This week's publishing news post covers 5/17-5/30. It's been a busy couple of weeks this time around!
Publishing News
In the Amazon vs Hachette battle, Amazon posts a blog announcing they are in fact officially purchasing fewer Hachette titles and do not see a resolution coming soon between the two companies. To mitigate the effect on authors, they offer to help pay 50% of an "author pool" to go to affected authors if Hachette pays the other 50% (similar to what was done for Macmillan authors in the past). Amazon further escalates the battle by removing pre-order buttons from Hachette novels, substituting e-mail sign-ups "for when the book is in stock." At first they claimed this was a reation to Hachette's been slow filling orders, but the blog makes it official that it's a negotiation tactic. Hachette responds to Amazon's blog with a comment that Amazon's actions aren't for the common good, and they will negotiate with Amazon afterward when the actual damages to authors can be evaluated. Both companies couch their exchanges in positive descriptions of their previous interactions. The Washington Post (disclosure: owned by Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO) also reports some authors have mentioned raises in the prices of their books.
In the DOJ vs Apple lawsuit, US attorneys argue that the ruling against Apple should be reaffirmed and the verdict should stand and not be appealed.
Self-publishing online platform Smashwords and digital library Overdrive reach an agreement to help put self-published books in libraries.
In the Open Road vs HarperCollins case over the e-book rights to Julie of the Wolves, HarperCollins seeks an injunction barring Open Road from continuing to sell the e-books. The trial ruled that HarperCollins owns the digital rights to the book, but Open Road is seeking an appeal and for now continues to sell the digital book.
Goodreads adds an "Ask the Author" feature through which readers may submit questions to authors.
Publishers Weekly integrates reviews for self-published books into their regular reviews. They also start BookLife, a self-publishing platform.
Target pairs up with Librify to begin offering e-books for sale with in-store displays.
Industry Blogs
QueryTracker's Publishing Pulse for 5/16, 5/23, and 5/30.
On QueryTracker, Sarah Pinneo discusses what an author should do when her (or his) publisher merges.
Editor Jordan London explains how editors go about making offers on books--what happens between them first being interested until they make the offer.
Agent Janet Reid gives advice and answers questions. If a rejection from an agency without a submission pool uses "we," does that mean it's been rejected by all the agents? (Sometimes agents use the "royal" we for rejections. It may be find to query a different agent.) If your manuscript is rejected, is it a good idea to publish it on FictionPress for critique? (No, Reid thinks it's a terrible idea.)
And Reid advises that you do not call your novel "a literary product," do not use incomprehensible sentences, and do not compare yourself to the greats. Also avoid overly formal introductions, don't describe women solely by looks and men by actions, and don't tell the agent you like to read.
Agent Rachelle Gardner talks about what happens when an author strongly disagrees with the editor. She also offers 11 tips for crafting the perfect pitch.
Agent Kristin Nelson shares the top culprits for why agents stop reading manuscripts.
On the Editor's Blog, a checklist for cleaning up a manuscript. Also, a list for spelling interjections and common onomatopoeias.
8 tips for writers using Pinterest on Social Media for Writers.
On the Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal Blog, Elysa Hendricks discusses plot, what it is and what forms it comes in.
A new site offers poetry read by famous people, available for listening to online for free, or downloading for a fee.
Publishers Weekly documents the speculation at BookExpo America on if anyone in the current market can stand against Amazon's powerful influence, and the fears that there may soon be few brick-and-mortar retailers. Smashwords CEO Mark Coker also weighs in with his opinion.
Trying to decide between indie or traditional publishing? Erik Wecks has a nice infographic comparing them.
Time Magazine looks at the growing numbers of interracial romance novels in recent years, reflecting a diverse society. Time also reports on the dropping of American books from the UK curriculum.
What other publishing news have you encountered in the past two weeks?
Publishing News
In the Amazon vs Hachette battle, Amazon posts a blog announcing they are in fact officially purchasing fewer Hachette titles and do not see a resolution coming soon between the two companies. To mitigate the effect on authors, they offer to help pay 50% of an "author pool" to go to affected authors if Hachette pays the other 50% (similar to what was done for Macmillan authors in the past). Amazon further escalates the battle by removing pre-order buttons from Hachette novels, substituting e-mail sign-ups "for when the book is in stock." At first they claimed this was a reation to Hachette's been slow filling orders, but the blog makes it official that it's a negotiation tactic. Hachette responds to Amazon's blog with a comment that Amazon's actions aren't for the common good, and they will negotiate with Amazon afterward when the actual damages to authors can be evaluated. Both companies couch their exchanges in positive descriptions of their previous interactions. The Washington Post (disclosure: owned by Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO) also reports some authors have mentioned raises in the prices of their books.
In the DOJ vs Apple lawsuit, US attorneys argue that the ruling against Apple should be reaffirmed and the verdict should stand and not be appealed.
Self-publishing online platform Smashwords and digital library Overdrive reach an agreement to help put self-published books in libraries.
In the Open Road vs HarperCollins case over the e-book rights to Julie of the Wolves, HarperCollins seeks an injunction barring Open Road from continuing to sell the e-books. The trial ruled that HarperCollins owns the digital rights to the book, but Open Road is seeking an appeal and for now continues to sell the digital book.
Goodreads adds an "Ask the Author" feature through which readers may submit questions to authors.
Publishers Weekly integrates reviews for self-published books into their regular reviews. They also start BookLife, a self-publishing platform.
Target pairs up with Librify to begin offering e-books for sale with in-store displays.
Industry Blogs
QueryTracker's Publishing Pulse for 5/16, 5/23, and 5/30.
On QueryTracker, Sarah Pinneo discusses what an author should do when her (or his) publisher merges.
Editor Jordan London explains how editors go about making offers on books--what happens between them first being interested until they make the offer.
Agent Janet Reid gives advice and answers questions. If a rejection from an agency without a submission pool uses "we," does that mean it's been rejected by all the agents? (Sometimes agents use the "royal" we for rejections. It may be find to query a different agent.) If your manuscript is rejected, is it a good idea to publish it on FictionPress for critique? (No, Reid thinks it's a terrible idea.)
And Reid advises that you do not call your novel "a literary product," do not use incomprehensible sentences, and do not compare yourself to the greats. Also avoid overly formal introductions, don't describe women solely by looks and men by actions, and don't tell the agent you like to read.
Agent Rachelle Gardner talks about what happens when an author strongly disagrees with the editor. She also offers 11 tips for crafting the perfect pitch.
Agent Kristin Nelson shares the top culprits for why agents stop reading manuscripts.
On the Editor's Blog, a checklist for cleaning up a manuscript. Also, a list for spelling interjections and common onomatopoeias.
8 tips for writers using Pinterest on Social Media for Writers.
On the Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal Blog, Elysa Hendricks discusses plot, what it is and what forms it comes in.
A new site offers poetry read by famous people, available for listening to online for free, or downloading for a fee.
Publishers Weekly documents the speculation at BookExpo America on if anyone in the current market can stand against Amazon's powerful influence, and the fears that there may soon be few brick-and-mortar retailers. Smashwords CEO Mark Coker also weighs in with his opinion.
Trying to decide between indie or traditional publishing? Erik Wecks has a nice infographic comparing them.
Time Magazine looks at the growing numbers of interracial romance novels in recent years, reflecting a diverse society. Time also reports on the dropping of American books from the UK curriculum.
What other publishing news have you encountered in the past two weeks?
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ReplyDeleteThank you very much for the news. You professionally explained the matter, and many facts were new for me. Keep on the same best work.
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