Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blogs Posts of The Week 07/07-7/11

Every week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

The Truth Behind The Endless “Kids Can’t Read” Conversation 

The Case Against Substack

The Salt Path’s Slippery Slope As Penguin Random House Says It Did “All Necessary Diligence”

Is The Art of Audio Narration At Risk To AI?

Did You Know There’s Still Time To Take Action And Save The IMLS?

People Round Up, July 2025

PEOPLE

Kirkus Reviews has announced publisher and CEO Meg LaBorde Kuehn will leave on July 11th after 14 years at the company. Judy Hottensen, formerly VP and associate publisher of Grove/Atlantic, will become interim CEO and assume all of the duties formerly performed by Kuehn. Kuehn has been with the company since 2011 as VP of business development.

Princeton University Press has announced that Caroline Priday stepped down from her role as co-head of PUP Europe on June 26th. She had been with the company since 2005. Following her retirement, Kimberley (Kim) Williams, fellow co-head of PUP Europe and digital and audio publisher, will be the new head, while also retaining her publisher responsibilities.

The American Library Association has announced that Daniel J. Montgomery has beeb selected  as executive director; his term begins November 10th. He was previously president and COO at the Illinois Federation of Teachers. He succeeds interim executive director Leslie Burger.

At Abrams, Lori Benton joins as SVP, children’s publishing. She was previously VP, publisher at Scholastic, overseeing Orchard Books, Scholastic Press Picture Books, Cartwheel, Scholastic Audio, and Weston Woods.

At Hachette, associate publisher of Basic Books, TJ Kelleher will leave publishing on August 22. Melanie Wann, formerly associate manager at Scholastic, has joined as associate national accounts manager.

At Penguin Random House, Allie Merola has joined Hogarth as senior editor, reporting to David Ebershoff. She was previously at Viking PenguinKatherine Robertson has joined Random House Children’s Books as publicist, she was previously the associate publicist at Basic Books and Seal Press. Bella Bledzki has joined Random House Children’s Books as marketing assistant for audience engagement. Ellen John has joined Crown Publishing as marketing manager for Ten Speed Young Readers. Jennifer Dee has joined as publicity manager of Ten Speed  Young Readers. She was formerly the publicity manager at Harper360. At Simon & Schuster, Laurie Young has joined the children’s art and design department as senior designer.

At HarperCollins, Josh Sippie has joined as editor of Harper Alley. He was previously senior copywriter at Barnes & Noble.

At Macmillan, Alexis Dunbar has joined as VP of real estate and facilities. Melina Ziambras has joined as assistant of DEI.

At Quarto Group, Hannah Adler has joined as marketing and publicity assistant. Stuart Carter has joined as national account manager. Melissa Close has joined as marketing and publicity manager. Elyse Gregov has joined as senior marketing and publicity manager.

At the Collective Book Studio, Jamie Klingensmith has joined as analyst for sales and marketing.

At Sourcebooks, Vanja Mackic has joined as buyer and Jane Duzansky has joined as human resources generalist. Alessandra Roche has joined as editor of Sourcebooks, Bloom Books, and Cosmo Reads. Barbie Altofer has joined as senior project manager for calendars and general merchandising. Jamie Tan has joined as senior marketing and publicity manager.

At Harlequin Trade Publishing, Laura Gianino has been named as its associate director of publicity. Leyal Erkan has joined as editor and previously was at Little, Brown Children’s.

At Familius, Gretchen Picklesimer Kinney has joined as managing editor.

At ReaderLink, Nandini Arakoni has joined as consumer insight analyst II. Marlesha Coleman has joined as collections specialist. Irina Tenis has joined as business analyst II.

At Phaidon, Nina Santoro has joined as editorial assistant.

At Microcosm Publishing, Leslie Davisson has joined as sales director and Sara Balabanlilar has joined Microcosm Publishing and WorkingLit as sales and marketing manager.

At Candlewick Press, Ellie Friel has joined as editorial services manager.

At Melville House, Jonathan Sturgeon has joined as senior editor. Previously he was editor-in-chief of The Baffler magazine.

___

In Agency News…

Lucinda Literary, Lauren Eldridge joins as an agent, specializing in fiction and narrative nonfiction. She was previously freelance consulting. Craig Pyette joins as an agent, specializing in researched nonfiction. He was previously senior editor at Random House and Knopf Canada.

