What influences book sales? ‘It’s still maddeningly difficult to tell,’ says Richard Charkin
Wednesday, 6 March 2024
Richard Charkin has held executive positions at Oxford University Press and Reed Elsevier, among others, and is former chief executive of Macmillan Publishers Limited and former executive director of Bloomsbury,...
Ockham 2024 shortlists announced
Wednesday, 6 March 2024
The shortlists for the 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have been announced. Chosen from longlists announced earlier this year, the shortlisted titles in each category are: Jann Medlicott Acorn...
Grenville longlisted for 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction
Wednesday, 6 March 2024
In the UK, the longlist for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction has been announced. Local author Kate Grenville has been longlisted for Restless Dolly Maunder (Text). The longlisted titles...
Amazon ebook anticompetition lawsuit to proceed
Wednesday, 6 March 2024
In the US, a federal judge has formally adopted a magistrate judge’s recommendation that a consumer class action against Amazon for anticompetitive conduct in relation to the ebook market be...
Breen appointed Affirm agency manager
Wednesday, 6 March 2024
Affirm Press has announced former marketing and publicity manager Grace Breen has returned from parental leave to take up the newly created role of agency manager. Breen will head Affirm’s...
Ultimo acquires Khurana’s ‘The Passenger Seat’
Tuesday, 5 March 2024
Ultimo Press has acquired ANZ rights to Vijay Khurana’s debut novel, The Passenger Seat, in a three-way acquisition deal via Philip Gwyn Jones at Greyhound Literary. Described by the agent...
Gender pay gaps revealed for large Australian booksellers
Tuesday, 5 March 2024
Many larger Australian booksellers’ gender pay gaps are now viewable through the Australian Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) data explorer, which was made available last week. As reported by...
US diversity baseline survey shows ‘incremental’ gains
Tuesday, 5 March 2024
In the US, results from Lee & Low’s 2023 ‘Diversity Baseline’ survey of the publishing workforce have been released, finding the industry ‘has made incremental gains in broadening its workforce...
Stella Prize 2024 longlist announced
Monday, 4 March 2024
The longlist for the $60,000 Stella Prize for women and non-binary writers has been announced. The longlisted books are: Praiseworthy (Alexis Wright, Giramondo) She Is the Earth (Ali Cobby Eckermann,...
Spotify adds audiobook-only subscription offer
Monday, 4 March 2024
Music streaming platform Spotify has announced a new subscription category ‘for literary enthusiasts who are looking for more audiobook-specific content’. The new audiobooks access tier, available only in the US...
T&H announces sales and marketing staff changes
Monday, 4 March 2024
Thames & Hudson (T&H) has announced several changes to its sales and marketing departments, alongside the upcoming retirement of its head of sales, Louise Lawson. Lawson’s last day with T&H...
Booktopia half-year revenue down 21%; profit down 34%
Monday, 4 March 2024
Booktopia has reported $86.3 million in revenue for the six months to 31 December, down 21% compared to the corresponding period last financial year ($109.3m). The company also reported an...
S&S acquires Rogers novel in three-book deal
Thursday, 29 February 2024
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired world rights to Matt Rogers’ novel The Forsaken in a three-book deal via Daniel Pilkington. The publisher said The Forsaken is the first...
HarperCollins acquires Gorman’s ‘Lost Pleasure’
Thursday, 29 February 2024
HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Lost Pleasure: Searching for the sex straight women are missing by Alyx Gorman. Gorman is the lifestyle editor of Guardian Australia and has been writing...
Kat Muscat Fellowship 2024 shortlist announced
Thursday, 29 February 2024
Express Media and the Kat Muscat Fellowship Committee have announced the shortlist for the 2024 Kat Muscat Fellowship, which offers support and development to a young Australian writer and/or editor...
MidnightSun acquires Siemienowicz novel ‘Double Happiness’
Thursday, 29 February 2024
MidnightSun has acquired world rights to Double Happiness, a novel by Rochelle Siemienowicz. The publisher said that Double Happiness is ‘a novel about the complexities of polyamorous relationships’. ‘Overcome with...
MWF announces Cunningham, Murray and Jamison as first guests
Thursday, 29 February 2024
Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) has announced the first guests for the 2024 event, which will take place from 6 to 12 May. Pulitzer Prize–winner Michael Cunningham, Booker-nominee Paul Murray and New York Times bestselling...
2024 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards dates announced
Thursday, 29 February 2024
Creative Australia has announced the dates for the 2024 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, with the winner announcement brought forward two months from the previous year. Entries for the 2024 awards...
Lagardère global publishing revenue up 2.2%
Thursday, 29 February 2024
Lagardère, the parent company of Hachette, has reported its publishing revenue for 2023 came in at €2.8 billion (A$4.7b) for 2023, up 2.2% on 2022 as reported and up 1.9%...
Gender pay gaps revealed for larger Australian publishers
Thursday, 29 February 2024
Many larger Australian publishing houses’ gender pay gaps are now viewable through the Australian Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) data explorer, which was made available this week. As reported...
Bri Lee recommends
Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood! She’s the G.O.A.T. Huge fan. How she does so much in so few pages always astounds me. A master at work, for sure.
Reti resigns from MWF board over program
Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Retired clinician Leslie Reti has resigned from his position as Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) deputy chair. In a statement to the Age, Reti said his reasons for resigning from the...
Hardie Grant Explore, Intrepid Travel announce publishing joint venture
Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Hardie Grant Explore (HG Explore) has announced a new joint venture with Intrepid Travel to publish a new series of travel books. The list will begin with The Intrepid List,...
S&S acquires Garside memoir ‘The Good Fight’
Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired world rights to The Good Fight, a memoir by boxer Harry Garside. Garside rose to prominence following his bronze medal win at the...
Pantera acquires Lenton debut ‘Spite Pie’
Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Pantera Press has acquired world rights to the debut novel Spite Pie by journalist and writer Patrick Lenton in a two-book deal brokered by Lou Johnson at Key People Literary...
Self-publishing platform secures funding for AI-powered publishing
Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Publishing figures Stefan von Holtzbrinck, the owner of Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, which owns Macmillan, and former Penguin CEO Michael Lynton are among those investing in Inkitt, a self-described data-driven publishing...
CBCA 2024 Notable Books announced
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its list of Notable Books for 2024. The list acts as the longlist for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards....
Bri Lee on ‘The Work’
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Bri Lee is a celebrated author, academic and activist known for nonfiction titles Eggshell Skull (2018), Beauty (2019) and Who Gets to Be Smart (2021). Her debut fiction novel, The...
Conversation launches books and ideas newsletter
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Research-based news and analysis website the Conversation has launched a new books and ideas newsletter. ‘With shrinking space in many newspapers for serious discussion of books and ideas, we think...
Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award 2023 shortlist announced
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
In the UK, the shortlist for the 2023 Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award has been announced, reported the Bookseller. The prize money for the award is £10,000...
