Barnes & Noble
Therese here to introduce you to our new monthly columnist, Densie Webb! Densie had been working as a vital part of WU’s Twitter team for quite some time, gathering links to share there on the business of fiction. She’ll now bring that valuable knowledge to WU-blog — sharing some of the best, most pertinent links on the business here every month in Getting Down to Business. Please join me in welcoming her to this important beat for us all. Welcome, Densie, and thank you!
While we all want to stay on top of what’s current about craft, be alerted to the latest conferences, and connect with fellow writers on social media, staying informed about the business side of writing and publishing is some (or many) might say, a necessary evil. To save you from spending hours scrolling through websites to find insights into the business side of writing, we’ve curated a list of recent posts for you to dig into or peruse at your leisure. We hope you’ll find value in these and share the links with anyone else who might want to keep up with the latest.
Book Defenders
There are forces trying to limit what we can read and that will undoubtedly affect publishing. But on the other side are forces fighting hard to keep reading rights intact. Here are some notable examples to cheer on and follow.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Okay, so this might seem like it belongs in a post about writing, rather than publishing, but trust us, the topic of chatbots and AI-generated stories, will definitely affect publishing. Most likely sooner, rather than later.
https://www.thepassivevoice.com/a-new-chatbot-is-a-code-red-for-googles-search-business/
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/could-an-ai-chatbot-rewrite-my-novel
TikTok
While the White House has banned the use of TikTok on any device used by federal agencies, it’s alive and well in the book world, with publishers working both directly and indirectly with TikTok influencers. It’s a major driver for young(ish) readers. And it looks like TikTok may be venturing into the book selling business. Stay tuned.
https://www.thepassivevoice.com/how-will-booktok-change-publishing-in-2023/
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/nov/17/tiktok-to-sell-books-directly-to-users-via-marketplace
https://www.thepassivevoice.com/when-it-comes-to-tiktok-authors-must-manage-their-expectations/
https://thenewpublishingstandard.com/2022/11/27/global-publishers-social-media-is-not-your-enemy/
Bookstores
Barnes & Noble is alive and (maybe) well, while indie bookstores are trying new growth strategies, including mail order, forming new partnerships, participating in book fairs, and even using GoFundMe campaigns to keep their doors open.
Publishers
A publishing merger fall through, a publishing CEO steps down, COVID consequences are felt in publishing, a Swiss publisher of children’s books enters the US and Canada, and midlist authors are here to stay. Read all about it.
https://www.thepassivevoice.com/a-case-for-the-midlist/\
https://publishingperspectives.com/2022/12/prh-ceo-markus-dohle-stepping-down-end-of-year/
Diversity
U.S. bookstores are going to expand their Spanish-language offerings and two reports from the BookTrust, a non-profit based in the UK, addresses the question of diversity of authors and illustrators of children’s books within the UK market.
https://publishingperspectives.com/2022/12/authors-of-color/
Have you come across any opportunities or news dealing with the business side of publishing? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
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