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Retailers Setting Earlier Shipping Deadlines This Holiday Season

Shop.org’s eHoliday survey, released October 27, found that retailers are changing their shipping deadlines for online orders in order to guard against transit problems and to guarantee Christmas delivery.

This year, 78.8 percent of retailers will be setting their shipping deadlines for guaranteed Christmas delivery for one week prior to December 25, compared to 73.7 percent last year. Of the retailers surveyed, 92.3 percent planned to offer some sort of free standard shipping, with three-quarters setting their order deadlines for December 18 or earlier when guaranteeing delivery by Christmas.

An August survey found that 20.6 percent of retailers plan to offer free or upgraded expedited shipping to give late shoppers an opportunity for Christmas delivery. Fifty percent are offering one-day or overnight shipping until December 23 for guaranteed Christmas delivery. More than half, 56.6 percent, plan to have their express two-day shipping offer expire on or before December 21.

Report Highlights Top Cities Supporting African American Literature

The African American Literature Book Club reviewed nearly 300 American cities to find which ones were most supportive and conducive to the enjoyment of African American Literature. Factors such as library visits per capita, the number of African American book clubs and bookstores, and the percentage of African Americans relative to the city’s population were taken into consideration. Points were also subtracted for negative indicators of support for African American literature.

The cities are grouped into tiers and organized alphabetically within the list. The top tier cities, ranking high on nearly all of the considered factors, are Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Second tier cities are Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Columbus, and New Orleans. See the full Top Cities for Readers of African American Literature report here.

Marvel Comics Now Available on Kobo

Marvel Comics is offering dozens of its comic book series for purchase on the Kobo digital reading platform. The illustrated e-books are available on Kobo devices or via free reading apps for use on most tablets and smartphones.

“Marvel is excited about our partnership with Kobo and happy to have the opportunity to provide fans, new and existing, another great way to experience our legendary content,” said Marvel Entertainment Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing David Gabriel.

Kobo Merchandiser Santiago Melo noted, “For more than 75 years, Marvel has been transporting comic fans to exciting new galaxies. Tackling big issues with larger than life characters, these stories continue to be a constant source of enrichment in our popular culture and we couldn’t be happier to welcome them to the Kobo family.”

2014 Kirkus Prize Winners Announced

Kirkus Reviews announced the winners of the first annual Kirkus Prize in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ literature on Thursday, October 23, at a ceremony in Austin. The winner in each category will receive a $50,000 award. The winners are:

  • Fiction: Euphoria by Lily King (Atlantic Monthly Press)
  • Nonfiction: Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast (Bloomsbury)
  • Young Reader’s Literature: Aviary Wonders Inc.: Spring Catalog and Instruction Manual by Kate Samworth (Clarion)