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  • Category: Link

    • Hachette Acquires Hyperion Adult Imprint

      Posted at 12:04 pm by Laura, on June 28, 2013

      Hachette Book Group Acquires the Hyperion Adult Imprint — Publishers Weekly — Jim Milliot

      Disney is selling the majority of Hyperion titles to Hachette Book Group in a deal that is expected to close in mid-July. HBG will acquire more than 1,000 adult backlist titles plus another 25 books that it will release over the next few seasons. Disney will retain the most media-related titles such as its Castle series which ties into the ABC television show of the same name.

      Some Hyperion employees will be transferred to HBG or they will be opened to other positions at Disney. Disney felt the adult imprint did not fit with the company’s long-range plans, so this is not a matter of publishing demise but publishing goals and direction.

      Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged news, publishing
    • Need Some YA Summer Reads?

      Posted at 5:42 pm by Laura, on June 24, 2013

      Check out my blog post over at Quirk Books (publishers of Miss Peregrine and Pride & Prejudice and Zombies), titled “The Ultimate, Exhaustive, Totally Awesome YA Summer Reading List.”

      Which, honestly, is way better than my original title. And they fixed up my Photoshop confusion too. Props to the person who worked on making this post nice and shiny for the public!

      Posted in books, Link, publishing, Update Post | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: young adult, personal
    • Maureen Johnson’s Coverflip Challenge

      Posted at 8:12 am by Laura, on May 8, 2013

      While the publishing industry is mostly filled with females, it’s still amazing that books are judged by its covers based upon whether the author is male or female. Female authors generally have books with covers that are light, fun, and somewhere — somehow — there is a girl or couple featured across the front.

      Angered by the inequality and curious by the differences, Johnson charged her twitter followers with a challenge: take a popular book and create a new cover based upon the opposite gender of the author. Check out some of the amazing results — publishers, you need to get in touch with these designers! They’re fantastic!

      One of my favorites…

      coverflip

      Posted in books, Link, publishing | 1 Comment | Tagged authors, books, design, publishing
    • Witness, a Digital Mystery Line from HC

      Posted at 10:17 am by Laura, on April 30, 2013

      HarperCollins Plans Digital Original Mystery Line, Witness — Publishers Weekly   

      Two years after HarperCollins’ Avon Books imprint launched the digital romance imprint Impulse, its William Morrow imprint announced plans for Witness, a “digital-original” mystery, suspense and thriller line.

      Over a hundred titles have signed for Witness and ten of them will appear this October.

      Witness will feature the same royalty structure as Morrow/Avon’s other digital-first imprints: authors receive a 50% royalty once their book sells 10,000 copies (initial royalties start at 25%).

      Agatha Christie’s short stories will be digitized and included, as well.

      Thoughts?

      Posted in books, Link, publishing, technology | 0 Comments | Tagged books, ebooks, news, publishing, technology
    • Books Save Lives: An Ode to YA’s Depiction of Tragedy

      Posted at 10:00 am by Laura, on April 11, 2013

      Check out my blog post over at Quirk Books!

      With excellent books from authors like John Green, Gayle Forman, and Lucy Christopher, why would anyone censor content that truly depicts what teens experience?

      I want you to think back to when you were sixteen. What did you listen to? What did you read? What hobbies did you have, and what did you and your friends do on the weekends? Did you ever fight with your parents? Did you ever have a break-up that felt like the world was going to fall to pieces that second? Were you ever told “you’ll get over it, it’s no big deal” whenever you were upset about something? Did you ever keep secrets from family or friends, and it ate at you late at night and it made you feel small and all alone?

      Whether or not you were a good kid with excellent grades and no drug record, chances are you knew someone who struggled in school, struggled with friends and grades, probably smoked, maybe they experimented, maybe they even took risks. And if you didn’t know someone in real life, you knew a fictional character that experienced all of that, and it opened your eyes to hardships in life.
      Young adult books teach, young adult books say “You’re not alone,” young adult books mirror reality. And it’s because of this terrifyingly perfect, realistic depiction of teen tragedy that several adults ban these books.
      Posted in books, Link, Update Post | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: young adult, personal
    • Amazon Buys Goodreads

      Posted at 10:36 am by Laura, on March 29, 2013

      I am not a happy camper.

      WARNING: While this post will link you to the news, the post will be filled with snark. Feel free to just click the links and ignore my fuming comments.

      The Twitter response is similar to my reaction and current feelings about it. As a future publisher and current bookseller, Amazon is the biggest threat out there. Of course there is resentment and anger.

