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Ready to Rumble
While Anthropic is still holding out on an appeal that would pull the brakes on a brewing class action copyright suit, authors—and now, their publishers—are rallying to compile a list of works that the AI company allegedly stole to train its large language models by September 1. In the U.K., South and Southeast Asian authors are claiming their place in publishing with a new festival. And in this week’s magazine, our fall travel feature takes readers to Japan, the Camino de Santiago, and more. The Trump administration has extended its trade truce with China for another three months, continuing the reprieve from rising tariffs, reports the New York Times. Meanwhile, the Comics Journal unpacks the unexpected ways that tariffs are affecting comic book stores. In New Hampshire, parents will now have access to their children’s library borrowing records thanks to a new state law, per the New Hampshire Bulletin. Dirt coins a new term for the literary genre du jour: “igno-fiction.” The Guardian plays a just-released cozy bookstore simulator. And Lit Hub considers the legacy of Dr. Seuss—and wonders if it might be time to move on from the beloved children’s author.
The class action lawsuit charging the AI giant with copyright infringement is rapidly developing despite an appeal from Anthropic, with two new firms joining to represent the interests of publishers and a full list of pirated books used to train Anthropic’s AI due September 1. more »
The inaugural StoryFeast Festival in London, which runs September 13–21 and features 20 authors, aims to raise the profile of East and Southeast Asian writers for U.K. readers and publishers alike. more »
Japanese horror and folklore mix into one devastating work as a young girl will have to face the truth about her rural village and the identity of the deities watching over them. Discover Land, Vol. 1 available this September! (Sponsored) More »
The latest guides appeal to the devout and secular alike. more »
Whether journeying on foot, by train, or vicariously from an armchair, readers can see the sights from a fresh perspective. more »
Deadline: Aug. 18. Issue: Oct. 13. This feature will delve into darkness—horror, gothic fiction, dark academia, dark fantasy, etc. Separately, we’re interested in fantasies that star lady knights. Pub dates: mid-October 2025 through mid-April 2026. Click here for more information. »
Katie Kitamura and Jhumpa Lahiri will headline the Center for the Art of Translation’s sixth annual Day of Translation festival, slated for September 18 at the Center for Fiction in Brooklyn. more »
The U.S.-based literacy program is continuing to grow its U.K. presence, expanding to eight more areas in the city of Wakefield, England, where it has sent nearly 70,000 books to children under five since 2017. more »
- Director of Finance and Administration - The New Press - New York, NY.
- Sr. Forecasting & Demand Analyst - Sourcebooks.
- Digital and Online Sales Manager - Harvard University - Cambridge, MA.
- Digital Marketing Assistant (Full Time/Remote) - Page Street Publishing - Salem, MA.
- Non-Fiction Publicity & Marketing Assistant (Full Time/Remote) - Page Street Publishing - Salem, MA.
Job Moves
- Tess Day has been promoted to assistant director of publicity at HarperCollins.
- Kasey Feather has been promoted to assistant director of marketing at HarperCollins.
- Rachel Berquist has been promoted to assistant director of marketing at HarperCollins.
- Jen McGuire has been promoted to marketing manager at HarperCollins.
- Samantha Larrabee has been promoted to marketing and publicity manager at HarperCollins.
- Michelle Lecumberry has been promoted to senior marketing manager at HarperCollins.
- Ellie Anderson has been promoted to senior publicist at HarperCollins.
- Hannah Son has joined Sourcebooks Kids as editorial assistant.
- Stephanie Pando has joined Sourcebooks as publicist.
- Cindy Cozzi has been promoted to royalties accounting specialist at Sourcebooks.
Awards News
- B&N Children’s, YA Book Award Winners: Devin Elle Kurtz, Sangu Mandanna, and CG Drews are the winners of Barnes & Noble’s 2025 Children’s and YA Book Awards.
- Brooklyn Public Library Prize Longlist: Mosab Abu Toha, Tony Tulathimutte, and Yasmin Zaher are among the 20 longlisted authors for this year’s Brooklyn Public Library Prize.
- Aurora Award Winners: The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association has announced the 10 winners of this year’s Aurora Awards.
- Wainwright Prizes Shortlist: Alice Mah and Helen Scales are among the 42 shortlisted authors across six categories for the U.K.-based Wainwright Prize for nature and conservation writing.
- Polari Prize to Undergo ‘Full Review’: After more than half of its longlisted authors withdrew due to the nomination of self-described TERF John Boyne, the Polari Prize plans to move forward with this year’s award but will still undergo a “full review” of its selection process.
Bookstore News
- Nebraska Bookshop Faces the Storm: Chapters Books and Gifts in Seward sustained significant damage last weekend due to severe weather.
- South Dakota Bookshop Gets New Owners: A trans couple has taken over Outside of a Dog in Vermillion after the state’s anti-trans laws forced its previous owners to move away.
Click here to join the conversation in PW's Facebook group for booksellers.
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins is the #1 title on our adult hardcover nonfiction bestseller list. See the full list »
‘Racebook: A Personal History of the Internet’ by Tochi Onyebuchi“Science fiction and fantasy novelist Onyebuchi reflects on identity, race, and the internet in his poetic and insightful debut essay collection.... This is a must-read.” more »
Picture of the Day
Megan Cummins (l.) launched her debut novel, Atomic Hearts (Ballantine), at P&T Knitwear in Manhattan on August 7, in conversation with author Sarah Blakley-Cartwright, who sported a custom t-shirt showing off the cover of PW’s June 25, 2025, issue featuring Cummins.
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Trickle-Down Trumponomics
Federal cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services are forcing public libraries to shrink their budgets and scale back their acquisitions, posing a threat to the bottom lines of publishers of all sizes. Barnes & Noble Education could be dropped by the New York Stock Exchange due to auditing problems at the company that came to light last month and delayed its financial reporting. The Associated Press is ending its weekly book reviews, which have long been syndicated by hundreds of small papers without book coverage of their own. From Oprah to Reese to Jenna (oh my!), we’ve rounded up this month’s biggest book club picks. AI companies are panicking over three authors’ class-action copyright suit against Anthropic, which was certified last month, saying it has the potential to “financially ruin” the industry, Ars Technica reports. The New York Times reports from Kashmir, where Indian authorities are cracking down on “secessionist literature”; and Quebec City, where a library has become a haven for English speakers in the French-majority metropole. The Lit Hub podcast sits down with Stefan Tobler, publisher of the 2025 International Booker Prize winner Heart Lamp, to discuss what happens when a small press takes home the award. Seemingly innocuous industry words like “local” and “emerging” can downplay the legitimacy of African book publishing, argues Cassava Republic Press cofounder Bibi Bakare-Yusuf in Semafor. And Harper’s spotlights four essays by David Foster Wallace, from the magazine’s archives.