At Neighborhood Literary, Tiana Kelly joins as an associate agent, where she will build a list focused on romance, romantasy, and speculative fiction. She was most recently in marketing at Simon & Schuster.

At Antsu Literary Agency, Wadzanai Mhute has launched their agency and is currently seeking fiction and nonfiction clients. Mhute was previously the books editor at Oprah Daily and Oprah’s Book Club and a fiction editor at The Sunday Long Road.

At Andrew Nurnberg Associates, managing director Jenny Savill has been promoted to agency director and primary agent.

At Edmison/Harper Literary Scouting, the company has been appointed North American scout for Pan Macmillan and its adult imprints.

At Diversion Publishing, the publisher’s UK and translation rights will be represented by Linda Kaplan at Kaplan DeFiore Rights. The rights for WLA Books will continue to be handled by Ashley Lopez.

At Belcastro Agency, Tasneem Motala has joined as junior agent. She was previously assistant agent at The Rights Factory.

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PROMOTIONS

At Penguin Random House,  Allison Renzulli is being promoted to VP, director of marketing of Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press. Marni Folkman has been promoted to in-market publicist. Greg Kubie has been promoted to Director of Publicity for paperbacks and in-market. Carrie Nell has been promoted to Director of Publicity and strategic partnerships, working on titles across Random House, Dial Press, Hogarth, and the RHPG division. Michelle Jasmine has been promoted to Director of Publicity at Dial Press. At Berkley, Yazmine Hassan has been promoted to publicist.

At Simon & Schuster, Lauren Wein has been promoted to editor-in-chief of Avid Reader.

At Hachette Book Group, effective July 7, Stephanie Liccardi has been promoted to associate national account manager, joining the Amazon sales team and focusing on the HBG children’s catalog.

At HarperCollins, Kelly Rudolph has been promoted to SVP of Publicity and Integrated Marketing Strategy for the Morrow Group and HarperCollins Children’s Books. Zaynah Ahmed has been promoted to marketing associate for Harper, Broadside Books, and Harper Influence. At HarperCollins Children’s Books, Carter Wilken has been promoted to assistant editor of Quill Tree Books and Heatdrum.

At Macmillan, Andrew Arens has been promoted to Associate Director of quality assurance and platform development. Andrea Morales has been promoted to manager of contracts.

At Sourcebooks, Amy Hoidas has been promoted to royalties specialist.

At Bloomsbury, Maria DeKoning has been promoted to associate publicist and Lauren Wilson has been promoted to publicist.

At the University of Minnesota Press, Alena Rivas has been promoted to publicist.

At Familius, Erika Sargent has been promoted to director of marketing and publicity. She can be contacted at erika@familius.com. Brooke Jorden has been promoted to art director.

At Harlequin, Eden Railsback has been promoted to assistant editor at Hanover Square Press. Sophie James has been promoted to senior publicist at Harlequin Trade Publishing.

At ReaderLink, Olivia Salazar has been promoted to senior account representative. Amaya Sood has been promoted to senior omni channel sales support coordinator.

At Notre Dame Press, Stephanie Marchman has been promoted to marketing and sales director. Morgan Levine has been promoted to assistant acquisitions editor.

At Ingram, Josh Dailey has been promoted to chief legal officer.

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DULY NOTED

The NYU Advanced Publishing Institute is now open for registration with a special early-bird rate. Designed for mid- to senior-level book publishing professionals, the program will take place in-person on New York University’s Greenwich Village campus, from January 5 through January 9, 2026. The full day executive education sessions will feature lectures, case studies, and workshops led by top publishing and media professionals, with an emphasis on management, leadership strategies, and consumer connections.  The team at the NYU Center for Publishing,Writing, and Media, hosts of NYU API, are lining up an exciting roster of industry thought leaders. You can view highlights of API 2025 HERE. For questions, please reach out to nyu.api@nyu.edu.

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EVENTS

July 12-13th

New York City Poetry Festival

New York, NY

July 16-19th

Romance Writers of America Conference

Niagara Falls, CAN

July 18-20th

Atlantic Comic Convention

Atlanta, GA

July 18-20th

Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference

Corte Madera, CA

July 18- August 3rd

Lima International Book Fair

Lima, PE

Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blogs Posts of The Week 06/23-06/27

Every week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

The Fanfiction Foundations Behind Today’s Romantasy Debuts

 

Writers Call on Publishing Houses to Commit to Human-Only Content

 

Bookstore Owners Exit South Dakota Over Anti-Trans Legislation

 

Which Kindle Should You Buy in 2025?

