Data vs. Instincts
In the world of publishing, everything’s a gamble. How do successful editors manage to push out bestsellers? Is it good instincts, or data-driven predictions? Turns out, it’s a mix of…
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Publishing
253 posts
A No-Hitter
Not even James Patterson or Stephen King have reached a top-twenty spot with a new book on the New York Times‘s Bestseller list this year. Publishers are blaming mediocre sales of adult…
What Do You Call It?
Book titles are an essential component of the texts they gesture at. They’re also advertising. At Catapult, Hannah Gersen recounts the naming process for her novel Home Field: A short story title…
21st Century Magical Realist
Beyond the obvious fact of when it was written or published, what does it mean for literature to be contemporary? Is a work’s relevance determined by market trends and cultural…
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Publishing
At Electric Literature, Lincoln Michel talks about the “taboo” topic of book sales, and offers some advice for writers: Writers should absolutely write with an eye toward art, not markets.…
Women Writers Gain Popularity, But Men Still Lead Industry
Women writing about women is popular right now in the publishing world—like Emma Cline, who recently released The Girls. USA Today runs through the many books about women, by women.…
Oh I’m Sorry, Did I Break Your Concentration?
James Patterson’s new imprint promises to solve our modern conflict between reading and time. But the problem it diagnoses may be more for writers than for readers: Does Patterson want…
Three Ventures, One Goal
Over at Publishing Perspectives, Andy Hunter, Publisher & COO of Catapult, Publisher of Literary Hub, and Co-Founding Chairman of Electric Literature, explains the different approaches but shared mission of his…
The Real Thing
James Patterson has announced a new imprint of $5 books designed to hook readers who can’t afford more expensive titles. He’s already written personally written twenty titles for the project:…
A Young Nation’s Game
The Annual Library Budget Survey, published last week, found that libraries around the world have varying growth expectations for the coming year, with North American libraries tending toward negative. On the…
Overtime Changes Could Upend Publishing Industry Norms
Changes to overtime laws could have a big impact the way the publishing industry pays staff. Salaried employees earning less than $47,476 a year will be entitled to overtime pay…
Whisper Sweet Nothings
With every year you can hear a celebrity narrate Moby-Dick for $14.95, audiobook sales account for increasingly greater shares of publishing houses’ revenues. Listen up.