IMLS cuts are forcing libraries to further trim their budgets, hurting publishers along with patrons. Michelle Dotter (pictured), editor-in-chief of Dzanc Books, is bracing for a reduction in library sales this year up to a devastating 50%. more »
Barnes & Noble Education’s failure to file its year-end financial documents on time has resulted in a warning from the New York Stock Exchange. The company has been granted an extension and said it anticipates it will meet the February 1, 2026 deadline to regain compliance with the exchange’s listing standards. more »
In a decision that will widely impact small newspapers, the Associated Press announced it will discontinue its longtime weekly book reviews beginning September 1. more »
Did you know Beyonce has 1,300+ award nominations? And that Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour had 150+ stops? Learn more about your favorite superstars in these illustrated biographies from WhoHQ! (Sponsored) More »
Oprah revisits Richard Russo’s 2007 novel of small-town life, Reese highlights Ashley Jordan’s debut romance, and more. more »
Riverhead takes two from Colombian phenom Pilar Quintana, Blackstone makes its first foray into translated literature, James Patterson and Vicky Ward take on the case of the UnitedHealthcare CEO killing, and more in this week’s book deals. more »
Fox News host Mark R. Levin has the #2 book in the country with On Power. Plus YA author Ava Reid follows A Study in Drowning with A Theory of Dreaming, #1 on our children’s fiction list, and debut author I.V. Marie’s Immortal Consequences is the August Good Morning America YA Book Club pick. more »
with Kathleen Norris
New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Norris brings her singular insights on faith, family and love to a deeply personal memoir about her sister. Norris writes movingly about Rebecca who was born with physical and mental disabilities and the many lessons learned from her sister whose spirit and resilience remained undaunted despite the obstacles she faced. (Sponsored) MORE »
See what we published in this week’s print issue of Publishers Weekly, including our fall travel feature and more. »
Deadline: rolling, Oct. 15 cutoff. Issue: online only. For the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair, PW will run its annual literary agency rights listings. Please submit up to four titles via our submissions form. Click here for more information. »
The literary agency has appointed Cherise Fisher (l.) as VP and hired CeCe Lyra (r.), previously of P.S. Literary Agency, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. more »
The Cincinnati-area children’s bookstore, which was founded in 1979 and has been on the market since March, is up for immediate sale so its owner can retire. more »
- Director of Finance and Administration - The New Press - New York, NY.
- Sr. Forecasting & Demand Analyst - Sourcebooks.
- Digital and Online Sales Manager - Harvard University - Cambridge, MA.
- Digital Marketing Assistant (Full Time/Remote) - Page Street Publishing - Salem, MA.
- Non-Fiction Publicity & Marketing Assistant (Full Time/Remote) - Page Street Publishing - Salem, MA.
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.
Awards News
- Authors Withdraw from Polari Prize: At least 11 authors and two judges have withdrawn themselves from the U.K.-based Polari Prize after author and self-proclaimed TERF John Boyne was named on the longlist.
Bookstore News
- Minneapolis Bookshop Relocates: Eat My Words will celebrate the grand opening of its new location in the historic Telephone Building this weekend.
Click here to join the conversation in PW's Facebook group for booksellers.
Our Latest Starred ReviewsCheck out all the books to receive starred reviews in PW that are hitting bookstore shelves this week. more »
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid is the #1 title on our adult hardcover fiction bestseller list. See the full list »
‘The Cook’s Garden: A Gardener’s Guide to Selecting, Growing, and Savoring the Tastiest Vegetables of Each Season’ by Kevin West“[A] stunning how-to.... West’s lively prose contains bites of food history, agricultural science, and food politics and the garden fresh recipes are mouthwatering. This essential guide will enable anyone to have a farm-to-table experience.” more »
An inside look at the publication process for the bestselling author’s second novel. more »
Picture of the Day
Brooklyn’s Greenlight Bookstore hosted a panel of bestselling romance authors followed by a wine reception on Aug. 7, in anticipation of Bookstore Romance Day on Aug. 9. Pictured (from l.) are Greenlight events coordinator and panel moderator Ashli Byfield; Marie Rutkoski, author of Ordinary Love (Knopf); Kristina Forest, author of The Love Lyric (Knopf); and Adriana Herrera, author of A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke (Canary Street Press).PW Daily Team: John Maher, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Eva Baron
PW News Team: John Maher, Ed Nawotka, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Jim Milliot, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Claire Kirch, Nathalie op de Beeck
To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com.
To submit an obituary, email obituaries@publishersweekly.com.
Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to John Maher.
Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to Joe Murray.
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below:
Publishers Weekly
49 West 23rd Street
Ninth Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone 212-377-5500
Copyright 2025, PWxyz, LLC. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and the PW Logo are trademarks of PWxyz, LLC.
PW News Team: John Maher, Ed Nawotka, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Jim Milliot, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Claire Kirch, Nathalie op de Beeck
To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com.
To submit an obituary, email obituaries@publishersweekly.com.
Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to John Maher.
Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to Joe Murray.
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below:
Publishers Weekly
49 West 23rd Street
Ninth Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone 212-377-5500
Copyright 2025, PWxyz, LLC. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and the PW Logo are trademarks of PWxyz, LLC.
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Sunshine and Self-Censorship
At least nine public school districts across Florida have preemptively culled hundreds of books with alleged “sexual content” from classrooms and libraries ahead of the upcoming academic year in fear of legal action from the state. Tieshena Davis will step down as chair of the Independent Book Publishers Association after just over a year in the role. In this week’s magazine, we profiled the great Arundhati Roy ahead of the publication of her first memoir, surveyed the audiobook landscape in Mexico, and spotlighted the Phoenix-based bilingual publisher Cardboard House Press. NPR looks at how ChatGPT is increasingly targeting students, aiming to replace textbooks, study guides, and other classroom staples. The New York Times recounts how the D&D web series Critical Role spawned a bestselling romance novel starring a misunderstood orc. For the Guardian, Italian translator Vincenzo Latronico examines the grip Anglophone fiction has on the global canon, even at a time when interest in translated literature is growing. On Substack, writer Blake Butler considers what makes an “ideal publisher,” and Kent D. Wolf muses about what publishers and casinos have in common. Architects have unveiled plans for the residential conversion of Manhattan’s Flatiron building, a process that began six years ago when Macmillan vacated its offices, per New York YIMBY. The Washington Post offers some tips on hosting your own book club. And author Sallie Bingham has died at 88.
