What do the capitalist titan Jeff Bezos and communist kingpin Kim Jong-Un have in common? Very likely, they have absolutely nothing in common, but we will never know because both Amazon and North Korea are kingdoms of secrecy. This week, owing to a lengthy New York...
Three leading education publishers have brought a copyright and trademark infringement suit against a U.S.-based textbook reseller for allegedly importing and selling “pirated” foreign editions of popular textbooks in the U.S. market. Filed in...
Authors discontented with their publishing deals are nothing new. Mark Twain enjoyed jabbing at publishers like a kid tossing stones. He said once that robbery of a publisher wasn’t a crime and was even rewarded in heaven with two halos. This week, a particularly...
True love, if you’re lucky enough to find it, lasts forever. So do diamonds, and even some tattoos. And for trade book authors, there are the contracts they sign with publishers. Earlier this week, the Authors Guild released the fourth installment of its Fair Contract...
In a week when Go Set A Watchman broke sales records, the book business might want to celebrate. Then again, it might not. Harper Lee’s second novel lay unpublished for more than 50 years. When it finally appeared, readers swooped upon the tale of Scout and Atticus...
Many bestsellers are surprise hits, appearing almost out of nowhere to dominate and saturate. The latest blockbuster, though, was a guaranteed smash from the day this past winter when its publisher announced the title. Go Set a Watchman is only the second novel from...
Courtrooms figure prominently yet again in the latest book world news, while one innovative online service struggles to balance costs and customer demand. In New York City, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, by a 2–1 margin, affirmed Judge Denise Cote’s 2013 finding...
The annual conference of the American Library Association opened this week in San Francisco, and many attendees may have their eyes on the job board. Earlier this month, James Billington, the 86-year-old librarian of Congress, announced he would retire after 28 years....
Change is a constant in life, and with Amazon and e-books, especially so. The e-retailer’s business terms for publishers and authors lurch from point to point like pinballs. Last summer, Amazon launched its Kindle Unlimited e-book subscription service, featuring...
When the American Library Association convenes its annual conference later this month in San Francisco, book authors are the honored guests – and not only famous names like Ms. Magazine founder Gloria Steinem and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Robbie Robertson of The...
