Germany’s Bookwire buys Bok2 for added print-on-demand capacity, while Ingram sells edtech company VitalSource 15 years after acquiring it.
Simon & Schuster and Political Books: Mattingly and Mike Pence
Again, Simon & Schuster’s zeal for expanding its strong political books list in nonfiction finds the Big Five house under fire.
Richard Charkin: Brexit Ushers British Publishing Into New Territory
A ‘sea change in trade book publishing,’ writes Richard Charkin, accelerate as Brexit puts the UK industry’s EU exclusivity into a new light.
Germany-Based Bookwire in 2020: Titles Up 11 Percent Over 2019
The digital distributor reports a rise in audiobook titles of 123 percent in 2020 over the previous year. Print-on-demand advanced 18 percent.
Nonfiction: US Politics Opens a New Year of Publishing Controversy
The controversial book of a right-wing senator–cancelled by Simon & Schuster–is now to be published by a conservative press S&S distributes.
China’s Book Retail Market: Down 9.29 Percent in First Half of 2020
The Chinese market’s bookselling patterns remain in flux, many Tier 1 and Tier 2 city stores still not fully open and digital retail accelerating since Q1.
Trump Tell-All Breaks S&S Record; PRH India Signs Sourcebooks, Fitzcarraldo
Industry Notes: The bestseller by Donald Trump’s niece is going into its 14th printing. And Penguin Random House India inks deals with US, UK independents.
Coronavirus Rocks China’s Book Business in the First Quarter of 2020
A first assessment of the Chinese market, January to March, shows physical bookstore sales plunging 60+ percent, printing stalled, supply chain disrupted.
Coronavirus Worklife: UK’s Publishers Association Issues Government Requests
‘Concerned about future solvency as a consequence of supply chain interruption,’ British publishers appeal to the UK government for swift financial aid.
Brexit Arrives in the UK: Observations From the Field
Brexit is here: today’s separation from Europe for the UK market comes with little certainty for book publishing and other creative industries in Britain.