’s largest printers and its largest book printer, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The company said it expects to operate normally as it works its way through the restructuring process. more » 
Indie Bookstores Report Problems with GoFundMe
Disbursements
Several indie bookstores that launched GoFundMe campaigns in March are reporting that the funds raised on that platform are not being disbursed to them as promised, despite repeated inquiries. more »  
Publishing's First Quarter in 2020: A Good Start,
Then the Virus
Publishing sales got off to a decent start in 2020—but as the new coronavirus increased its grip on the country’s economy, sales have softened. The business outlook for the second quarter is, at best, uncertain. more » 
Links to Bologna Global Rights Exchange Now Live
Links that will allow publishers to upload their titles to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair online platform are now live. Fair organizers previously announced the creation of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Global Rights Exchange as part of a wider initiative to launch a virtual book fair following the cancellation of the physical event. more » 
Book Deals: Week of April 13, 2020
Among the big deals this week are the acquisitions of a new book about Covid-19 by 'Spillover' author David Quammen and a biography of abolitionist John Brown. more » 
This Week's Bestsellers: April 13, 2020
April Read with Jenna pick ‘Valentine’ by first-time author Elizabeth Wetmore debuts at #4 on our hardcover fiction list. Plus Terry McMillan’s ‘It’s Not All Downhill from Here’ lands at #13 in hardcover fiction, and though the movie’s release date is uncertain, the tie-in edition of A.J. Finn’s ‘The Woman in the Window’ arrives. more »  
PW Digital Edition
See what we published in this week's print issue of 'Publishers Weekly,' which is open to all, including our latest middle grade feature and more. » 
Candlewick and MIT Press to Launch Joint Children's
and Teen Imprints
In an unprecedented partnership, the two Boston-area publishers have announced plans to collaboratively launch two imprints for kids and YA readers, starting in 2021. MIT Kids Press and MITeen Press will publish books on science and technology under the editorial direction of MIT Press and the creative, marketing, and sales direction of Candlewick. more » 
How an Indie Bookstore Keeps Fighting On
Flyleaf Books’ owner reflects on running an "essential" business during a crisis. more » 
2020 Guggenheim Fellowships Announced
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has named its 2020 class of Guggenheim Fellows, including Garth Greenwell, Celeste Ng, and Sigrid Nunez, among many other writers of significance. more »
Covid-19 Industry Impacts
Job Moves
Bookstore News
Click here
to join the conversation in PW's Facebook group for booksellers, and click here
to read ShelfTalker, our children's bookselling blog.
Hardcover Fiction Bestseller List
'Texas Outlaw' by James Patterson and Andrew Bourelle is the #1 bestseller on PW's adult hardcover fiction bestseller list. See the full list »  Our Latest Starred
Reviews Check out the starred reviews of titles releasing this week, including 'Apsara Engine,' 'Odetta,' 'Creeping Jenny,' and more. »  Review of the Day:
'Morningside Heights' by Joshua Henkin "Henkin brilliantly conveys the complexities of a New York City family in this humane, compulsively readable tale." more » 
Picture
of the Day
Wordplay, the month-long virtual literary
festival sponsored by Minneapolis's Loft Literary Center, kicked off last
week with a live Q&A with Olympic medalist Jessie Diggins, who talked
about her new memoir, 'Brave Enough' (University of Minnesota Press) before
leading an Olympic–style workout class. Wordplay is partnering with other
literary organizations to present video conversations, podcasts, visual arts,
author Q&As, social media takeovers, digital happy hours, and other
events, all free of charge.
Photo: Briana Gruenewald
PW Daily team: Rachel Deahl,
John Maher, Jim Milliot, Calvin Reid, Emma Wenner
PW Daily logo: Nicole Cadavid To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to: jmilliot@publishersweekly.com Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to: cbryerman@publishersweekly.com
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address
below. Publishers Weekly,
71 West 23 St. #1608 New York, NY 10010 Phone 212-377-5500
Copyright 2020, PWxyz LLC
|
Another Shaky Day
Barnes & Noble is furloughing
employees amid protests. Europe's publishers are seeing
massive revenue declines. PRH has begun
furloughs in the U.K. The Pulitzers have been
postponed. It's another day of dreary news for the book business.
But the efforts to keep things moving continue—even at B&N, which is
refurbishing its closed stores. Industry sales rose in
January, even though that trend won't last. A new relief fund
for artists has been founded. Children's
book events are surviving and thriving in a digital
space, and international publishers are going online
to keep in touch. Authors are sharing their lockdown experiences
with the world, in the Guardian,
the New Yorker,
and elsewhere. It's a struggle, but one that the book biz is in together.