 

AI Firm Wins Partial Victory in Copyright Lawsuit Over Book Use

People Round Up Late June, 2025

PEOPLE


At Hachette Book Group, Tobias Madden has joined as Senior Manager of Metadata Strategy, and Amanda Marks has joined the Online Sales Team as National Accounts Manager. Ingrid Norton has joined as Associate Editor, she previously worked as an Assistant Editor at the Harvard Divinity Bulletin. Danielle Lance, formerly account executive at Renegade DC, has joined Basic Books Group as senior publicist.

At Penguin Random House, Christine Kell has joined as Senior Production Designer at Random House Children’s, most recently she was Creative Director & Design Manager of her own studio, Kell Design Studio. At Ten Speed Young Readers, Ellen John has joined as Marketing Manager and Jenniffer Dee has joined as Publicity Manager. Kate Tyler’s role has expanded to VP, Director of Publicity and Brand Strategy for Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press.

At MIT Press, Stephen Morrow has joined as Executive Acquisitions Editor for Brain and Life Sciences. Previously, he was at Simon & Schuster

Abrams has restructured its marketing department and the following changes were led by Melanie Chang, SVP of Marketing, Publicity, and Corporate Communications. On the adult side, Cristina Gilbert joins as Executive Director, Marketing. She was most recently the Associate Publisher of Flatiron Books. Jenna Lisanti returns to the company as Associate Director.  She was previously working on the company’s adult campaigns in a freelance capacity. Kasia Abrams joined as Executive Director, Content & Consumer Engagement. She was previously at Open Road. 

At Whitecap Books, Sarah Miniaci-Davis has joined as Publisher. Formerly a freelance book publicist at Sarah Miniaci PR, she has also joined as Director of Publicity at Sutherland House Books and Fitzhenry & Whiteside

At Bloodhound Books, Hannah Baxter-Deuce will assume the role of Publisher.

At Candlewick Press, Savannah Rush, formerly a sales temp, has joined as Production Assistant. Lailah Jackson, formerly Teacher’s Assistant at the Learning Experience, has joined as Marketing Assistant for School and Library. Joining Candlewick Press, Holiday House, and Peachtree, Maggie Salko, formerly Marketing and Publicity Manager at Little Bee Books, has joined as Marketing and Consumer Manager. Also at Holiday House and Peachtree, Megan Brearley, formerly Print Editor and Paginator at Pagemasters North America, has joined as Coordinator for Managing Editorial.

At The Stable Book Group, Jodi Weiss has joined as EVP and Head of Sales.

At One World, Jocelynn Pedro has joined as Assistant Director of Publicity.

At AAP, Eric Bagwell has joined as VP of Education and Innovation Policy, reporting to EVP, government affairs Shelley Husband. Previously Bagwell worked for Intel Corp. on IP and technology policy and was on the policy staff of the House Judiciary Committee.

At Open Road Integrated Media, Lola Bosa has joined as Editorial Assistant. 

The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) has announced their Executive Director and President, Eileen Dengler, of the professional booksellers school is retiring at the end of 2026. She began her career at the American Booksellers Association in 1984.

At Julia Publicity, Julia Borcherts has launched a boutique literary PR and marketing agency. She was previously at Kaye Publicity.

At Boom! Studios, Sara Miller has joined as Editorial Director. She was previously at DC Comics. Kiarar Valdez has joined as Special Projects Editor. She was previously at First Second. Tea Fougner has joined as Co-lead to the imprint, previously they were in the editorial department of King Features Syndicate. Sebastian Girner joined as Co-lead to the imprint, he was previously Editor-in-Chief at TKO Studios.

Founders of British rocket company Christ Larmour and two of his funders- Martin Coates and John May created Factorial Books last year and have announced they will be publishing their first titles later this year.

 

In Agency News…

 At Trellis Literary Management, Nicole Cunningham, formerly Literary Agent at The Book Group, has joined as Literary Agent.

At the Transatlantic Agency, Eva Oakes has been promoted to International Rights Coordinator, and Stuti Shah has been promoted to International Rights Administrator.

