Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blog Posts of the Week 5/25-5/29

number_5_redEvery week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

Why don’t books from a woman’s perspective win awards?

How are children’s publishers embracing digital as a way to make print books more special?

Why didn’t color e-paper catch on as a trend when e-readers were first developing?

What should book reviewers be doing to ensure more diverse books are being reviewed?

Why is curation important for publishers in a digital world where readers can act as their own gatekeepers?

 

Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blog Posts of the Week 5/18-5/22

number_5_redEvery week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

Should literary magazines stop charging writers to submit their work?

What are the positives and negatives of a single epub workflow?

What are the most successful ways to sell books direct-to-consumer?

Why are there so many long novels being published this year?

The Millions takes a look at the history of colloquial book and short story titles.

 

People Round-Up, Mid-May 2015

PEOPLE

Gail Gonzales is joining Rodale on June 15th as VP, Associate Publisher in the Trade Books division, replacing Kristin Kiser. Gonzales has been at Simon & Schuster as Director of Integrated Marketing.

Harper Children’s President and Publisher Susan Katz is retiring after 30 years with the company.  Suzanne Murphy has been hired as her successor.  She was previously VP, Publisher at Disney Book Group.

Philip Ruppel joined Phaidon as COO.  He was President of McGraw-Hill Education’s professional division.

There have been a number of key changes at Perseus. Kristin Kiser joined Running Press as VP, Publisher, beginning on May 20.  She was formerly VP, Deputy Publisher at Rodale. Charles Regan is now Academic Director, Client Services at Perseus Books Group.  Formerly, he was Manager of Sales Development for Global Research and Education at John Wiley & SonsBen Platt joined Basic Books as Editor.  He was Associate Editor at Penguin Press.

Michael McKenzie will become Executive Director of Publicity at Algonquin Books at the end of May.  Previously, he was Senior Director of Publicity at Ecco/Harper.

Melanie Denardo joined Random House as Associate Director of Publicity.  She was previously Deputy Director of Publicity at Henry Holt. Emily Cunningham will join Penguin Press as Editor at the beginning of June.  Previously, she was Editor at Harper. Colleen Lindsay left her position as Associate Director, Marketing, Social Media, & Reader Experience at Berkley/NAL. She can be reached at colleen.lindsay@gmail.com.  Stephanie Bowen joined Perigee Books as Senior Editor. She was Senior Editor at SourcebooksMaria Gagliano has left her position as Senior Editor at Portfolio to pursue freelance editorial work.  She can be reached at mvgagliano@gmail.com. Patrick Lee joined Crown as Data Analyst.  He previously held the same title at Fluent, Inc.

In other children’s publishing news, Atheneum Editorial Director Caitlyn Dlouhy has started her own imprint within the company, called Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. She will continue as VP Editorial Director of Atheneum.. .  . Ksenia Winnicki joined Simon & Schuster Children’s as Publicist.  Previously, she was Publicist at Macmillan’s Children’s Publishing Group. . . Zoe Luderitz is now Senior Marketing Manager at Candlewick. She was formerly Content Manager at Alibris.

Eric Nuzum will leave his position as VP of Programming at NPR in June in order to join Audible as SVP of Original Content Development.

Rob Kirkpatrick is joining Dey Street Books as Senior Editor.  Formerly, he was Senior Editor at Thomas Dunne Books. Also at Harper, Ruchir Pandya is now Senior Pricing Analyst. He was previously Revenue Management Analyst at JetBlue Airways.

Larry Dorfman joined Capstone Publishing as Trade Sales Manager. He will be working for the Minnesota based publisher from his home in Connecticut.  He was most recently Business Development Manager at The Waterford Press.

The Booker Prize Foundation appointed Gaby Wood Literary Director, succeeding Ion Trewin, who passed away in April.  Wood was Head of Books at the Daily Telegraph.  She will continue to contribute to the newspaper.

Emily Logan joined Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as Specialty Retail Sales Manager.  She was previously Sales and Marketing Director at America’s Test Kitchen.

Erica Gordon-Mallin is now Acquisitions Editor at Skyhorse.  She was Senior Editor at Moseley Road.

Kait Heacock joined The Feminist Press as Publicist.  She was previously Publicist at The Overlook Press. Clarissa Wong has joined as Editor.  She was Assistant Editor at Disney Publishing Worldwide.

At literary agencies, Melissa Carrigee, Johnnie Bernhard, and Mary Ellen Gavin are now agents at Loiacono Literary Agency. Carrigee is a Freelance Writer for Gulf Coast Parents & Kids Magazine and a Teacher, Bernhard was previously a teacher and journalist, and Gavin is also a teacher and writer. . . Monica Odom joined Bradford Literary Agency as Agent.  Previously, she was Associate Agent and Manager at Liza Dawson Associates. . . Bree Ogden joined Red Sofa Literary as Agent.  She was formerly Agent at D4EO Literary Agency.

