Hello, and welcome to
the section installment of “Pub Club, Pub World”! This section will update all
you lovely blog readers about what’s going on in the world of publishing.
Here's the latest news
for this month!
1. From February 22nd
through February 25th, around 500 independent booksellers, publishers and
authors attended Wi8, or the 8th annual Winter Institute, in
downtown Kansas City. The annual Winter Institute is gaining more and more
popularity each year. Even the blizzards that immobilized the Midwest couldn't
slow down the party - over 95% of those scheduled to attend were able to get
there despite the snow. The event, which allows ABA (American Booksellers
Association) member bookstores to attend, includes several special events,
including "two Reps Pick lunches, the Winter Institute's signature Author
Reception, and a trip to the National Association of College Stores' CAMEX
trade show.” For those worried about the fate of the independent bookseller,
this is your beacon of hope. The event is growing larger and larger every year,
providing educational and engaging experiences for those involved in
independent publishing.
2. Now let's look at the most recent lawsuit being filed against the
Big Six. The Big Six (Random House, Penguin, Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon
& Schuster and Macmillan) and Amazon are being sued by three independent
bookstores because of DRM rights. The plan, according to the filed complaint,
is that the DRM (digital rights management, which is used to protect eBooks
from getting shared person to person) is squeezing independent booksellers out
of the business. The lawsuit is on the heels of the Department of Justice’s
lawsuit against Apple and five of the Big Six publishers over eBook price
fixing. Said lawsuit is accused of solidifying Amazon's monopoly over the eBook
industry. It's already a major concern that the eBook is putting publishers out
of business, but it definitely endangers the independent publishers who are not
affiliated with the Big Six! We'll follow closely for updates on this lawsuit.
3. Finally, let's take a
look at Paper Lantern Lit. This company is a "book packaging"
company, which means that they brainstorm novel ideas and give them to authors
to write. The company just hosted its bi-annual gathering to generate more
ideas. The concept of book packaging has produced some of the most iconic
books, such as the Gossip Girl and Vampire Diaries series, which originate from
another book packaging company, Alloy. Paper Lantern Lit, since it's launch in
2010, has published every proposal they have generated, now totaling 23 books,
and three are in the works for television or film production. The company has
helped publish nine first time writers, and the books are now being sold to
some of the Big Six publishing houses. This has two possible effects. First,
considering authors don't need to produce their own ideas, those who are good
writers but bad idea generators need not fear. Secondly, on a negative note,
those with brilliant, original ideas are getting overlooked because of the
writers who work off of others’ ideas. Is it worth it? Only time, and the sales
of these books will tell.
Keep reading for more
news next month!
Sources:
By Natalie Hamil
