BTW News Briefs

Popularity of Print Books Tops L.A.Times List of 2016 Book Trends

The returning popularity of print books topped the Los Angeles Times’ article “6 Book Trends for 2016: Look into the Future,” published on January 3.

Under the heading “Books are back!” the article noted that Nielsen BookScan reported in December that 571 million print books were sold in 2015, 17 million more than the year before. Nielsen also reported that e-books stayed at 25 percent of total book sales, even though the format was once predicted to hit 50 percent to 60 percent.

The LA Times story also cited a diverse list of print hits in 2015, with the most age-defying driver of print book sales being the spike in demand for adult coloring books. Also noted were Harper Lee’s novel Go Set a Watchman, which was popular among readers of all ages; The Wright Brothers by historian David McCullough, which appealed to an older readership; the popularity among teens of books by YouTube stars; and the success of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School by Jeff Kinney among middle school-age readers.

Ann Patchett’s WSJ Article Heralds “Return of Bookstores”

In the Wall Street Journal’s year-end wrap-up published on December 31, author and bookseller Ann Patchett wrote that the state of bookstores in the U.S. has become more robust, despite the influence of Amazon and e-books.

Patchett, who opened Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, with business partner Karen Hayes four years ago, wrote: “I don’t know if I’m prophetic or just lucky, but what was at the time not much more than wishful thinking has turned out to be true. New stores are opening; old stores are branching out into new locations. In Nashville, we’re not only doubling our size in 2016, we’ve bought a mobile book van. Booksellers are, generally speaking, a cautious group when it comes to voicing optimism, but I sense a cultural shift coming on: Books and bookstores and reading are the wave of the future.”

Patchett, whose novels include Bel Canto and State of Wonder, said she credits book-buying customers with this change. These customers “seem to be collectively waking up to the fact that they are in charge of what businesses fail and succeed based on where they spend their money.”

Penguin Random House Sells Author Solutions

Penguin Random House has sold its self-publishing division, Author Solutions, to a private investment firm, according to the U.K.’s The Bookseller.

The company, which was acquired by Pearson in 2012 for $116 million to be integrated into Penguin, was sold to an affiliate of the Arizona-based Najafi Companies on December 31. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In a note to staff, Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle said, “With this sale, we reaffirm our focus on consumer book publishing through our 250 imprints worldwide, and our commitment to connecting our authors and their works to readers everywhere.”

In April 2013, Author Solutions was the subject of a lawsuit in which plaintiff authors accused the company of seeking to make money off of authors, rather than for them. Lawyers for Author Solutions maintained that the suit, which was settled out of court last August, was “a misguided attempt to make a federal class action out of a series of gripes.”

Authors Groups Pen Open Letter Calling for Fairer Terms From Publishers

The Authors Guild joined with members of the Authors Coalition and members of the International Authors Forum to pen an open letter to members of the Association of American Publishers calling for fairer publisher terms.

Part of the Authors Guild’s Fair Contract Initiative launched in May 2015, the letter, which was cosigned by 26 U.S. and foreign authors groups, states: “Unfair terms in publishing agreements negatively affect authors’ incomes and even their ability to write at all… The Initiative’s fresh look at standard book contracts has proven without doubt that provisions that would never be acceptable in other contexts have long been taken for granted in publishing agreements.”

Some of the letter’s requests include that authors get at least 50 percent of net e-book income, rather than 25 percent; that authors should not have non-compete and option clauses, which can make it impossible for them to write new books without delay; and that authors should not have to accept royalties that can decline by high percentages when a publisher cuts its wholesale price. Among the letter’s other demands: that authors should be able to get the rights back when the publisher stops supporting a book, and be able to get a fair shake in negotiations whether or not they can afford to hire high-powered agents or lawyers.

In conclusion, the authors groups’ letter stated that it will be asking for individual meetings with publishers in the coming months to discuss fair practices.

The Nation Names New Assistant Literary Editor

Matthew McKnight has joined The Nation as the publication’s new assistant literary editor, responsible for commissioning and editing pieces on popular culture for TheNation.com. The Nation’s Deputy Literary Editor Miriam Markowitz has left after seven years at the magazine to move to Jamaica, where she will be writing a book on the country.

McKnight joins The Atlantic from The New Yorker, where for the past four years he has been a web producer, writer, and editor focusing on criminal justice, policing, and social justice issues. Before working at The New Yorker, McKnight was an online editorial assistant at the New Republic, and an intern at The Root, The Big Money, and in the office of Vice President Biden.

At The Atlantic, McKnight’s pieces will focus on writing that centers around marginalized lives and tells untold stories, according to The Nation. He will also assist Literary Editor John Palattella with traditional back-of-the-book reviews, essays, and coverage.