Short news items from the world of book publishing:
05/19/2025
Binc Doubles Down in Support of Booksellers, Comics Retailers
The Book Industry Charitable Foundation has launched the Now More Than Ever, I Stand with Bookstores campaign, aiming to engage book and comic lovers to support their local stores. A coalition of authors will match the first $50,000 in donations.05/19/2025
Diamond Staff Laid Off in Post-Acquisition Restructuring
With its acquisition by Ad Populum and Universal Distribution officially inked earlier this month, restructuring has begun at Diamond Comic Distributors, resulting in a number of high-level layoffs across the company’s comics and graphic novel divisions.05/19/2025
RBmedia to Release ACOTAR Anniversary Audiobooks
The audio recordings, which feature new narration, will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Sarah J. Maas’s bestselling romantasy series A Court of Thorns and Roses. All five audiobooks in the series will publish on May 30.05/19/2025
PEN/Faulkner Foundation to Take Over PEN/Hemingway Award
The PEN/Faulkner Foundation has assumed the responsibility for administering the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel from PEN America. The prize was founded by Mary Hemingway, a member of PEN, in 1976.05/19/2025
‘New York Journal of Books’ Shutters
The New York Journal of Books, an online book review outlet launched in 2010, has ceased operations. Founder Ted Sturtz cited recent tariffs, which affected the site’s Amazon commission revenue, as the cause.05/19/2025
Atria Picks Up Paula McClain’s Next Novel, ‘Skylark’
The novel, per the publisher, follows “a young woman seeking artistic freedom in 17th-century Paris and a medical student living in WWII Paris during the Nazi occupation.” Publication is set for April 2026.05/16/2025
2025 Eisner Award Nominees Announced
Leela Corman, Emil Ferris, Tessa Hulls, and Manu Larcenet are among the nominees for this year’s Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. Fantagraphics received the most nominations across the awards’ 32 categories.05/16/2025
Authors Guild Launches Petition to Reinstate Shira Perlmutter
The petition urges Congress to reinstate Perlmutter as register of copyrights following her abrupt firing by the White House last weekend, characterized by the Authors Guild as an “unlawful power grab.”05/16/2025
NCTE, PRH Announce Anne Frank Award for Teaching Memoir
The new program from the National Council of Teachers of English, Penguin Random House, and the Anne Frank Fonds will award $1,000 grants to 10 educators to teach memoir in the classroom, with a particular focus on children’s wartime experiences.05/16/2025
Distribution Deals for the Week of May 12, 2025
Independent Publishers Group has inked a new agreement with Kodama Tales, Two Rivers Distribution will partner with Storm Publishing, and Rockpool Publishing has teamed up with Andrews McMeel Publishing.05/15/2025
Libro.fm Launches In-App Direct Purchase, Member Signup
Following the recent Epic Games v. Apple ruling, the Libro.fm app can now prompt customers to explore membership options and buy audiobook credits on their website, supporting indie bookstores with no commission going to Apple.05/15/2025
Furthermore Resumes Publishing Grants
Furthermore is resuming its publishing grantmaking this year, aided by the Hawthornden Foundation, to support the publication of nonfiction books. Since 1995, Furthermore has supported nearly 1,500 nonfiction works with more than $8 million in grants.05/14/2025
PRH and DC Join Forces For ‘All-Star Superman’ Audiobook
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s Eisner Award–winning graphic novel will be adapted as an audiobook this summer, featuring cover art by Quitely, a full cast of 25 voices, an original music score, and sound effects.05/14/2025
Carla Bruce Joins Lavender Public Relations
The former One World publicity director has joined the boutique literary publicity firm, which focuses on queer and feminist authors. Lavender was launched last year by veteran book publicists Brittani Hilles and Amelia Possanza.05/12/2025
Applications Open for Binc‘s Macmillan Scholarship
In collaboration with Macmillan Publishers, Binc has opened applications for the Macmillan Booksellers Professional Development Scholarship, providing $750 to booksellers traditionally underrepresented within the industry to attend fall trade shows.05/12/2025
Richard Atkinson Joins DK U.K.
