Literati Acquires Follett Book Fairs
Literati is a subscription box and online book club. The fairs will be rebranded Literati Book Fairs and continue to service PreK-8 grade schools. While Follett had 5,700 fairs booked for the 2019-2020 school year, by March 2020, 2,000 cancelled due to Covid concerns. Unable to sustain business without the fairs, they closed business after November 2021. The purchase includes inventory, the use of three fulfillment centers, and 23 employees, including management positions.
Maryland Defends Its Library Ebook Law, Seeks Dismissal of AAP Lawsuit
Bookstore sales in November 2021 were $709 million, up 43% from the same time period the previous year.
One Damn Thing After Another is the title of former Attorney General William Barr’s upcoming memoir that compares working under George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump. Published by William Morrow.
NYU SPS Media Talk: From Backlist to Bestseller February 16, 2022
6 -7 p.m. ET via Zoom. Learn how an indie book sold half a million copies and still tops bestseller lists eight years later. Hear the author, her editor, and a devoted bookseller share their insights into this remarkable story.
From Hank Phillippi Ryan: The 28 Steps (The Writer’s Inevitable But Reassuring and Kinda Funny in Retrospect Journey) “There is a cycle to writing a book,” Hank says.
Do you subscribe to Jane Friedman’s Hot Sheet? Here’s a sample of what’s in this issue. Of particular interest is the continuing problem of paper shortage.
- Hot Shots–Overdrive reports 16% increase in digital lending
- “It’s Scary”: Publishers Face Tight Paper Market in 2022 and Beyond. There will not be enough paper capacity to meet demand for years. The problem pre-dates the pandemic. It depends on the type of paper, but the problem will trickle down as publishers adapt.
- IngramSpark prices go up for print-on-demand
- 2021 Ends on a High Note: Print Sales up by 9 Percent
- Town Hall Addresses Fiscal and Cultural Health of the RWA
Links of Interest
Also from Jane
How to Plan and Host Worthwhile Online Book Events
Since in-person meetings are still limited, here are tips on hosting the best online events.
Five Tips on Keeping Your Writing Rolling
How to Write Through Grief and Find Creativity
Warnings!
- Know how publishing works and how to read contracts–or find a lawyer who does–or this could be you.
- More warnings from Writers Weekly
- How to avoid scams from Make a Living Writing
- Need help with contracts? Look into author groups. There’s also web-builder assistance and hosting, plus some health insurance available.