B&N Copes
With most of its stores closed, B&N is using a skeleton crew to buy new titles, mainly for BN.com and rapidly refurbishing its closed outlets. It has also responded to a protest by employees at a New Jersey warehouse. CEO James Daunt noted that the company has the "steadfast" support of its owner, Elliott Advisors. more » 
Arts Funders Launch Artist Pandemic Relief Fund
In response to the impact of the pandemic on the arts community, a multi-disciplinary coalition of arts organizations have joined together to launch Artist Relief, a nonprofit fund that will award $5,000 grants to individual artists facing economic need due to Covid-19. more » 
Industry Sales Rose in January
Sales from publishers who report data to the AAP's StatShot program rose 3.7% in January over January 2019. The impact of the new coronavirus on sales will be reflected in March results. more » 
European Publishers See 25% Drop in Revenue
The Federation of European Publishers said that the publishing sector across Europe has already seen a 25% drop in anticipated revenue for 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis and is seeking support. more » 
'Alone: A Love Story'
This is a gutsy and wildly intimate memoir of a life exploded and what blooms in the wreckage. Michelle Parise’s story of the fallout of infidelity and loneliness after love lost is equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, served with a side of laughs. Coming May 2020. (Sponsored) more »  
PRH UK Starts Furloughs
Penguin Random House UK is the latest U.K. publisher to take cost out of the business in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. The publisher is taking advantage of the furloughing scheme announced by the U.K. government in which the state will pay 80% of salary up to £30,000 a year. CEO Tom Weldon said the company will "top" the government payments to make sure employees are paid in full. more » 
Children’s Book Week Moves to New Format Amid
Pandemic
In response to the coronavirus outbreak that has forced bookstores, libraries, and schools to close their doors, next month's Children's Book Week is being reconfigured into a virtual celebration. more » 
Licensed Publishing in the Covid-19 Era
Amid these uncertain times, publishing licensees are dealing with the unique challenges that come with releasing tie-ins to feature films that are being postponed indefinitely or being watched online instead of in theaters. more » 
How Kids' Bookstores Support Literacy, and Each
Other, in a Time of Crisis
Bookstores may be closed for browsing, but a number of children’s booksellers have found ways to sell and give away titles to promote literacy despite social distancing, canceled author tours, and other roadblocks caused by the pandemic. more » 
#TweetBookCon Steps In for TeenBookCon
Because in-person events are no longer viable during the coronavirus outbreak, Houston's TeenBookCon was transformed into #TweetBookCon, an entirely digital event hosted on social media. On April 4, two dozen authors who had planned to attend the convention joined on Twitter instead, interacting with young readers. more »  
2020 Pulitzer Prizes Postponed
The Pulitzer Prize board has decided to postpone the 2020 award winners' announcement from April 20 to May 4. more » 
Nieto Joins Flatiron
Nadxieli Nieto, editor and former program director of literary awards at PEN America, has joined Flatiron as editor-at-large. She will acquire upmarket and literary fiction, nonfiction, and YA, with a focus on work by Latinx and BIPoC. more » 
International Publishers Build a New Forum to Keep
in Touch
A Facebook group called Publishers Without Borders, now with 1,700 members, aims to recreate the community and camaraderie lost by the cancellation of the Bologna and London book fairs. more » 
Obituary: Jean Little
Canadian children's book author Jean Little, internationally recognized for her novels featuring characters who realistically deal with adversity, died on April 6 in Guelph, Ontario; she was 88. Little wrote more than 50 books, most of them for young readers. more » 
Last Call: Fall 2020 Adult Announcements
Deadline: April 10. Needed: Information on adult trade titles (new titles only, no reprints) being published between Aug. 1, 2020, and Jan. 31, 2021. Enter title information at announcements.publishersweekly.com. more »
Covid-19 Industry Impacts
Job Moves
Have you changed jobs, retired, or
been promoted? Click here to
enter your job move information. It will appear on our site
and in PW Daily.
Bookstore News
Click here
to join the conversation in PW's Facebook group for booksellers, and click here
to read ShelfTalker, our children's bookselling blog.