In the U.K., DK has named Richard Atkinson to the newly created role of publisher for its Life division. He previously served as publishing director at Penguin Press and Bloomsbury.05/09/2025
Maddie Caldwell Joins RH as Executive Editor
In her new role at Random House, Caldwell, previously senior editor at Grand Central Publishing, will specialize in nonfiction.05/09/2025
Distribution Deals for the Week of May 5, 2025
Independent Publishers Group has announced the addition of seven publishers to its sales and distribution programs.05/08/2025
Wiley and Perplexity Team Up in AI Initiative
The partnership will integrate the education publisher’s content into Perplexity’s AI search capabilities for educators and students.05/08/2025
Libro.fm Launches Web Player
Libro.fm, the audiobook company for indie bookstores, will now allow users to listen to books directly from their browser via the company’s website.05/07/2025
Flatiron to Publish ‘Back to the Future’ Memoir by Michael J. Fox
Flatiron Books president and publisher Megan Lynch has acquired North American rights to Future Boy: ‘Back to the Future’ and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum, cowritten by Fox and Nelle Fortenberry. Publication is set for October 14.05/06/2025
Nicole Aschoff Takes the Helm at Verso
Aschoff succeeds longtime managing director Jacob Stevens, who has led the radical press since 2008. She assumed her new role on May 1.05/06/2025
HarperCollins Nabs Thriller by MrBeast and James Patterson
Brian Murray and Liate Stehlik acquired world all language writes to the untitled novel cowritten by the YouTuber and author. William Morrow will publish the book in the U.S. in 2026.05/02/2025
PublicAffairs Unveils New Colophon
The nonfiction imprint at Hachette Book Group said the colophon represents a new chapter under editor-in-chief Meagan Levinson, who succeeded longtime publisher Clive Priddle in February.05/02/2025
Schiffer Expands Into Crafting Kits
The publisher’s Better Day Books and Schiffer Craft imprints are releasing new craft kits this year, focusing on “engaging and easy-to-follow activities” such as crocheting, finger knitting, and stencil projects.05/01/2025
PRH Inks License Agreements with Disney
The new agreements extend Disney’s existing relationship with Penguin Random House, and will see the publisher license content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, 20th Century Studios, and National Geographic.05/01/2025
Distribution Deals for the Week of April 28, 2025
Utah-based independent publisher Gibbs Smith has inked a sales and distribution agreement with Simon & Schuster, and Shaherazad Shelves will be distributed to the trade by Independent Publishers Group.04/30/2025
Alyson Sinclair Joins Center for the Art of Translation
Sinclair, who is stepping down as publisher of the Rumpus following its March sale, will join the Bay Area–based nonprofit, which is the publisher of Two Lines Press, as communications director, effective May 5.04/30/2025
Frankfurt Book Fair Launches New Fellowship
The Frankfurt Fellowship Network—which combines two former funding opportunities—aims to offer younger professionals from the international publishing industry “an intensive training and networking program.”04/30/2025
NetGalley and Rakuten Kobo Team Up
Both digital reading services have announced a technology partnership for the collaborative development of an integrated Kobo reading option connected to the NetGalley platform.04/30/2025
Grand Central Picks Up Dick Van Dyke’s ‘100 Rules for Living to 100’
Suzanne O'Neill at Grand Central Publishing acquired world rights to the legendary actor’s autobiographical collection of advice, stories, and reflections. 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life is slated for November 18.04/29/2025
Mellon Foundation Announces Emergency Funding for State Humanities Councils
The Mellon Foundation has committed $15 million of emergency funding to the Federation of State Humanities Councils following recent federal funding cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities.04/29/2025
Anand Giridharadas, Leigh Haber Launch Book Club
Political analyst Giridharadas and Haber, who for 10 years directed Oprah’s Book Club, have teamed to launch the Ink Book Club, which will focus on themes of democracy across fiction and nonfiction.04/29/2025
