Stuart Kells recommends
Wednesday, 14 February 2024
I’ve recently returned to a lot of Australian writing that I love, such as Kate Jennings’s books and Barry Hill’s Broken Song (Vintage). Another book that stands out is The...
Stuart Kells on ‘Alice™’
Tuesday, 13 February 2024
Stuart Kells (co-author of Sold Down the River, author of Penguin and the Lane Brothers: The untold story of a publishing revolution) is an adjunct professor at La Trobe University’s...
How international markets performed in 2023
Wednesday, 7 February 2024
In the US, a fall of 'only' 2.6% in unit sales was a relief, while many European markets achieved modest growth despite falling volume sales, thanks to price increases. In...
Romantasy, audio and b-format: Bookseller and publisher predictions for 2024
Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Booksellers and publishers who responded to Books+Publishing's Christmas survey were asked to predict what trends and developments might unfold in 2024. From buying habits to trendy genres, we share some...
Publishers on Christmas 2023: Black Friday changes buying patterns as fiction holds strong
Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Publisher responses to this year's Books+Publishing Christmas survey show the key selling season was better than expected for half of respondents, and close to expectations for the remaining 50% of...
‘Better than expected’ Christmas for booksellers, despite almost a quarter reporting sales dropped
Wednesday, 24 January 2024
While a small number of booksellers (4.4%) reported an ‘excellent’ Christmas in 2023, sales for the period were down on 2022 for almost a quarter of booksellers who responded to...
Explainer: Why did the costs of printing a book go up?
Wednesday, 17 January 2024
In 2022 when Books+Publishing reported on the increasing costs of print in Australia, IVE Group CEO Cliff Brigstocke said he had 'never witnessed such a challenging set of circumstances’ in...
POD and the pandemic: How are publishers using print on demand now?
Wednesday, 17 January 2024
For many publishers around the world, the supply-chain chaos of the pandemic drove a move to print on demand (POD). Books+Publishing asks what role POD plays for publishers and booksellers...
Anton Clifford-Motopi recommends
Wednesday, 10 January 2024
I recently finished reading What About Thao? by Oliver Phommavanh. I loved the portrayal of everyday life in a small country town and the likeable and relatable cast of characters....
Inclusive publishing leaders at the Sharjah Publishers Conference
Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Each year, the Sharjah International Book Fair brings publishing professionals to the United Arab Emirates through its fellowship program. Agata Mrva-Montoya, from the University of Sydney, attended the 2023 conference....
Explainer: What is accessible publishing?
Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Accessibility and inclusivity are broad terms that can have different meanings in different contexts. In the book industry, these terms have surfaced at many conferences and events as people come...
Anton Clifford-Motopi on ‘To and Fro’
Tuesday, 9 January 2024
Anton Clifford-Motopi is a Brisbane-based author who likes to write stories that make children laugh. Books+Publishing reviewer Emma Pei Yin described his debut novel, To and Fro (A&U Children, March),...
New year, new books: Children’s and young adult stories from local publishers
Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Australian children's and young adult publishers are excited to welcome 2024—and with it, a bright array of forthcoming books. Here are the titles publishers are highlighting for younger readers in...
The facts on 2024’s nonfiction releases
Wednesday, 6 December 2023
From big names and literary subjects, to politics, the environment and history, from personal development to crochet, sex guides to cookbooks, publishers pick their top nonfiction titles for 2024. Familiar...
Reading into the year ahead: 2024 fiction and poetry preview
Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Debuts, historical fiction, crime and thrillers, contemporary fiction, romance and fantasy, literary fiction and shorter works—Australian publishers share their top picks in fiction and poetry for 2024, from intergenerational family...
Five key insights from Nielsen BookScan’s SPN market report
Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Claire West and Olivia Johansson from Nielsen BookScan opened the Small Press Network’s Independent Publishing Conference industry day on Friday, 24 November, sharing key insights on the overall Australian book...
Independent Publishing Conference 2023: Conversations and communities
Wednesday, 29 November 2023
The Small Press Network (SPN) annual Independent Publishing Conference (IPC) was held from 23 to 25 November at the Wheeler Centre, Melbourne, on Wurundjeri Country, and remotely online. Thursday was...
ILF workshops create books, explore digital storytelling
Wednesday, 29 November 2023
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation is well known as the facilitator of the fundraising initiative Indigenous Literacy Day, and for developing books in First Nations languages, but other ILF programs also...
Sharlene Allsopp recommends
Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Burn by Melanie Saward. My favourite writers grip my heart with the reality of grief and loss, but leave me with hope and beauty at the same time. When I...
Sharlene Allsopp on ‘The Great Undoing’
Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Sharlene Allsopp's debut novel, The Great Undoing (Ultimo, February 2024), 'is a remarkable book that reaches back into the early 20th century and forwards into the future to examine discontinuities...
Victoria Carless recommends
Wednesday, 22 November 2023
I read and loved Limberlost by Robbie Arnott earlier this year. It is a quiet novel, ostensibly about a boy called Ned, who hunts rabbits for their pelts to buy a boat...
AI: The next, best editorial tool?
Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Editors Rose Michael, Sharon Mullins, Renée Otmar and Katherine Day ask how AI tools might work, or be made to work, for editorial. Back when Rose was editor of the...
Rising Stars on AI
Wednesday, 22 November 2023
How do the publishing industry's rising stars feel about AI? Editors Rose Michael, Sharon Mullins, Renée Otmar and Katherine Day are interested in how AI tools might work, or be made...
Ingram’s David Taylor on POD
Wednesday, 22 November 2023
David Taylor is senior vice president at Ingram Content Group and has responsibility for Ingram’s print-on-demand (POD) activities outside Ingram’s US base. These include the Ingram-owned Lightning Source businesses in...
AI and AR at the Sharjah Publishers Conference
Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Each year, the Sharjah International Book Fair brings publishing professionals to the United Arab Emirates through its fellowship program. Agata Mrva-Montoya, from the University of Sydney, reports on her first...
‘I wanted to make a meaningful impact’: Reflections from the 2023 Open Book interns
Wednesday, 15 November 2023
First run as a pilot program offering two internships in 2022, the Open Book paid internship program is a joint sector initiative that aims to foster cultural and linguistic diversity...
Victoria Carless on ‘Lani and the Universe’
Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Victoria Carless is a Brisbane-based author who has written for middle-grade readers and young adults, and for theatre. Her debut novel, The Dream Walker (Hachette, 2017), was nominated for the Queensland...
Explainer: What are the costs and considerations of making audiobooks?
Wednesday, 8 November 2023
As audio has boomed in recent years, the ways a print title makes it to the audio format have changed. Whereas in the past, audio-only publishers such as Bolinda were...
Listen up: How booksellers are getting in on the audiobook boom
Wednesday, 8 November 2023
While the pandemic boost to reading appears to have subsided somewhat (with recent Creative Australia Arts Participation Survey results reporting a three-percentage-point decline in reading engagement since the last survey in...
BookPeople sees ‘notable uptick’, higher average value with new gift cards
Wednesday, 8 November 2023
Earlier this year, BookPeople launched its new gift cards program, selling digital and physical cards that can be redeemed at member bookshops and Collins and Dymocks shops across Australia. The...