Children's Fiction Bestseller List
'Fetch-22 (Dog Man #8)' by Dav Pilkey is the #1 title on PW's children's frontlist fiction bestseller list. See the full list »  Review of the Day:
'Surviving Autocracy' by Masha Gessen "National Book Award–winner Gessen delivers a scathing indictment of the Trump administration’s impact on 'the American system of government.' " more » 
Picture
of the Day
Bestselling author Kwame Alexander took to
Instagram, where he’s reading from his Newbery Medal–winning novel in verse,
'The Crossover' (HMH), each weekday at 10:30 A.M. ET.
Courtesy HMH
PW Daily team: Rachel Deahl,
John Maher, Jim Milliot, Calvin Reid, Emma Wenner
PW Daily logo: Nicole Cadavid To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to: jmilliot@publishersweekly.com Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to: cbryerman@publishersweekly.com
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address
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71 West 23 St. #1608 New York, NY 10010 Phone 212-377-5500
Copyright 2020, PWxyz LLC
|
Despite Struggles, Reedpop Marches On
Ingram Content Group has dropped
out of BookExpo and BookCon in the latest blow to the rescheduled
show. Reedpop is soldiering on, however, and announced a virtual
BookCon 'Read-a-Thon' yesterday, to be held via the BookCon
Facebook page on Saturday. And at Diamond Comic Distributors, which failed to
pay publishers and other vendors last week, execs are
taking pay cuts as terms for resuming payments are outlined. ProPublica
has investigated how Amazon's self-publishing arm became a haven
for white supremacy, while the Guardian examines how
lockdown erotica became the hottest
trend in publishing. The New York Public Library and WNYC have launched a
virtual book club. And Dreamscape publisher Tammy Faxel has died at 55.
Ingram Is Out of BookExpo and BookCon
Ingram Content Group will not attend BookExpo or BookCon 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. more » 
Diamond Reveals New Payment Terms; Execs Take Pay
Cut
Diamond Distributors founder Steve Geppi outlined the terms under which the distributor of comics, graphic novels, and prose books would resume payments to publishers and other vendors. more »  
Coronavirus Concerns Prompt Cost Cuts
The steady erosion of book sales is impacting all parts of publishing as the Covid-19 pandemic tightens its grip on the U.S. more » 
Financial Results Varied for Publishers in 2019
Even disregarding the negative impact the new coronavirus will have on the U.S. economy this year, America’s largest publicly traded publishers had a challenging 2019. more » 
BookCon Launches Virtual 'Read-a-Thon'
BookCon will hold a virtual day-long reading series on Saturday, April 11, from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, as part of its new BookCon Virtual Author Tour Series. more » 
Obituary: Dreamscape Publisher Tammy Faxel
Faxel, who joined Midwest Tape's Dreamscape Media in 2014 and quickly took the helm as publisher, died unexpectedly on March 30. She was 55. more » 
AG Guide Helps Authors Find Relief
The Authors Guild has put together a guide providing details on economic relief available to authors during the Covid-19 crisis. more » 
BISG Supply Chain Survey Still Open
The Book Industry Study Group is asking book business professionals to take a brief survey examining current and expected supply-chain issues in the wake of the pandemic. more » 
SFWA to Hold Nebulas Online
Writer and actor Aydrea Walden has been named the toastmaster of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America's 55th Annual Nebula Awards, which will be held on May 30 in an online ceremony. more » 
Oprah's Book Club Selects 'Hidden Valley Road'
Oprah Winfrey has selected her fourth selection for the new iteration of Oprah’s Book Club: 'Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family' by Robert Kolker. more »
Covid-19 Industry Impacts
Job Moves
Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller List
'The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz' by Erik Larson is the #1 title on PW's adult hardcover nonfiction bestseller list. See the full list »  Review of the Day: 'The
Vapors: A Southern Family, the New York Mob, and the Rise and Fall of Hot
Springs, America’s Forgotten Capital of Vice' by David Hill "Journalist Hill’s fantastic debut blends true crime and Southern history to chronicle the transformation of Hot Springs, Ark., from a spa town into a hotbed of horse racing, prostitution, and illegal gambling between the 1930s and 1960s." more » 
Picture
of the Day
Anderson's Bookshop in La Grange, Ill., gets
out the word to customers about how they can still get their books.
Courtesy Anderson's
PW Daily team: Rachel Deahl,
John Maher, Jim Milliot, Calvin Reid, Emma Wenner
PW Daily logo: Nicole Cadavid To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to: jmilliot@publishersweekly.com Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to: cbryerman@publishersweekly.com
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address
below. Publishers Weekly,
71 West 23 St. #1608 New York, NY 10010 Phone 212-377-5500
Copyright 2020, PWxyz LLC
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