Ray A. Griffith is now President and CEO of the Follett Corporation.  He was previously CEO of Ace Hardware. The preceding President and CEO, Mary Lee Schneider, is leaving after three years in the position.

Michael DeMonico is now CBA Sales Manager at Bookmasters. Previously, he was National Sales Manager at Franciscan Media, LLC.

At university presses, Janice Audet joined Harvard University Press as Executive Editor, Life Sciences.  Formerly, she was Publisher, Fundamental Life Sciences at Academic Press/Elsevier. . . Cambridge University Press has laid off more than 60 people in its New York office.

Robert Darnton will be retiring from his position as Chief Librarian and Co-Creator of the Digital Public Library of America at Harvard University this summer.

At bookstores, Michelle Axelson is the new Owner of the feminist independent bookstore Womencrafts.  The previous owner Kathryn Livelli will stay on to guide Axelson as the shop changes hands. . . Chad Bunning will become Retail and Operations Manager of the Rizzoli Bookstore, which will open this summer.  He was most recently General Manager of BookCourt.  Additionally, Chris Pangborn will be Head Buyer.  He was Backlist Buyer and Head Merchandiser at Shakespeare & Co.

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Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blog Posts of the Week 5/11-5/15

number_5_redEvery week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

Why is the book business in Brazil not booming anymore?

Do consumers regularly upgrade to newer models of ereaders?

Is self-publishing becoming more mainstream, and less stigmatized?

Why do female writers rarely win awards for their translated works?

Booknet Canada made an infographic depicting the state of digital publishing in Canada in 2014.

For What It’s Worth: Fixed Book Price in Foreign Book Markets

Editor’s note: This post originally appeared on Publishing Trendsetter.

Earlier this year, France made publishing news headlines when its court ruled ebook subscription services like Kindle Unlimited illegal. The law cited was the Lang Law, which gives publishers the exclusive right to set the price of a book. Retailers are not allowed to discount more than 5 percent from this set price.

You may be thinking, A measly 5 percent? Here in the United States, we’re used to seeing 50 percent or more slashed off our books. Price fixing in general is regarded as suspect and is, in fact, legally so. The Department of Justice sued Apple and the five Big Six publishers when they tried to set ebook prices through agency pricing. (To clarify, agency pricing itself isn’t illegal; that the companies coordinated with each other to set prices is.)

But in other parts of the world, price fixing is even welcomed— especially when it comes to books. Many countries have a fixed book price (FBP) system like France’s Lang Law.

An FBP system is an arrangement between publishers and retailers that establishes a (more or less) fixed price for each book sold in that market. Because retailers can’t compete on price, big box stores and online retailers have less advantage in the market, and independent bookstores have more opportunity to thrive. This diversity in the distribution network, in turn, is supposed to promote bibliodiversity. An FBP system assumes that variety— in booksellers and in books— is necessary for nurturing a healthy reading culture.

In practice, FBP systems look different from country to country. In some countries, FBP is a law; in others, it’s a trade agreement. Other variables include duration, discount rate, and format. For example, how long after publication does the fixed priced apply? What, if any, is the maximum discount allowed? Are ebooks included?

Among countries with a major publishing industry, FBP is somewhat common. Below is a list of the 23 largest book markets (according to the Frankfurt Book Fair Business Club) and their current FBP practice (collected from various sources).

FBP Chart FINAL

*The original source lists Russia as both the 12th and 19th largest book market.

But this doesn’t necessarily reflect the history or the future of FBP in these countries. Sweden and Australia, for example, were earlier adopters, but both abolished their FBP systems in the 1970s. Switzerland worked to revive their FBP system, until it failed in a referendum in 2012. Mexico signed an FBP law in 2008, but without provisions for enforcement it hasn’t done much except create chaos. Poland drafted a bill for an FBP system in late 2013; more than two years later, it’s still in the works.

What makes some countries say no and others say yes to fixing their book prices?

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Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blog Posts of the Week 5/4-5/8

number_5_redEvery week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

What has the rise of self-publishing done for freelance editors?

The May Author Earnings report illustrates how agency pricing has affected bestseller lists.

Beyond the ebook sample, should publishers give away free content to gain more customers?

What would a single stream digital market for e-commerce mean for ebook sales in the UK?

Should companies keep novelists on staff?

Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blog Posts of the Week 4/27-5/1

number_5_redEvery week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

Can pay what you want work as a sales model for ebooks?