At Howland Literary, Esty Loveing-Downes has joined as Agent. Previously, she was an Associate Agent at ArtHouse.

At the Caldwell Agency, Stephanie Kim joined as Literary Agent. She was previously literary agent at New Leaf Literary & Media. Arthur Young joined as Operations Manager.

At Ultra Literary, Joanna Rasheed has been promoted to Literary Agent. Lillabeth Brodersen and Whisper Blanchard have joined as Assistant Literary Agents.

At Dunham Literary, Anjanette Barr has been promoted to Agent. Lee Melillo has been promoted to Associate Agent.

At Neighborhood Literary, GiannaMarie Dobson joined as Associate Agent.

 

PROMOTIONS
At Penguin Random House, Lauren Ball has been promoted to Senior Publicist at Portfolio, Thesis, and Sentinel. At Dutton, Hannah Poole has been promoted to Publicist. At Putnam, Jess Lopez has been promoted to Associate Publicist. At Penguin Press, Juli Kiyan has been promoted to Deputy Publicity Director. At Viking Press, Camille LeBlanc has been promoted to editor.

At Hachette Book Group, Stephanie Licciardi has been promoted to Associate National Accounts Manager on the Online Sales Team, and Carolyn Pittis has been promoted to VP of Digital Operations, with Directors Dorothy Bara, Melissa Mathlin, and Julie Rodriguez reporting to her. 

At HarperCollins, Theresa Dooley has been promoted to Director of Publicity. Kim Silverton has been promoted to Associate Director of Sales Analysis.At Ecco, Gabriella Doob has been promoted to Executive Editor.

At Abrams on the children’s side, Borana Greku has been promoted to Director of Children’s Marketing.

At Sourcebooks, Jordan Kost has been promoted to Senior Creative Director at Sourcebooks Kids; Peter Racenis and Megan O’Brien have been promoted to Customer Experience Coordinator; and Ella Lindgren has joined as Customer Experience Representative. Claire Herendeen has been promoted to Senior Supervisor, Author Acquisitions, at Callisto. At Wonderland, Nicky Benson has been promoted to Senior Publishing Manager, and Elisabeth Clary has been promoted to Associate Editor.

 At W. W. Norton & Company, Daniel Van Ostenbridge has been promoted to Associate Production Manager; Emma Ratner to Prepress Production and Content Coordinator; Delaney Adams to Production Manager; Lauren Abbate to Senior Production Manager; Sofia Utz to Subsidiary Rights Associate; Lara Drzik to Marketing Coordinator; Gabrielle Nugent to Senior Publicist; Siena Ballotta Garman to Associate Publicist; and Laura Mucha to Assistant Editor. At Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton, Devorah Backman has been promoted to Senior Marketing Manager; Zachary Polendo to Senior Publicist; Maya Goldfarb to Assistant Editor; and Emma Peters to Associate Editor. At Liveright, an imprint of W. W. Norton, Maria Connors has been promoted to Assistant Editor.

At Berrett-Koehler, Katelyn Keating has been promoted to Associate Director of Design and Production, and Ashley Ingram has been promoted to Creative Director of Design and Production.

At Soho Press, Steven Tran is being promoted to VP and Director of Sales.

At Lerner Publishing Group, Amy Fitzgerald has been promoted to Senior Editorial Director of Carolrhoda Books, Carolrhoda Lab, and Zest Books.

At Open Road Integrated Media, Catherine Phelan moved into the new role of VP, Audience, for the Content Affinity audiences and Early Bird Books.

At W Publishing Group, an imprint of Thomas Nelson, Madison Baird has been promoted to Director of Digital Marketing.

At the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Kim Turrisi has been promoted to VP

____

DULY NOTED

BookCon, the ReedPop fan focused book event, has announced its return for April 18-19th, 2026. The event was originally an add-on to the Book Expo but was removed in 2020 following its transition to a virtual setting.

NetGalley has announced the launch of Booktrovert.com, a new consumer-facing marketing platform and destination website for readers. Powered by NetGalley technology, Booktrovert allows publishers and authors to run secure digital giveaways, special promotions, and reader engagement campaigns through a sleek, mobile-friendly interface. With features like pre-order links, curated lists, and exclusive merch, Booktrovert aims to bridge the gap between book discovery and book buying. The platform officially launches on June 23, 2025.

