From Sandra Beckwith of BuildBookBuzz, gift ideas for writers, including this book of her own and at such a bargain price! She says, “Let me give your author a book-marketing tip every day for a year via email: just $1 for the entire year! It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”
See the other 29 gift suggestions, including the “I turn coffee into books” mug and the (pierced) earrings that say “Chapter One” for one ear and “The End” for the other. Make your shopping easier.
Ingram Goes to the Consumer
Ingram iD is an advertising platform developed specifically for book publishers by Ingram’s consumer marketing-services department. The goal of Ingram iD is to provide an affordable option for publishers to promote their titles, author events, or other programs directly to consumers.
Judge blocks Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster merger
The judge agreed the deal could lessen competition for top books. Penguin Random House said it would appeal. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division praised the decision, saying in a statement that the decision “protects vital competition for books and is a victory for authors, readers, and the free exchange of ideas.” He added, “The proposed merger would have reduced competition, decreased author compensation, diminished the breadth, depth, and diversity of our stories and ideas, and ultimately impoverished our democracy.”
Book Pirates Arrested and Indicted
Russian nationals Anton Napolsky and Valeriia Ermakova have been arrested and indicted for their role in operating the massive, notorious ebook piracy site Z-Library on charges of criminal copyright infringement, wire fraud, and money laundering. Since 2009, Z-Library claimed to host 8 million pirated books and ten times as many articles. After trending on TikTok as a source of free books, they received even more attention. Students often ordered expensive textbooks from the site. The Author’s Guild said in response, “The exorbitant cost of education should not be borne by authors and publishers but by the universities, and it should not be used to justify reliance on foreign criminals for textbooks or to trivialize the immense personal and economic harm Z-Library was causing authors who are trying to make a living under increasingly difficult and hostile economic circumstances.”
Amazon, Big Five E-Book Price-Fixing Suit Is Revived
Seattle-based firm Hagens Berman once again accuses Amazon and the Big Five publishers (Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Penguin Random House) of a hub-and-spoke agreement to eliminate price competition from the e-book market in violation of the Sherman Act.
The Authors Guild Banned Books Club is pleased to announce its next three featured titles. Hosted on the social reading app Fable, the Banned Books Club showcases contemporary and classic award-winning novels and memoirs currently banned in one or more school districts in the United States. The discussion of each book is led by its author or, if the author is deceased, by someone with a special affinity for the work.
The upcoming titles are:
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson: Begins December 1
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow: Begins January 5
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez: Begins February 2
Thousands of readers from around the country have joined the Authors Guild Banned Books Club since it launched in April. Anyone interested can join the book club on Fable for free and access the moderated book discussion and other valuable resources at any time.
“We are thrilled by the response to our Banned Books Club since we launched it earlier this year,” said Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger. “These books ask us to consider deep questions of identity and belonging, which is precisely why access to them is so imperative. We’re excited to reveal the next quarter’s selections and look forward to reading or re-reading them with our book club members.” The Authors Guild Banned Books Club is made possible in part by a generous grant from Hachette.
Ask the Authors Guild, a new monthly Q&A session with the Authors Guild legal team exclusively for members. Each session will focus on a different legal topic, and answer as many questions as possible in one hour.
Female Authors Are Speaking Up, Strengthening Spirits
Faith-based titles are breaking taboos related to women’s lives.
An open letter condemns Amy Coney Barrett book deal with Sentinel, an imprint of Penguin Random House as its publication would be in violation of both the company’s Code of Conduct and international human rights. The Code of Conduct cites the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights in declaring abortion access a human right. Coney Barrett garnered a two million dollar advance of which $425,000 has apparently been paid according to sources.
The Rabbit hOle Hops Closer to Completion
If everything works according to plan, the grand opening of the immersive museum celebrating children’s literature will happen in September 2023. Located in Kansas City, three-dimensional exhibits allow visitors to enter beloved children’s books from the past century, among many other attractions.
Guide to Writing a Book Copyright Page [With 6 Templates] by Dave Chesson
Amazon Makes Cuts to Its Book Group
Amazon has cut an unspecified number of jobs in its book division and says there will be more in the new year. This summer the company decided to significantly reduce book orders in order to sell down the mountain of inventory acquired to meet the demand for books during the pandemic. Still, the cuts will fuel worries among publishers that Amazon is losing interest in its book business.
Thanks so much for linking to my gift list! I appreciate it. (Spoiler alert: The “Chapter One” and “The End” earrings are really popular!)
Sandra Beckwith