Audiobook sales have doubled over the last five years in the UK, according to the Publishers Association.

Is editorial independence hurting publishers by preventing cohesion between publishers and editors?

Are ebook sales in a slump because four of the Big Five are using agency pricing?

Is marketing to fans instead of consumers the best way to increase book sales?

International Bestsellers, April 2015

Every month, Publishing Trends runs fiction international bestsellers lists from four territories–France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. This month, our four regular territories are joined by two more: Argentina and Greece. Those books that have been published in English are listed with their official English-language title. All others are translated as literally as possible from the original. Where applicable, the US publisher is listed after the local publisher, separated by a “/”. The lists are taken from major newspapers or national retailers, which are noted at the bottom of each list.

BestsellerApr2015.France

BestsellerApr2015Germany2

BestsellerApr2015 Italy

BestsellerApr2015.Spain

BestsellerArgentinaApr2015

BestsellerApr2015Greece

People Round-Up, Late April 2015

Editor’s Note: Looking for an office in Manhattan? Market Partners International currently has a space available in its office near Grand Central Terminal. For more information, please email info@marketpartnersinternational.com.

PEOPLE

Allison Devlin will join Time Inc. Books on May 4th as Associate Publisher.  She was most recently Marketing Director and Acting Publisher at Running PressSusan Weinberg will serve as Acting Publisher of Running Press on an interim basis when Devlin leaves.

Simon Tasker has joined Readerlink as VP Publisher juvenile proprietary and Silver Dolphin, in its Printers Row Publishing Group. He was most recently VP, Product Development at Disney Publishing Worldwide.

Mary Faria is now VP, Mass Merchandising Sales at Perseus Books Group. She was previously Director of Sales at Becker and Mayer.

Peter Brantley will become Director of Online Strategy at University of California, Davis, University Library.  He was Director of Digital Library Applications at the New York Public Library.

At university presses: David Goldberg will join MIT Press as Sales Manager in May.  Previously, he was Sales and Marketing Director at David R. Godine, Publisher. . . Scot Kuehn is now Associate Director and CFO at Princeton University Press. Formerly, he was CFO at Mars International. . . Clay Farr is now Executive Director of Publishing Services for University of North Carolina Press affiliate Longleaf PressLisa Stallings has also joined Longleaf as Editorial, Design, and Production Manager.  Farr was previously Associate Editor at Basic Books and Stallings was most recently a Production Consultant.

Dallas Middaugh is now Head of Brand and Community at anime digital platform Crunchyroll.  He was Senior Director at Penguin Random House Publisher Services.

Michael Yeon joined Open Road Integrated Media as VP, Marketing.  He was previously VP, Marketing at Grooveshark.

Christina Hu is now Associate Marketing Director at Blue Rider Press. Formerly, she was Senior Marketing Manager at Atavist Books.

Gabrielle Gantz joined Palgrave as Associate Director of Publicity. She was previously Director of Publicity at McSweeney’s.

Elias Altman joined Zachary Shuster Harmsworth as Agent. He was previously Senior Editor at Lapham’s Quarterly.

In children’s, Morgan Parker joined Little A as Editor, acquiring fiction and poetry. Formerly, she was Education Director at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) and Poetry Editor of Coconut Magazine and The Offing. . . Siena Koncsol is now Publicity Manager at Harlequin Teen. She was Publicist at S&S Children’s.

Liz Ridout joined Booktrack as Chief Marketing Officer.  Previously, she was VP, Marketing at Kobo.  Cameron Drew is now VP, Publishing.  He formerly was Head of Content at BitLit and Director of Global Content Acquisition at Kobo.

Mia Amato joined Start Publishing as Marketing Director, where she will oversee the print and digital marketing for the Cleis Press and Viva Editions imprints.  She was previously Commercial Manager, Digital at Parragon.

Kait Neese is now Midwest Account Manager at Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.  She was most recently VP of Publish on Demand Global and Director of Best Selling Books Rights Agency.

Bridget Kinsella joined New Harbinger Publications as Publicist.  Previously, she was a book industry Journalist for several publications.

Irv Myers left his position as President at New Leaf Distributing Co. He can be reached at irvmyers@hotmail.com.

Jon M. Sweeney will join Catholic multimedia and book publisher Franciscan Media in August as Editorial Director, Franciscan Media Books.  Formerly, he was Editor-in-Chief and Publisher at Paraclete Press.

Kevin Watt joined Business Development Director at Kortext.  He was previously Head of Sales for the UK, Ireland, Northern Europe, and South Africa at McGraw-Hill Education.

BookBrunch Co-Founder Liz Thomson has left the company to pursue musical interests.

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