Schools in at least nine Florida counties have removed hundreds of books from public school classrooms and libraries ahead of the 2025–2026 school year, PEN America reported, amid concerns over legal action from the state’s Board of Education and Attorney General. more »
Davis will step down as board chair of the Independent Book Publishers Association after just over a year in the role to focus on her own businesses. IBPA vice chair Renita Bryant will lead the board until it elects Davis’s successor. more »
In 17th-century Paris, female storytellers coined the term “fairy tale” to critique the monarchy and their patriarchical society. Women of the Fairytale Resistance tells the stories of seven of these conteuses alongside 12 empowering, gender-bending tales, with stunning illustrations throughout. (Sponsored) More »
In her first memoir, the Booker Prize winner explores her relationship with her volatile mother and living life on her own terms. more »
In the world’s largest Spanish-speaking country, the growth of audiobooks lags far behind Spain and the U.S.—but potential solutions abound. more »
Through its bookmaking workshops and focus on experimental Spanish-language poetry, the Phoenix-based bilingual publisher is pursuing what founder Giancarlo Huapaya (l.) calls “language justice” both on and off the page. more »
Baker & Taylor Publisher Services has inked a deal with Yad Vashem. more »
A heartbroken woman makes a deal with a sexy demon to win back her ex-girlfriend in the Lambda Award winner’s The Devil She Knows (Berkley, Oct.). more »
Lauren Roberts, author of the blockbuster Powerless YA series and a lifelong Detroit Tigers fan, was thrilled when the Tigers chose her for Major League Baseball’s first-ever Book Club Night this past Tuesday. We spoke with Roberts about bringing together her love of romantasy and baseball for the unique event. more »
- Sr. Forecasting & Demand Analyst - Sourcebooks.
- Digital and Online Sales Manager - Harvard University - Cambridge, MA.
- Digital Marketing Assistant (Full Time/Remote) - Page Street Publishing - Salem, MA.
- Non-Fiction Publicity & Marketing Assistant (Full Time/Remote) - Page Street Publishing - Salem, MA.
- Senior/Executive Editor - UNC Press - University of North Carolina Press - Chapel Hill, NC.
Job Moves
- Aly D’Amato has been promoted to executive managing editor at PRH Corporate Bookmaking, supporting Penguin Publishing Group.
- Nathalie Mairena has been promoted to production associate at PRH Corporate Bookmaking, supporting Random House Publishing Group.
- Chanler Harris has been promoted to production associate at PRH Corporate Bookmaking, supporting Random House Publishing Group.
- Ali Wagner has been promoted to senior production associate at PRH Corporate Bookmaking, supporting Random House Publishing Group.
Bookstore News
- B&N Descends on NorCal: Barnes & Noble will open a new location in Napa, sparking debate over the impact on local bookshops.
- California Town Gets a Bookstore: BK Bookstore & More opened in Ceres last week and is the town’s only bookshop.
- Miami’s Newest Romance Bookshop: Steamy Lit will open in Miami Springs this winter.
- Queer Bookshop to Land in Ohio: The Little Gay Bookstore will open in Columbus next month.
Click here to join the conversation in PW's Facebook group for booksellers.
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins is #1 on our overall list this week. See the full list »
‘Unfit’ by Ariana Harwicz, trans. from the Spanish by Jessie Mendez Sayer“Harwicz spins an unrelenting tale of a migrant woman who takes drastic steps to fulfill her radical conception of motherly love.... The result is a wild and unforgettable ride.” more »
Picture of the Day
Lisa Frenkel Riddiough (l.) celebrated the launch of her newest picture book, Embarrassed Ferret (Disney Hyperion), illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi, on July 27 at Face in a Book in El Dorado Hills, Calif. Joining Riddiough was store manager Janis Herbert (r.).PW Daily Team: John Maher, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Eva Baron
PW News Team: John Maher, Ed Nawotka, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Jim Milliot, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Claire Kirch, Nathalie op de Beeck
To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com.
To submit an obituary, email obituaries@publishersweekly.com.
Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to John Maher.
Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to Joe Murray.
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below:
Publishers Weekly
49 West 23rd Street
Ninth Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone 212-377-5500
Copyright 2025, PWxyz, LLC. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and the PW Logo are trademarks of PWxyz, LLC.
PW News Team: John Maher, Ed Nawotka, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Jim Milliot, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Claire Kirch, Nathalie op de Beeck
To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com.
To submit an obituary, email obituaries@publishersweekly.com.
Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to John Maher.
Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to Joe Murray.
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below:
Publishers Weekly
49 West 23rd Street
Ninth Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone 212-377-5500
Copyright 2025, PWxyz, LLC. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and the PW Logo are trademarks of PWxyz, LLC.
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Hard Times
In what CEO Joe Matthews called a publishing program “reboot,” Independent Publishers Group has laid off 15 employees, including Chicago Review Press and Triumph Books group publisher Cynthia Sherry, and cut down the size of its lists. After months of financial uncertainty, Boundless Publishing has ceased operations, following in the footsteps of its predecessor, U.K. crowdfunding publisher Unbound, and leaving hundreds of unpaid authors, agents, customers, and creditors in the lurch. Amazon has laid off more than 100 Wondery employees in a reorganization of its audio division, which will now be “consolidated” under Audible, reports CNBC. Substack added a bathhouse to its roster of eclectic reading locales, reports the L.A. Times. On Substack, Alyssa Morris rounds up BookTok’s latest trends, while Lincoln Michel talks with Benjamin Percy about his decision to serialize his forthcoming post-apocalyptic novel with an assist from Stephen King. Meanwhile, amid a so-called “Substack summer,” Vox looks into the kind of energy the platform has been bringing to the fiction market. Samuel Alito has inked a Big Five book deal of his own, putting him in step with most of his fellow Supreme Court justices, reports CNN. And bidding has commenced for a newly discovered first-edition copy of The Hobbit, per the New York Times.
Independent Publishers Group laid off approximately 15 employees last week as the company looks to revamp its publishing program. Cynthia Sherry, a 36-year veteran who oversaw Chicago Review Press and Triumph Books, was among those let go. more »
Boundless Publishing Group and its imprint Neem Tree Press have entered liquidation and stopped conducting business as of Friday, ending a months-long effort to rescue the assets of failed U.K. crowdfunding publisher Unbound and pay back its authors. more »
Hilda and her friend, Burku the giant, are playing in the Wilderness. There’s just one thing that would make it more fun... snow! Fortunately, Twig has accidentally woken the Ice Man; unfortunately, that means there's a lot more than a snow flurry headed for Hilda! Can Twig save the day? Out November 2025! Preorder Now! (Sponsored) More »
The St. Paul, Minn.–based nonprofit publisher of human rights literature will publish its first title, Joshua Colangelo-Bryan’s account of his advocacy work at Guantanamo Bay, in October. more »
With independent bookstores serving as important sales outlets for Brynne Weaver’s bestselling Ruinous Love trilogy, publisher Zando has released a special indie-exclusive edition of the series’ final volume. About 6,000 copies have shipped. more »
Net sales at Storytel rose to $87.4 million in Q2 thanks in part to what CEO Bodil Eriksson Torp called “high subscriber intake.” The Swedish audiobook and e-book streaming company added 80,000 new subscribers in Nordic countries and 35,000 abroad. more »
with Brian Anderson
Children’s book author and nationally syndicated cartoonist Brian Anderson had more to say about Sophie, the dog at the heart of his popular comic, Dog eat Doug. He decided to expand it into a middle grade graphic novels series with the loveable Sophie winning over adults and children alike in the process. (Sponsored) MORE »
Deadline: Aug. 12. Issue: Oct. 6. Please pitch your best high-quality reissues, such as slipcased box sets and hardcover anniversary and special editions, that published or are publishing in 2025. Click here for more information. »
Spotify has expanded its Audiobooks+ add-on to the U.S. The feature lets Premium subscribers add 15 additional hours of audiobook listening each month for $11.99. more »
Since 2009, IndieReader—a platform founded by Amy Edelman—has been uplifting and supporting self-published and hybrid authors. Now, married couple Jared and Julia Drake (r.) have acquired IndieReader. more »
Publishers Weekly’s Flatiron office space, designed for hybrid work and convenient to public transport, is available for share or sublet. (Advertisement) more »
- Art Director - Callisto - Sourcebooks - Chicago, IL.
