Getting Down to Business
By Densie Webb | December 7, 2024 |
Publishing news was on overdrive in November. AI was back in the headlines as Spines, a publishing startup, plans to disrupt the publishing industry with AI and flood the market with books in 2025. A Dutch publisher will be using AI to translate books to English, and Microsoft is dipping its toes in the publishing waters, saying it’s going to use technology to accelerate and democratize publishing in the areas of technology, science, and business. Scribd-Evernd is going the way of Kindle Unlimited, i.e. there is a subscription option. Book bans are accelerating and the push back is strengthening. That publishing would be even more affected by politics beyond book bans, is beginning to feel inevitable. Hachette raised the ire of employees by launching two imprints to be led by Thomas Spence, a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, the publishers of Project 2025. Booktok, a bastion of freewheeling book talk now has red lists circulating. Despite all this, the Association of American Publishers says that publishing in the US is up 7% for the year. Read on for more publishing juice.
AI
Dutch publisher will use AI to translate books into English
HarperCollins is selling their authors’ work to AI
Is it becoming push-button publishing?
Microsoft launches its own imprint to “speed up” traditional book publishing
Audiobooks
Scribd-Everand now offers unlimited ebook subscription
Bloomsbury’s audiobook catalogue now available with Spotify Premium
Book Bans
PEN America’s new book banning report, before the election
The many branches of censorship
Everylibrary warns that the election results mean more uncertainty for the future of libraries
PEN America reports that school bans are surging
Florida schools have removed more than 700 books from school libraries
Authors Against Book Bans has formed a coalition across the US to fight book bans
Authors Guild Banned Books Club: Read a banned book each month
Book News
Things to make you feel positive about book culture in general
Book Promotion
What publishing can learn from the election
Book Stores
Barnes & Noble is still opening new stores
Diversity
Why representation in publishing matters
Literary Agencies
Georgia Bodnar has launched her own agency Noyan Literary. She was previously with UTA
Politics
McMillian Marketing VP’s election post stirs anger
Even Booktok has become politicized, creating red lists
Trump threatens New York Times, Penguin Random House over critical coverage
Hachette Book Group US expands Basic Books Group with 2 conservative imprints
Publishers
Seoul-based company develops tactile comics for the sight-impaired
Publishers Weekly salary jobs report
Brooklyn-based small publisher, Under the BQE Press, launched on September 24
Association of American Publishers says US publishing up 7% for the year
Self Publishing
Output and influence of self publishing is growing
Have you experienced any negative effects as a result of politicization of any aspect of writing/publishing?
Densie Webb has spent a long career as a freelance nonfiction writer and editor, specializing in health and nutrition and has published several books and tons of articles on the topic over the years. She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and Red Adept Publishing released her debut women’s fiction novel titled, “When Robins Appear” in 2020. It is available in ebook, audiobook, and paperback formats. Her second novel, best categorized as romantic/domestic suspense, “Breathing in Reverse” was published in 2023, also with Red Adept Publishing. She is currently working (but not fast enough) on novel #3. She grew up in Louisiana, spent 13 years in New York, and settled in Austin, TX, where it’s summer nine months of the year. She’s an avid walker (not of the dead variety, though she loves anything to do with zombies, vampires, or post-apocalyptic worlds), drinks way too much coffee, and has a small “devil dog” that keep her on her toes. And she is thrilled to be a part of the Writer Unboxed family!
Hi, Densie. Been meaning to comment for a while on how much I appreciate your column. It’s hard to keep up with all the non-stop publishing news, and Taking Care of Business points me to the top stories and issues every time. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been especially interested in the “keep politics out of books” conversations, particularly in this era of resurging book banning. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on those two topics, especially since I’m on sub with a book that checks all the book-banner hot buttons.
Thank you, Grace! I’m so glad you’re finding it informative. I learn something new every month.
I want to echo Grace, Densie, and thank you for wrangling the news to keep us informed. It’s deeply appreciated, especially in these chaotic times!
Thank you, Therese! It’s keeping me informed as well.
Thanks, Densie. Off to read the things I wouldn’t have known about, but would be affected by, if I hadn’t seen your post – much appreciated.
Just popped over to the PW diversity article – I usually check these out – to be disappointed once again: the ‘DEI’ doesn’t include any mention of disability or chronic illness, authors, books, or agents.
It’s hard enough writing under those conditions, without being ignored AGAIN by the system. And there are authors in all other categories who are ALSO disabled, and no help is offered to level the playing fields a bit so our voices can also be heard.
Alicia, I’ll be on the lookout for article that talk about disability or chronic illness as an aspect of DEI!
Great post. A lot to digest and keep abreast of.