Marketing

Do Books in Translation Sell? A Chestnut Considered
September 3, 2014

Pity the poor publishing trends journalist. From time to time, maybe especially in the silly season, they'll end up writing an article about translated books and sales, jousting with the straw man that books in translation don't sell in English-language markets. And sure enough, two back-to-back articles at the end of August by Dalya Alberge in the Guardian and Steven W. Beattie in Quill & Quire weigh on this topic with a little phoning it in, as well as some surprising conclusions.

Textbooks Out of Synch with Common Core
September 2, 2014

School districts nationwide are struggling to find textbooks that are aligned with the rigorous Common Core standards for math and English Language Arts. Some critics say that's because the controversial standards have outpaced resources.

According to a recent study by the Education Week Research Center, fewer than one-third of teachers nationwide say their textbooks are aligned with the Common Core standards. But Richard Weisenhoff, Baltimore County's executive director of academics, says publishers tell a different story.

Marketing Strategy Rules
August 29, 2014

Did you ever think about taking a long trip? If so, you probably thought about how you would get to your destination, perhaps traveling by car, plane, train, or bus. Then you planned where to stay each night, what to pack, and how much it would all cost. Finally you made a checklist so you didn't forget to do anything and spend your money wisely.

The ‘New Adult’ Genre Is Still Condescending and Pointless
August 28, 2014

The term "New Adult" has been kicking around for a while - since 2009 in fact, when St. Martin's Press accidentally coined it in a call for manuscripts. Some champion it and some ignore it - and that latter reaction is the subject of an article this week in The Globe and Mail, which discusses how both traditional publishers and, particularly, booksellers are being slow to recognize New Adult ("or NA" - N/A?) as a genre.

Well, that's because it kind of isn't one. Or at the very least, it shouldn't be.

Meet The Publisher Who Ditched Amazon And Is Selling More Books Than Ever
August 28, 2014

Ask Randall White, the 72-year-old CEO of the Educational Development Corp., an Oklahoma-based book distributor, why he decided pull his company's 2,000 titles - including the acclaimed potty bestiary "Everyone Poops" - from Amazon.com, and the longtime publishing executive makes reference not to a book but to a movie. "Remember 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,' when they're on the cliff and getting ready to jump and one guy says, 'I can't swim?'" asks the folksy 72-year-old, referring to the classic Robert Redford-Paul Newman film

Julian Gough Launches 'Litcoin' Kickstarter to 'Remodel the Economics of Reading'
August 19, 2014

In the wake of a new survey which revealed a dramatic drop in author incomes, the award-winning Irish writer Julian Gough is funding his new novel with an unusual Kickstarter offering backers the opportunity to receive postcards from Las Vegas bearing whisky stains, lipstick, and even bullet holes. Gough has dubbed his "economic-slash-literary experiment" Litcoin, and hopes the concept might be copied or modified by other writers.

Giving Readers What They Truly Crave
August 18, 2014

Publishers need to take a page out of the retailer playbook. You've undoubtedly noticed how good certain online retailers are at suggesting additional products related to the one you're about to purchase. Amazon is arguably the king here with their "Frequently Bought Together" and "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" recommendation sections.

Virtual Book Festivals Run By Major Publishers Take Off in UK
August 13, 2014

It was a risk as to how the virtual festival book would be perceived by fans, authors and publishers,' admits Sam Missingham, the new head of events at HarperCollins Publishing and the driving force behind the first-ever virtual Romance Festival, a two-day event that was held in cyberspace this past June. "But my remit was to develop ideas to engage readers with authors and if you are genuinely going to be fan-facing then it has to be like this.