- Sales Director, National Accounts - Hachette Book Group - New York.
- Associate Director/Director, Sales Operations - Hachette Book Group - New York.
- Production Coordinator - Entangled Publishing.
- Production Manager, Union Square & Co - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY.
Job Moves
- Daniel Berkowitz has been promoted to VP of ad sales at Bookshop.org.
- Madeline Rohlin has been promoted to associate production director at PRH Corporate Bookmaking, supporting Penguin Publishing Group.
- Heather Haase has been promoted to associate managing editor at PRH Corporate Bookmaking, supporting Penguin Publishing Group.
- Gunjal Patel has been promoted to managing editor at PRH Corporate Publishing, supporting Penguin Young Readers.
- Liz Eno has been promoted to assistant director of art and design at PRH Corporate Bookmaking, supporting Random House Publishing Group and PRH Christian Publishing.
- Diane Hobbing has been promoted to assistant director of art and design at PRH Corporate Bookmaking, supporting Random House Publishing Group and PRH Christian Publishing.
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins is the #1 title on our adult hardcover nonfiction bestseller list. See the full list »
‘Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America’ by Beth Macy“Journalist and Dopesick author Macy poignantly interweaves her personal history with that of her decaying hometown in this perceptive account.... It’s a sobering journey into America’s splintered heartland.” more »
Picture of the Day
Husband and wife author duo Katy Helbacka (l.) and Andy Bennett (r.), who write as Jay Martel, were joined by author and moderator Lucie Anderson (c.) at a launch event for their newest book, Codebreaker (Wednesday Books), at Barnes & Noble at the Miller Hill Mall in Duluth, Minn., on July 22.
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That’s the Spirit!
Canadian authors may soon join the fray of U.S. and U.K. writers seeking copyright damages from AI companies, with Vancouver-based journalist J.B. MacKinnon filing class action lawsuits against Anthropic, Databricks, Meta, and Nvidia. We rounded up the fall season’s religion and spirituality book offerings and highlighted new books that take on the rise of Christian nationalism. The new priorities at the National Endowment for the Humanities are on full display in the agency’s latest cycle of grants. On Substack, Erik Hoel critiques the “literacy lag” among American children, and Gary Marcus argues that despite Big Tech’s forecasts, AI agents have so far proved mostly burdensome and incompetent. Naomi Alderman, Curtis Sittenfeld, and other authors talked with the Financial Times about the threats AI poses to the future of fiction publishing. Writer Beware raises flags about a new book marketing email scam that uses AI-generated insights to con authors. Cosmo shouts out Hasbro’s new party game based on Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing series. File 770 offers a peek into a little-known part of Hugo Award history. And trailblazing editor Ann Harris has died at 99.
J.B. MacKinnon of Vancouver has filed class action lawsuits against Anthropic, Databricks, Meta, and Nvidia, alleging they illegally used copyrighted works by Canadian writers to train their large language models. more »
This season, authors revisit familiar religious figures, contemplate Christian motherhood, and explore links between spirituality and the body. more »
Coming November 4th from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer, The House Saphir is the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before—a thrilling romantasy and murder mystery. (Sponsored) More »
The National Endowment for the Humanities has announced nearly $35 million in grants to support 97 projects, many of which celebrate the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary. The latest grant cycle includes the largest grant in agency history. more »
Random House nets Jennifer Galvão’s (pictured) debut novel of exile and complex relationships, Requited and Harper Voyager pick up two new titles in the still-hot romantasy category, Democratic senator John Fetterman’s memoir finds a home at Crown, and more in this week’s book deals. more »
YA thriller author Holly Jackson’s adult debut, Not Quite Dead Yet, is this month’s Good Morning America Book Club pick and #1 on our hardcover fiction list. Plus journalist Sophie Elmhirst recounts A Marriage at Sea, and success is in the cards for Elise Kova’s Arcana Academy. more »
Good things come to those who wait. Damien Vale didn’t, and now he’s bound to an Eldritch creature from beyond space. It has lived since the dawn of time and wants to be called Henry. Unusual companion or not, Damien is still determined to go to mage college to learn magic – and prevent the end of the world. A Light Novel series from Aethon & Vault! (Sponsored) More »
See what we published in this week’s print issue of Publishers Weekly, including our books in Spanish feature and more. »
Deadline: Aug. 12. Issue: Oct. 6. Please pitch your best high-end, illustrated gift books for adults—in art, architecture, design, fashion, media, photography, travel, etc.—that published or are publishing in 2025. Click here for more information. »
As Christian nationalism gains prominence in the U.S., new books from religion publishers warn of unprecedented threats to democracy and pluralism while shedding light on pathways for resistance. more »
In her memoir in verse, Knocking on Windows, a writer of biographies of remarkable women in history grapples with her own past and reflects on suffering sexual assault as a college freshman. PW spoke with Atkins about the writers who inspire her and about writing as a safe space for processing trauma. more »
- Sales Director, National Accounts - Hachette Book Group - New York.
- Associate Director/Director, Sales Operations - Hachette Book Group - New York.
- Production Coordinator - Entangled Publishing.
- Production Manager, Union Square & Co - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY.
- Designer - Children's Books - Sourcebooks.
Job Moves
- Erica Gelbard has joined Union Square as executive director of publicity.
- Michelle Malonzo has joined Sarabande Books as director of marketing and sales and can be contacted at michelle@sarabandebooks.org.
- Abby Stubenhofer is being promoted to senior marketing associate at Avery Books and Tarcher.
- Carla Iannone is being promoted to senior marketing manager at Avery Books and Tarcher.
- Viviana Moreno is being promoted to publicist at Avery Books and Tarcher.
- Alexandra Rauchfuss has joined ReaderLink as demand planner I.
- Matthew Lowe has joined ReaderLink as senior SQL server database administrator.
Awards News
- Sophie Castille Nominees Announced: Ryan Holmberg and Diana Schutz are among this year’s English-language nominees for the Sophie Castille Awards for Comics in Translation.
Bookstore News
- Cafe-Bookshop to Launch in Ohio: Swell is opening in Cincinnati later this summer, and will serve as space for drinks, books, performances, and art.
- Pennsylvania Bookshop to Shutter: On the Third Day in Pottstown is closing after 18 years under its current ownership.
Click here to join the conversation in PW's Facebook group for booksellers.