      Book Riot, however, posed the four main questions most concerning Goodreads users:

      1. Why did Amazon buy Goodreads? Goodreads is a social platform. Amazon is the largest online retailer. *headdesk*
      2. Why did Goodreads sell? Because they want money. Lord.
      3. What can Goodreads users expect? Well, from what Book Riot listed, I hope it’s ONLY their predictions. I hope Goodreads doesn’t turn into a retailer. Or only link us to Amazon. Or other cluttered, advert-loaded crap like that.
      4. What does this mean for books, publishing, and the universe? Bad news for retail. Even worse news and a bit of a sticky situation with publishers. Yeah, yeah, yeah, this means books are on the rise and isn’t that great and wonderful, but Amazon just needs to leave things alone. Let. Stuff. Alone.

      Finally, Publishers Weekly contains a detailed article with comments from Amazon and Goodreads on the buy. Amazon sees Goodreads as a sales outlet (go away!).

      When pressed, Chandler said: “We don’t have any plans to change anything about the buy links in the short term, but in the long term we’re going to do what’s best for our users.”

      Chandler, I hope you realize your users love your site because it’s an online book club of sorts. No one is pressuring us to buy things 24/7. No, your site encourages discussion and reading. The second a retailer/buy button is thrown in, the experience will be cheapened and will be just like the comments forum in Amazon, B&N, and other retailers: crap.

      Grandinetti said the acquisition was “not about making Goodreads commerce enabled,” but, instead, about opportunities to improve the user experience of Kindle owners.

      NOT. EVERYONE. HAS. OR. WANTS. A. KINDLE. OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF E-READER, FOR THAT MATTER.

      In 2008 it acquired Shelfari, but there seems to be no plans to integrate Shelfari and Goodreads.

      You know what happened to Shelfari? It died.

      What are your thoughts, positive or negative, on the Amazon/Goodreads deal?

      Posted in books, Link | 2 Comments | Tagged amazon, books, goodreads
    • Ally Condie Lands Deal for Two New Novels — GalleyCat

      Posted at 9:06 am by Laura, on March 26, 2013

      Looks like Ally Condie’s going underwater this time in two new novels! Thank you, GalleyCat, for the news!

      Matched trilogy author Ally Condie has inked a deal to publish two new novels with Dutton Children’s Books. The Penguin Young Readers Group imprint will release the first book in fall 2014.

      [The book] tells the story of Rio, who has waited her whole life for the opportunity to leave her safe, underwater city of Atlantia for life on the surface. But when her twin sister, Bay, shocks everyone and chooses Above first (only one family member may go), Rio is left with increasingly dangerous questions about the complex political and religious system constructed to govern the fragile divide between land and sea.

       

      Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged books, news, publishing
    • Keeping Brick-and-Mortar Stores in Business: A FAQ

      Posted at 9:45 am by Laura, on February 28, 2013

      In light of the news that Barnes & Noble will be closing a third of their stores across 10 years, that Nook may be separating from B&N, that independent bookstores are few and far between, allow this bookseller to answer the age-old question, “How can I keep bookstores from closing?” (which, of course, stems from the statement, “I wish bookstores weren’t closing!”).

      The best and most obvious answer is purchase directly in the bookstore.

      Seriously. I’m sick of explaining to people why we sell books at the sticker price, why prices are “high,” why online is cheaper than in store. As I cannot take out my frustration on our patrons, I’m going to step up with booksellers everywhere — including independent and used bookstore booksellers — and explain all these questions.

      1. Why are online prices cheaper?

      If a bookstore, like Barnes & Noble or Waterstones, has an online presence, the prices for the products are generally cheaper. This is because the consumer is going directly to the vendor — which has far fewer employees — and ordering from there. Whether or not one is a special member of some sort for this online bookstore, there is still the expectation that one will pay for shipping. The price offered is the lowest price that can still be split among the publisher, the author, and the bookseller.

      When the consumer purchases in the store, they are paying for “overhead.” Overhead is payment towards the rent/lease of the venue, payment towards the helpful employees, payment for the upkeep and cleanliness of the venue, as well as the publisher, the author, and the bookseller corporation.

      If consumers continuously purchase online rather than walking into the store, the store’s physical presence declines and thus they close. Chain bookstores live with a double-edged sword: online presence can boost sales, but it can also aid in store closings.

      2. Why are so many indie/used bookstores closing?

      Most independent bookstores and used bookstores use a mathematical formula to lower the sticker price to it’s lowest possible value before harming their sales. Say you spot a rare edition of a book by an author you love. The original sticker price is $25, but the indie store is selling it for $15 and the used store is selling it for $10. The indie store will make a small profit from selling this book, but the majority will still be sent to the publisher and author. The used bookstore is barely making enough profit to keep the place running, but nothing goes toward the publisher or author.

