Social Media

Simon and Schuster Children's Books Launches the First Fan-Driven Cover Reveal
January 28, 2014

Simon and Schuster Children's Books today launched the first fan-driven cover reveal for a UK YA title, for global bestselling author Darren Shan's next novel, Zom-B Mission.

The book, which is the seventh title in the 12-part Zom-B series, will be published on 27th March 2014, but from today fans can take part in revealing the cover by visiting a dedicated website, www.zombreveal.com. Each fan can choose a square to reveal then share the page through their social networks to uncover a portion of the image underneath.

Oprah 2.0: Book Club Marries Magazine, TV and Digital
January 27, 2014

Reading the original Oprah Book Club list is like throwing yourself into a dizzying cultural time machine. From Charles Dickens to Gabriel Garcia Marquez to Toni Morrison, her Book Club picks from the platform of her storied ABC television talk show imprinted a new generation of readers with classics, both new and old. When her talk show went away, her Book Club did too after a long 15-year run that spread "The Oprah Effect" across the lucky publishers of roughly 70 books.

Is Your Content in All The High Visibility Areas?
January 20, 2014

What's your strategy to get your content discovered and read? Most publishers follow the "if you build it, they will come" philosophy. Many of those same publishers won't be around in a few years.

Goodreads Author Program Reaches 100,000 Author Milestone
January 15, 2014

Huzzah! This week we are reaching 100,000 authors in the Goodreads Author Program! When we started offering verified author pages five years ago, we never dreamed that one day our members would have the opportunity to interact with some of their favorite writers like Khaled Hosseini, Neil Gaiman, Amy Tan, Helen Fielding, James Patterson, Cassandra Clare, Rick Riordan, Jodi Picoult, Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, John Grisham, and many, many more. You'd think we'd get used to working with authors, but we still get awestruck when someone on our To-Read list joins the site!

How Tumblr Turned a Book Into a Bestseller
December 16, 2013

In early 2013 Yahoo purchased social media website Tumblr, and many people thought it was a bold move. The a community of millions add 75 million daily posts about everything from politics to pets. Few people saw Tumblr as a promotional and marketing tool, but the online service turned Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes by Cory O'Brien into a viral sensation and overnight bestseller.

How You Can Make Better Decisions
December 13, 2013

Publishers need to make decisions every day about promotion, which manuscripts to take on, editing, distribution, finances and employees. The concept of "social exploration"[1] can help you make better decisions. This is the process of gathering, examining, organizing and testing ideas from multiple sources so you can tap into the "wisdom of the crowd." Here are the Top Ten Ways to Make Better Decisions.

Small Is Beautiful: Micro Bookstores Find a Place
December 9, 2013

Even before the demise of Borders, the trend of opening superstores was waning, and new bookstores were getting smaller and cozier (many were in the 3,000 to 5,000 sq. ft. range). But some bookstores, particularly in urban areas and at upscale malls, are giving meaning to the term “small business.” The cost of real estate has led a few new booksellers to opt for diminutive spaces, as tiny as 200 sq. ft. or less.

New Social Media Site Aimed Specifically at New Adult Explicit Romance
December 9, 2013

Simon & Schuster UK has recently announced the launch of a genre-specific social media and blog site, meant to entice avid readers of its New Adult and Romance titles. Called The Hot Bed and curated by an in-house team of four Simon & Schuster UK professionals, the site aims to be the source for news about S&S’s top-selling and most well-loved romance authors, as well as a blog for those authors to make appearances.

Penguin Sells Ebooks Direct With Readmill App
December 2, 2013

Penguin UK has teamed up with the Berlin-based ebook app developer Readmill to bolster direct ebook sales.

The app allows readers to share ebook highlights and to talk to each other while they're reading, "liking" one anothers' updates and discussing the books. People who buy ebooks from Penguin.co.uk will have the option to "send to Readmill". The arrangement sidesteps Amazon's Kindle and means that Penguin can retain more data on customers.