Our Latest Starred ReviewsCheck out all the books to receive starred reviews in PW that are hitting bookstore shelves this week. more »
An Inside Job by Daniel Silva is the #1 title on our adult hardcover fiction bestseller list. See the full list »
‘Herculine’ by Grace Byron“A brilliant addition to the growing genre of trans horror, Byron’s debut is narrated by an unnamed trans woman struggling to make it as a writer in New York City.... Byron proves an exciting new voice in horror fiction.” more »
An inside look at the publication process for the author’s latest novel. more »
Picture of the Day
On July 24, Hans Christian Andersen Medalist Sydney Smith (l.), Caldecott Medalist Brian Floca (c.), and Caldecott and Sibert Medalist Jason Chin (r.) appeared at bookshop-bistro Sullaluna in Manhattan for a conversation about their new picture books: Island Storm, written by Floca and illustrated by Smith, and Chin’s Hurricane (both Holiday House/Neal Porter).PW Daily Team: John Maher, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Eva Baron
PW News Team: John Maher, Ed Nawotka, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Jim Milliot, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Claire Kirch, Nathalie op de Beeck
To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com.
To submit an obituary, email obituaries@publishersweekly.com.
Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to John Maher.
Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to Joe Murray.
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below:
Publishers Weekly
49 West 23rd Street
Ninth Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone 212-377-5500
Copyright 2025, PWxyz, LLC. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and the PW Logo are trademarks of PWxyz, LLC.
PW News Team: John Maher, Ed Nawotka, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Jim Milliot, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Claire Kirch, Nathalie op de Beeck
To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com.
To submit an obituary, email obituaries@publishersweekly.com.
Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to John Maher.
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Copyright 2025, PWxyz, LLC. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and the PW Logo are trademarks of PWxyz, LLC.
| | | |
Prime Time
Amazon chalked up an 11% increase in online sales in Q2 to what the company said was its biggest Prime Day ever—though industry analysts are growing more concerned with its progress on the AI front than its consumer-facing operations. Author Kwame Alexander has launched One Word at a Time, a literacy nonprofit that plans to help connect children’s readers and authors and provide educational resources to school librarians. Plus, we’ve rounded up the biggest books for adults and young readers publishing this month. In the U.K., distribution issues have plagued HarperCollins and PRH’s The Book Service this summer, leaving some bookstores in the lurch, reports the Bookseller. The New York Times talked with nine writers and artists, including Geraldine Brooks and Art Spiegelman, about their experiences with censorship. A group of publishers in France including Crunchyroll, whose French and German operations were recently acquired by HarperCollins, has prevailed in getting a manga piracy site taken down, per Publishing Perspectives. The White House has set new tariff rates and deadlines for more than 65 countries, as well as the EU, reports NPR. And children’s author Allan Ahlberg has died at 87.
Despite concerns about consumer spending, Amazon’s online sales rose 11% in the second quarter thanks in part to what the retailer called its biggest Prime Day yet. But industry analysts made it clear they see the company’s future in the booming AI market. more »
The author of The Crossover and Black Star has launched a national literacy nonprofit, One Word at a Time, to inspire middle grade reading and connect kids with authors. “I want to be able to reach thousands of schools, show the power of poetry, and share my story,” Alexander said. more »
You won’t believe your eyes! Using unique technology, the full-color images inside each Photicular book are like 3D movies on the page, delivering a rich, fluid, immersive visual experience. Turn the pages again, and again, and again—the effect is dazzling, a mesmerizing adventure with wildlife in motion, right in the palm of your hand. (Sponsored) More »
A comprehensive list of the biggest adult books publishing this August. more »
A comprehensive list of the biggest children’s and YA books publishing this August. more »
The American Library Association announced July 30 that the Independent Book Publishers Association is now an ALA affiliate. ALA president Sam Helmick (l.) and IBPA CEO Andrea Fleck-Nisbet talked with PW about the significance of the alliance. more »
The graphic novelist and former Batman editor has launched his own production and creative services company, which will develop projects for film, TV, animation, and print. more »
IPG inks deals with four new publishers, Baker & Taylor Publisher Services inks agreements with Todo Press and Rocndog Books, and more. more »
In Water Mirror Echo (Mariner, Sept.), the journalist tells the story of actor and martial artist Bruce Lee’s rise to fame alongside the cultural history of Asian America. more »
- Designer - Children's Books - Sourcebooks.
- Associate Production Editor - Sourcebooks.
- Senior Editor - Hay House LLC - NY, NY.
- Managing Director of Finance and Operations - City Lights Books - San Francisco, CA.
- International Sales Associate, Latin America and Caribbean - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY.
Job Moves
- Erica Villa has joined Union Square as executive director of publicity.
- Nicole Fisher has joined Union Square as senior editor for cookbooks and lifestyle books.
- Eric Geron has joined Union Square Kids as senior editor for licensed books.
- Stacey Sundar has been promoted to administrator for creative services and resources at the Random House Children’s Books art department.
- Heather Mill is being promoted to associate director of backlist publicity at Penguin Publishing Group.
- Haley Brown has been promoted to junior production designer for reprint and proprietary design at Random House Children’s Books.
- Cassie Marini is being promoted to associate manager of backlist publishing at Penguin Publishing Group.
- Natalie Grant is being promoted to assistant editor at Pamela Dorman Books/Viking.
Bookstore News
- Horror Bookstore Relocates: San Antonio’s Ghoulish Books opened its new storefront in the city’s historic district on July 30.
Click here to join the conversation in PW's Facebook group for booksellers.
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins is #1 on our overall list this week. See the full list »
‘Listen’ by Sacha Bronwasser, trans. from the Dutch by David Colmer“Characters collide, bombs explode, and lives shatter in Dutch art critic Bronwasser’s arresting and kaleidoscopic English debut, narrated by a middle-aged woman named Marie.... This thought-provoking literary thriller offers a charcuterie board’s worth of rewards.” more »
Picture of the Day
Amanda Sellet (r.) celebrated the launch of her novel The Odds of Getting Even (St. Martin’s Griffin), a retelling of the classic screwball comedy The Lady Eve, with a screening of the 1941 film at Liberty Hall Cinema in Lawrence, Kans. The event was hosted in collaboration with the Raven Book Store, PW’s 2022 Bookstore of the Year. Sellet, who introduced the film, is joined here by author Sarah Henning (l.). | | | |
Comics Are King
Comics were once again the star of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con thanks in part to Hollywood largely sitting out the event. Speaking of comics, Dav Pilkey is adapting his Captain Underpants series into manga with the help of Japanese manga artist Motojiro. The political memoir–industrial complex is chugging along, with both Kamala Harris and John Fetterman set to release books this fall. Romantasy authors drew some of the largest crowds at SDCC, per KPBS, highlighting just how much of a cultural powerhouse the once-derided genre has become. Following the conclusion of the four-year copyright case over the Internet Archive’s scanning and lending of library books, the digital resource has been designated as a Federal Depository Library, joining a national network that holds and shares government documents with the public, reports KQED. In a possible conflict of interest, Booker Prize judge Sarah Jessica Parker is involved in a screen adaptation of Claire Adams’s Love Forms, which was longlisted for the award on Tuesday, reports the Guardian. The Financial Times dissects the infrastructure, impact, and outlook for AI data centers. And for the New York Review of Books, Rachel Kushner looks at the representation and legacy of incarceration in American literature.