      A lot of independent and used bookstores are closing because consumers still find cheaper prices online.   The stores’ prices are also heavily dependent on scraping by: keeping employees employed, paying venue rent, keeping the place in good condition and clean. If you want your mom-and-pop, independent, or used bookstore to stay in business (either because you like the cozy atmosphere, it’s location, the selection, or even it’s nice low prices), you need to walk into their store and purchase from them directly.

      3. But I like Amazon’s prices! Why should I, the consumer, not use Amazon?

      Mention Amazon to a bookseller and we do everything we can to not explode with anger. Those stiff smiles, blank stares, and suddenly curt speech are the only acceptable ways for us to express our dislike.

      Amazon never sells at the sticker price. They are an online presence, not a physical presence. They make enough profit off shipping and other products to keep themselves in business. [Refer to Answer #1 on online prices.] Great on them. They’re a monopoly.

      But the prices they offer, including the used ones, rarely — if ever — benefit the publisher, the author, or anyone else in the book business. Yes, the prices are miraculously cheaper and in this economy everyone wants the cheaper price. But consistently purchasing from Amazon only creates a larger monopoly, creates a business that will not help you in person, and drastically lowers the likelihood of a brick-and-mortar store staying in business near you.

      Sidenote: This is for all those cranky customers who say to booksellers, “Ugh, I had to drive 30 minutes out here just to get to this store and you’re telling me you don’t have this book?! This is why Amazon is in business; I’m ordering from them!” No, Amazon is not in business because we’re 30 minutes away — we’re 30 minutes away because consumers like you consistently purchase from Amazon and we have to close our stores closest to you.

      4. If booksellers frown on Amazon, what are some other online groups with low prices that booksellers don’t get angry over?

      I’m glad you asked!

      Better World Books “collect and sell books online to donate books and fund literacy initiatives worldwide.”

      Books sold on BetterWorldBooks.com help fund high-impact literacy projects in the United States and around the world. That’s why we commit to matching every purchase on our website with a book donation to someone in need.

      What sane bookseller would say no to that?! Literacy is something to support and celebrate!

      AbeBooks has some amazingly cheap prices on everything. They help those independent booksellers get their presence known. Small stores, nationwide and worldwide, advertise the availability of a new/used book they have in stock. When you purchase through AbeBooks, you’re benefitting this organization as well as the small seller.

      Alibris also helps independent sellers stay in business by connecting them across the globe and aiding in library collections.

      Biblio is also fantastic — a large selection of rare books, connecting indie and used stores across the country. They also help in non-profit organizations.

      —-

      So. You want your bookstore to stay in business? Go in the bookstore and purchase from them today.

      Posted in books, library, Link, publishing, technology, Update Post | 0 Comments | Tagged books, bookstores, library, news, personal, publishing
    • World Book Night 2013!

      Posted at 9:15 am by Laura, on February 25, 2013

      This will be my second year as a World Book Night Book Giver, and I am beyond excited! Last year, I handed out The Hunger Games to students on campus and had such a blast. The movie released a few days prior, which was incredibly helpful in getting people interested about the book.

      This year I’m giving away John Green’s Looking for Alaska, the book that won awards, that was surrounded by controversy, that labeled John Green as an established author prior to the success of The Fault in Our Stars. I think I’m going to use that to my advantage when handing out the books and getting excited about reading. Looking for Alaska was THE BOOK nerdfighters chose to initiate new nerdfighters. And with the success of TFiOS (posters all over Barnes & Nobles across the nation, New York Times bestseller, best fiction of 2012), I think I can get more people interested as they’ll recognize Green’s name from all of the talk.

      Oooooh, I can’t wait to head out and spread the word!

      Are you a WBN giver? What book are you sharing with the world?

      Posted in books, Link, Update Post | 3 Comments | Tagged books, world book night
    • New Harry Potter Cover!

      Posted at 5:03 pm by Laura, on February 13, 2013

      A New Look for Harry Potter — Publishers Weekly — Shannon Maughan

      Though the assignment was daunting at first, Kibuishi says he started thinking about the Harry Potter books “as if I was looking back at them from the future. I wanted to pay tribute to the series itself and to classic literature. I wanted to take those two things and fuse them together. In a way, the first Harry Potter cover should feel like Dickens.”

      Posted in books, Link, publishing | 3 Comments | Tagged art, books, publishing
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    • Hello, I’m Laura!

      I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to knit, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm obsessed with popcorn. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!
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