American Manga Awards Set for August 21
The second annual awards, hosted by Anime NYC and Japan Society, return this summer. Eleven judges across seven categories will pick the nominees, which will be announced—along with the 2025 Manga Publishing Hall of Fame honoree—on June 17.04/29/2025
Kim Lauber Joins Macmillan as SVP of Consumer Insights, Marketing, and Analytics
Lauber comes to Macmillan from Abrams, where she serves as VP of marketing. She will start in her newly created role on May 19.04/28/2025
AALA Launches People of Publishing Conference
The one-day event, slated for September 17 at the New York Academy of Medicine, will bring together literary agents, editors, and other publishing professionals.04/25/2025
Jenna Bush Hager Launches Book Festival
The inaugural Read with Jenna Book Festival will take place in Nashville on May 30-31, and will feature conversations with authors, book club discussions, book signings, and more.04/24/2025
PEN America Report Finds Jailing of Writers Hit New High in 2024
The number of writers jailed reached a six-year global high last year, per the organization’s annual Freedom to Write Index report. China and Iran retained their respective spots as the world’s top two jailers of writers.04/23/2025
Loyalty Bookstores Co-Owner Steps Back
Loyalty Bookstores co-owner Christine Bollow will transition to an advisory role following a move to Arizona.04/23/2025
The ‘Bookseller’ Launches New Adult Book Prize
The new U.K.-based prize, copresented by the Bookseller, recognizes new adult fiction that addresses the “issues and events that arise from the move from adolescence to early adulthood.”04/22/2025
Song Cave’s Annual ‘Photo Fundraiser’ Returns
Sales of photo prints taken by such authors as Ben Lerner, Lucy Ives, and Rachel Kushner will benefit the Brooklyn-based nonprofit press, as well as Doctors Without Borders. The fundraiser runs through May 6.04/22/2025
NYPL’s Schomburg Center Celebrates Centennial
The research library dedicated to research in Black culture will kick off its yearlong 100th anniversary celebration on May 8, with an exhibition, summer festival, book giveaways, and more.04/22/2025
Cynthia Erivo to Narrate New ‘Wicked’ Audiobook
The actor and singer, who portrayed Elphaba in the Academy Award–nominated Wicked film adaptation, will voice a new audiobook edition of Gregory Maguire’s novel, slated for July 1 from Recorded Books.04/21/2025
Charlotte Jones Voiklis Launches Tesser Well Consulting
The boutique consultancy, founded by the granddaughter of A Wrinkle in Time author Madeleine L’Engle, will advise literary estates, authors, and publishing professionals navigating legacy planning, rights, and long-term literary stewardship.04/21/2025
Distribution Deals for the Week of April 21, 2025
Consortium Book Sales & Distribution inks deals with five new publishers, Simon & Schuster signs AMP Comics, and Paradigm will archive 1,600 books for Edinburgh University Press.04/18/2025
BISG to Hold Annual Meeting on April 25
The Book Industry Study Group will hold its 2025 conference, “Move Fast and Fix Things,” on April 25 in New York City, bringing together “industry leaders, fixers, and future-builders to keep up, speak up, and level up.”04/18/2025
ALA Urges Supporters to Contact Congresspeople with a #FundLibraries Message
In support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and school library funding through the Department of Education, the American Library Association encourages outreach to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.04/17/2025
Kate Zimmerman Joins AMP as Executive Editor
In her position at Andrews McMeel Publishing, Zimmerman will identify new authors, creators, and content that continue the publisher’s mission to “publish remarkable, distinctive, and bestselling works.”04/17/2025
PEN World Voices to Celebrate 20th Anniversary
The PEN World Voices Festival returns later this month, running simultaneously in New York City and Los Angeles, April 30-May 3. More than 80 authors from three dozen countries will take part.04/16/2025
Guggenheim Announces 100th Class of Fellows
Miranda July, Nicole Krauss, Richie Hofmann, and Cynthia Cruz are among the 198 recipients of this year’s Guggenheim Fellowship.News Brief Archive
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