At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, held July 23–27, comics took back their top spot in the Con’s pecking order thanks in part to fewer movie stars visiting Hall H. Comics sales were especially strong, with multiple publishers reporting it to be one of their most successful cons ever. more »
The latest entry in Scholastic’s Graphix manga line brings a familiar face to a new medium: Dav Pilkey is adapting his Captain Underpants chapter books into manga. Graphix will publish Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga, written and adapted by Pilkey and illustrated by the Japanese manga artist Motojiro, on April 7, 2026, simultaneously in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. more »
Jonathan Karp at Simon & Schuster preempted world, audio, and first serial rights to the former vice president’s memoir about her 2024 presidential campaign, 107 Days, from Kate Childs-Jones, Craig Gering, Mollie Glick, Sloan Harris, David Larabell, and Bryan Lourd at CAA. The book is set for September 23. more »
Matt Inman at Crown netted North American rights to the Pennsylvania senator’s memoir, Unfettered, from Eric Simonoff at WME. The book is slated for November 11. more »
The Academy will award $50,000 fellowships to 23 poets laureate across the U.S., while also providing more than $95,000 in matching grants to 21 local nonprofits collaborating with the 2025 fellows on their work. more »
The duo takes on the famed psychiatrist and anti-comics crusader Fredric Wertham in their new graphic novel, which offers a multifaceted portrait of a complex man who claimed that reading comics led to violence. more »
There’s nothing more classic than a monster comic—new graphic novels lurching out of the shadows this fall both delight in the expected tropes and run them out of town. more »
These comics that take on film in unusual ways, adapt unexpected features, or bring a filmmaker’s cinematic vision to the page promise to be worth the price of admission. more »
- Designer - Children's Books - Sourcebooks.
- Associate Production Editor - Sourcebooks.
- Senior Editor - Hay House LLC - NY, NY.
- Managing Director of Finance and Operations - City Lights Books - San Francisco, CA.
- International Sales Associate, Latin America and Caribbean - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY.
Job Moves
- Kemi Umogbai has been promoted to VP of finance at Macmillan.
- Kleopatra Benyam has been promoted to senior director of finance at Macmillan.
- Oui Wong has joined Macmillan as director of finance.
- Jenni Surasky has joined Macmillan as designer for Fablelistik.
- Cordia Leung has joined Macmillan as contracts associate.
- Cinthia Andrade has joined Macmillan as manager of social media content and central marketing.
- Laura Wheeler is being promoted to senior acquisitions editor at HarperCollins Christian.
Awards News
- Lambda Literary Awards Finalists: Alan Hollinghurst, Casey McQuiston, Morgan Parker, and Carl Phillips are among the 130 finalists across 26 categories for this year’s Lambda Literary Awards.
- Winners of the Colorado Book Awards: Barbara Nickless and Ian Patterson are among the five winners of this year’s Colorado Book Awards, presented by Colorado Humanities.
Bookstore News
- NYC Bookstore vs. Townhouse: Left Bank Books in the West Village is contending with a disruptive multimillion-dollar makeover of its neighboring townhouse, courtesy of the Soros family.
- Georgia Bookshop Adds Coffee to the Menu: Little Shop of Stories in Decatur is expanding its bookstore space to include a new coffee shop.
- New Bookstore Flies into Texas: Mockingbird Books has opened in Katy.
- L.A. Bookshop Hosts Book Drive: Skylight Books has teamed up with Altadena Girls on a back-to-school book drive for girls impacted by the Eaton fire.
- Miami Bookshop Only Sells En Español: Revistas y Periódicos has been open for 35 years and exclusively offers books, newspapers, and magazines in Spanish.
Click here to join the conversation in PW's Facebook group for booksellers.
Caught Up by Navessa Allen is the #1 title on our trade paperback bestseller list. See the full list »
‘Big Kiss, Bye-Bye’ by Claire-Louise Bennett“Bennett serves up a striking novel about a writer’s retreat into solitude in the aftermath of a love affair.... It’s an intellectual tour de force.” more »
Picture of the Day
On July 24, Kazim Ali (l.), Craig Thompson (c.), and Derek Kirk Kim (r.) attended the launch of 23rd St. Books during San Diego Comic-Con. Held at the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center, the event brought together authors, comics creators, and industry friends for an evening of food, drinks, and a sneak peek at the new adult graphic novel imprint.PW Daily Team: John Maher, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Eva Baron
PW News Team: John Maher, Ed Nawotka, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Jim Milliot, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Claire Kirch, Nathalie op de Beeck
To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com.
To submit an obituary, email obituaries@publishersweekly.com.
Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to John Maher.
Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to Joe Murray.
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below:
Publishers Weekly
49 West 23rd Street
Ninth Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone 212-377-5500
Copyright 2025, PWxyz, LLC. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and the PW Logo are trademarks of PWxyz, LLC.
PW News Team: John Maher, Ed Nawotka, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Jim Milliot, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Claire Kirch, Nathalie op de Beeck
To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com.
To submit an obituary, email obituaries@publishersweekly.com.
Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to John Maher.
Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to Joe Murray.
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below:
Publishers Weekly
49 West 23rd Street
Ninth Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone 212-377-5500
Copyright 2025, PWxyz, LLC. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and the PW Logo are trademarks of PWxyz, LLC.
| | | |
Studying Up
In the first six months of President Donald Trump’s second term, sales of books about authoritarianism have surged at indie bookstores across the country, with backlist titles such as Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny and Jason Stanley’s How Fascism Works flying off the shelves. With publishers and libraries at odds over e-book licensing’s long-term expense, a new platform called Briet is offering publishers a way to sell their e-books to libraries outright, rather than licensing them. The Federation of European Publishers has joined a number of organizations to file a formal objection to the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, passed last year, arguing it does not offer meaningful IP protections. Book Riot reminds advocates that Congress’s early recess creates more time to save the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences budget, and looks at the role that launch parties play in the current publishing landscape. The BBC offers a peek inside Penguin UK’s sprawling Northamptonshire warehouse, home to more than 1.5 million books. Lit Hub talked with Ed Park about his new short story collection, An Oral History of Atlantis. And poet Thomas Sayers Ellis and Brooklyn librarian Virginia Brooks Manbeck have died at 61 and 84, respectively.
Nonfiction titles exploring and explaining authoritarianism—especially Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny—are surging in popularity nationwide. more »
Briet, a new platform affiliated with the Brick House publishing cooperative, is inviting publishers to sell rather than license their e-books to libraries. Several independent publishers including PM Press, Sideshow, Silver Sprocket, and Punctum are on board. more »
James Crowley met his mortal end in a hail of gunfire. Now, he finds himself in purgatory, not quite undead, though not alive either, serving the White Throne to avoid falling to hell. His not-so-sacred duty as a Hand of God – a Black Badge? Use his new abilities to hunt down demonic beings that have infiltrated the mortal realm. For fans of Red Dead Redemption! (Sponsored) More »
The Federation of European Publishers is among a coalition of organizations that filed a formal complaint accusing the European Commission of having “sold out” the creative industries to AI companies. more »
The Book Club for Kids, a podcast where middle school readers discuss well-known books, gives children the mic. We spoke with host and executive producer Kitty Felde, who’s also the founder of independent Chesapeake Press, about connecting authors and their audiences. more »
Two women overcoming past traumas embark on a healing journey across continents in a novel about friendship, family, and rediscovery. Don’t miss the latest heartfelt read by Barbara O'Neal, the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids. (Sponsored) More »
The author’s first novel, Pick a Color (Little, Brown, Sept.), explores the rich and mysterious inner life of a nail salon owner. more »
I.V. Marie makes her entrance onto the YA scene with her debut fantasy novel Immortal Consequences, set at a school in the afterlife that acts as purgatory for its students. Marie spoke with us about the continuous pull of the dark academia genre, and how her relationship to grief inspired her novel. more »
- Designer - Children's Books - Sourcebooks.
- Associate Production Editor - Sourcebooks.
- Senior Editor - Hay House LLC - NY, NY.
- Managing Director of Finance and Operations - City Lights Books - San Francisco, CA.
- International Sales Associate, Latin America and Caribbean - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY.
Job Moves
- Sean Hynes, formerly SVP of sales at VTech, has joined Cottage Door Press as EVP of sales.
- Shane Hawk is joining Catapult as contributing editor.
- Bridget Kearney has joined the future of agency as operations manager and can be contacted at bridget@thefutureofagency.com.
Awards News
- Greathead Wins Gabe Hudson Prize: Kate Greathead’s novel The Book of George has won this year’s $10,000 Gabe Hudson Prize, administered by McSweeney’s.
- German Book Trade Peace Prize Winner: Author Karl Schlögel has won the 2025 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, presented by the German Publishers and Booksellers Association.
- Momentum Grant for Translators Winner: Melody Makeda Ledwon has won this year’s Momentum Grant for Early-Career Translators, presented by Words Without Borders.
Bookstore News
- Love Is in the Air in West Virginia: Miss Willa’s Bookshop, which is dedicated to the romance genre, opened in Charles Town last weekend.
Click here to join the conversation in PW's Facebook group for booksellers.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins is the #1 title on our children’s frontlist fiction bestseller list. See the full list »
‘The Midnight Knock’ by John Fram“And Then There Were None meets The Twilight Zone in Fram’s inventive latest.... Fram keeps even savvy readers guessing about where he’s headed next and manages to flesh out each member of the book’s large cast. The result is wickedly satisfying.” more »
Picture of the Day
On July 24, author and audiobook narrator Julia Whelan attended the Los Angeles premiere of the new Netflix film My Oxford Year, an adaptation of her 2018 novel of the same name (Morrow).
| | | |
Spring Slump
Despite some gains in digital formats, book sales in all major categories took a tumble in May, falling 7.5% across the board. HarperCollins president of sales Ed Spade will depart next month after four years with the company, during which he oversaw the revamp of its sales team. A group of senators has reintroduced a bipartisan bill that would empower creators and publishers to determine whether their copyrighted work has been used to train AI. X-rated novels are having a moment, according to the Guardian, and the Washington Post looks at how fanfiction, once a dirty secret among publishers, has wormed its way into bestseller lists. The Comics Journal chats with comics legends Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud about teaming up for their recent middle grade graphic novel, The Cartoonists Club. On Substack, publicist Kathleen Schmidt urges the book industry to pay attention to how the Trump administration is manipulating media regulation, warning that publishing could be next. And while the moderators behind the industry’s long-running blind item account @xoxopublishinggg seek successors, informants can also consider dropping our news team at PW a line—we always welcome anonymous tips.
Soft print sales led to a decline in all major categories in May with sales in the month falling 7.5% at the publishers that report results to AAP’s StatShot program. more »
Spade, who has served as president of sales at HarperCollins Publishers since 2023, will step down on August 15 after four years with the company. During his tenure, Spade oversaw a reorganization of the sales team and a return to profitability in 2024. more »
Vermont senator Peter Welch and three colleagues have reintroduced the Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act, legislation designed to help copyright holders determine whether their works were used to train AI. Publishing industry supporters include the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers. more »
In this new novel from Sadeqa Johnson, the New York Times bestselling author of The House of Eve and Yellow Wife, one American woman’s vision in post WWII Germany will tie together three people in unexpected ways. Coming February 2026. Start reading now! (Sponsored) More »
The online bookselling platform reported 65% year-over-year growth for the first six months of 2025. After introducing e-books in January, sales for the category have topped $1 million and now represent 5% of sales, said Bookshop.org CEO Andy Hunter. more »
This year’s longlist comprises 13 novels by authors representing nine different nationalities. Among the longlisted titles are Susan Choi’s Flashlight, Katie Kitamura’s Audition, and David Szalay’s Flesh. more »
Spotify’s “Read Like You Listen” summer marketing campaign riffs on typical music promotions to encourage people to listen to a audiobooks as they would music. The company is promoting seven titles, including Tina Knowles’s Matriarch and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Atmosphere. more »
Discover Stephen Sondheim’s lesser-known passion for designing puzzles, games, and treasure hunts. Featuring rare materials, interviews, and interactive challenges, this book reveals how his “puzzler’s mind” brought joy, clarity, and connection to friends, fans, and anyone fascinated by his genius. (Sponsored) More »
Deadline: Aug. 18. Issue: Oct. 13. This feature will delve into darkness—horror, gothic fiction, dark academia, dark fantasy, etc. Separately, we’re interested in fantasies that star lady knights. Pub dates: mid-Oct. 2025 through mid-Apr. 2026. Click here for more information. »
The Book Industry Charitable Foundation has announced the 11 recipients of two scholarships aimed at supporting professional development and diversity in bookselling. more »
The author of On Book Banning, a literary critic and associate professor at the University of Toronto, spoke about censorship battles in North America and book banning efforts from the political right and left. more »
Job Moves
- Julie MacKay, formerly senior lead of audiobook strategy at Audible, has joined Created by Humans as head of business development.
Bookstore News
- Books and Records Unite in Vermont: Antidote Books and Records is slated to open in Washington Square next month.
- Family-Owned Bookshop Comes to Ohio: Dragonfly Bookshop will open in Hilliard this fall.
Click here to join the conversation in PW's Facebook group for booksellers.
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins is the #1 title on our adult hardcover nonfiction bestseller list. See the full list »
‘The Radical Fund: How a Band of Visionaries and a Million Dollars Upended America’ by John Fabian Witt“Pulitzer finalist Witt unearths the nearly forgotten history of the American Fund for Public Service, an endowment that, for roughly two decades, brought together a network of activists united in their belief that ‘American institutions needed to be radically remade.’... It’s an immense and essential achievement.” more »
Picture of the Day
On July 22, Chronicle Books hosted a fall 2025 preview for Bay Area children’s booksellers and librarians at its San Francisco headquarters. At the event, author Sherri Duskey Rinker (r.) signed copies of the forthcoming special edition of her 2013 picture book, Steam Train Dream Train—and had the chance to meet one of her youngest readers.PW Daily Team: John Maher, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Eva Baron
PW News Team: John Maher, Ed Nawotka, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Jim Milliot, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Claire Kirch, Nathalie op de Beeck
To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com.
To submit an obituary, email obituaries@publishersweekly.com.
Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to John Maher.
Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to Joe Murray.
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below:
Publishers Weekly
49 West 23rd Street
Ninth Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone 212-377-5500
Copyright 2025, PWxyz, LLC. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and the PW Logo are trademarks of PWxyz, LLC.
PW News Team: John Maher, Ed Nawotka, Sophia Stewart, Sam Spratford, Jim Milliot, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Claire Kirch, Nathalie op de Beeck
To submit pictures of the day, email pics@publishersweekly.com.
To submit an obituary, email obituaries@publishersweekly.com.
Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to John Maher.
Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to Joe Murray.
For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below:
Publishers Weekly
49 West 23rd Street
Ninth Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone 212-377-5500
Copyright 2025, PWxyz, LLC. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and the PW Logo are trademarks of PWxyz, LLC.
| | | |
Drawing Interest
The 37th annual Eisner Awards celebrated the past, present, and future of the comics industry at San Diego Comic-Con, honoring Tessa Hulls, Joe Sacco, and Gene Luen Yang, among others, as well as longtime awards administrator Jackie Estrada, who announced her retirement at the ceremony. Three former employees of the ill-fated U.K.-based crowdfunding publisher Unbound have joined forces to launch Tiger Team Creative, a new venture offering “bespoke services for independent authors and publishers.” Film and TV professionals in the U.K. and Europe will now have access to Ingram’s MediaScout, a database with rights information for more than two million books. Gizmodo explores how AI could transform, eliminate, and even introduce new forms of forced labor as it displaces the model of work that has structured society for centuries. Comics publishers and retailers debunked the claim that Trump’s tariffs promote American industry and dissected their impact on consumer goods at a San Diego Comic-Con panel, reports the Beat. The Guardian argues that mounting literary censorship in Russia offers grave lessons for the U.S., and the New Yorker revisits the semi-fabricated cookbook that revolutionized culinary writing. The Brooklyn Public Library’s Moomin exhibit is introducing the work of Tove Jansson to a new generation, per the New York Times. And for Zona Motel, Juliet Escoria offers a rousing defense of author readings.
Tessa Hulls’ Feeding Ghosts, Joe Sacco’s The War on Gaza, and Gene Luen Yang (pictured l.) and LeUyen Pham’s Lunar New Year Love Story won big at the 37th annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, held July 25 at San Diego Comic-Con. The ceremony also celebrated the retirement of longtime award administrator Jackie Estrada. more »
Former Unbound head of rights Ilona Chavasse (bottom l.), publicity director Rina Gill (top l.), and marketing manager Divia Kainth have teamed to launch Tiger Team Creative. Unbound, a U.K.-based crowdfunding publisher, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. more »
Ingram Content Group has expanded MediaScout, its film and television rights discovery service, to the U.K. and Europe. The platform allows media professionals to search across a database of 2.4 million book titles for rights information. more »
From the author of the international bestseller Schott's Original Miscellany comes a visually rich book that breaks down the colorful language and systems of signs that make up the vocabulary of our world. The perfect gift for anyone who loves language and culture. (Sponsored) More »
William Morrow wins Melissa Albert’s (pictured) tale of two children written into their parent’s fantasy novels, George Saunders returns to Random House with his next surreal offering, and more in this week’s book deals. more »
Daniel Silva’s latest Gabriel Allon thriller, An Inside Job, pleases New England readers, while ArnieTex, by debut cookbook author and pitmaster Arnie Segovia, takes the gold medal in the West South Central territory. Plus new fantasies get cozy on our list. more »
A New York federal court sided with the Authors Guild in a class action lawsuit filed this May, ruling that the termination of 1,400 grants to scholars and authors by the National Endowment for the Humanities and DOGE was likely unlawful. more »
Five years after launching, Astra House has established itself as a literary force, winning major prizes and building a reputation for debut fiction and narrative nonfiction. Publisher Ben Schrank reflects on the company’s evolution, current strategy, and future plans. more »
See what we published in this week’s print issue of Publishers Weekly, including our fall religion and spirituality preview and more. »
Cushing has joined Sourcebooks from Macmillan, where she was associate director of sales, in the newly created role of director of sales strategy. more »
McWilliams, author of The Life and Poetry of Frank Stanford, discusses the larger-than-life Southern poet who died in 1978 at age 29 and why his work deserves wider recognition beyond its cult following. more »
Publishers Weekly’s Flatiron office space, designed for hybrid work and convenient to public transport, is available for share or sublet. (Advertisement) more »
- Associate Publicist/Publicist - Pegasus Books - New York, NY.
- Associate Production Editor - Sourcebooks.
- Senior Editor - Hay House LLC - NY, NY.
- Managing Director of Finance and Operations - City Lights Books - San Francisco, CA.
- International Sales Associate, Latin America and Caribbean - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY.
Job Moves
- Mirabelle Korn has been promoted to senior art and entertainment editor at Chronicle.
- Emily Malter has been promoted to sales manager for ecommerce and digital merchandising at Chronicle.
- Allyn Savage has joined Chronicle as trade sales coordinator.
- Erynn Im-Sato has joined Chronicle as senior sales manager for Amazon and digital.
Awards News
- Cundill History Prize Longlist: Tiya Miles and Sophia Rosenfeld are among the 15 longlisted authors for this year’s Cundill History Prize, presented by McGill University in Montreal.
Bookstore News
- Mother-Daughter Duo Opens Texas Bookshop: The Plot Twist, a bookstore-boutique fusion, opened in Midland last week.
- New Bookstore Lands in New York: Literally Books is the first bookstore to open in New Paltz’s Water Street Market in more than 25 years.
- Bookshop Soft Launches in Pennsylvania: The Raven’s End in Oil City had its trial run this past weekend and is slated to officially open in August.
Click here to join the conversation in PW's Facebook group for booksellers.
Our Latest Starred ReviewsCheck out all the books to receive starred reviews in PW that are hitting bookstore shelves this week. more »
An Inside Job by Daniel Silva is the #1 title on our adult hardcover fiction bestseller list. See the full list »
‘Bad Bad Girl’ by Gish Jen“The astute and revelatory latest from Jen recounts the author’s tumultuous relationship with her Shanghai-born mother, Loo Shu-Hsin, and offers a fictionalized version of Loo’s early life.... This is striking.” more »
An inside look at the publication process for the author’s latest novel. more »
Picture of the Day
Stacey Abrams (r.) celebrated the launch of Coded Justice (Doubleday), the next thriller in her Avery Keene series, on July 25 at Sixth & I in Washington, D.C., featuring a conversation with former librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.
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