The NYU Advanced Publishing Institute is now open for registration with a special early-bird rate. Designed for mid- to senior-level book publishing professionals, the program will take place in-person on New York University’s Greenwich Village campus, from January 5 through January 9, 2026. The full day executive education sessions will feature lectures, case studies, and workshops led by top publishing and media professionals, with an emphasis on management, leadership strategies, and consumer connections.  The team at the NYU Center for Publishing,Writing, and Media, hosts of NYU API, are lining up an exciting roster of industry thought leaders. You can view highlights of API 2025 HERE. For questions, please reach out to nyu.api@nyu.edu.

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EVENTS

June 23-26th

Association of Jewish Libraries Annual Conference

Online

 

June 27th

Library Insights Summit

Philadelphia, PA, USA

 

June 26-30th

ALA Annual Conference

Philadelphia, PA

Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blogs Posts of The Week 06/16-06/20

Every week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

BookTok Takes Center Stage: How TikTok Is Shaping Publishing at the LA Times Festival

 

Supreme Court Ruling Could Threaten Education & Publishing

 

#NotAI: Writers Use TikTok to Defend Their Work

 

Working‑Class Voices Clash with Elite at Writers’ Workshop

 

ByteDance Shuts Down 8th Note Press, Ending TikTok’s Publishing Experiment

Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blogs Posts of The Week 06/09-06/13

Every week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

Oregon Passes Bill to Shield School Libraries from Book Bans 

 

How the Bestseller-Only Model Is Squeezing Midlist Writers in 2025

 

Avoiding AI Style: Writers Under Pressure to ‘Sound Human’

 

Spotify Fuels Audiobook Growth for Publishers

 

How Edmund White Empowered a Generation of LGBTQ+ Storytellers

People Round Up June, 2025

PEOPLE

At Simon & Schuster, Breda Curran, formerly Senior Sales Manager for Mass Channel and Specialty Retail at Union Square & Co. Publishing and Sterling, has joined as National Account Manager for ReaderLink and Walmart.

At HarperCollinsHarper, Lindsay Prevette, previously Director of Publicity at Fortier Public Relations, has joined as Senior Director of Publicity. Earlier she had been  Executive Publicity Director at Penguin Viking.

At Macmillan, Danielle Wales has joined as Senior Program Manager of IT, Amber Hoover has joined as Director of Subrights Contracts, and Sean Callahan has joined as Subrights Accounting and Collections Clerk for Finance.

At Penguin Random House, Carina Taylor, formerly Senior Graphic Designer at Scholastic’s Graphix imprint, has joined Inklore as Art Director. At Random House Publishing Group, Trish Adamik has joined the marketing department as Director of Creative Strategy.

At Hachette Book Group, Kathleen Reed has joined Basic Books as Managing Editor. She was most recently at Hay House.

At Sourcebooks, Tori Harris has joined as Marketing Designer, Romance; Alex Caballero has joined as Senior Accounts Receivable Manager; Kate Avino has joined Sourcebooks Kids & YA as Developmental Editor; Holly Ingraham has joined Sourcebooks Bloom Books as Senior Developmental Editor; and Nate Hunter has joined Sourcebooks Audio as Senior Production Manager.

At Bloomsbury US, Omuni Barnes, formerly National Accounts Manager at National Book Network, has joined as National Accounts Manager. At Bloomsbury Archer, Rebecca Brewer, formerly a freelance editorial consultant, has joined as Senior Editor.

At Scholastic, Chris Lick has been appointed EVP, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary.

At Holiday House, Megan Brearley has joined as Managing Editorial Coordinator, and Therese Mahler, formerly Senior Production Manager at Scholastic, has joined as Senior Production Manager.

At University of Washington Press, Katrina Noble has joined as Art Director.

At Hermes Press, Steven Leaf, formerly Assistant Manager of Purchasing at Diamond Comic Distributors Inc., has joined as Director of Sales.

At ReaderLink, Nicole Cluley has joined as Senior Director of Licensing.

At Abrams, Kate Roddy, formerly Editor at Sourcebooks, has joined as Senior Editor.

At Post Wave Children’s Books, Allison Moore has joined as U.S. Publishing Director.  She was previously at ByteDance and 8th Note Press.

In Agency News…

At Trellis Literary Management, Alyssa Morris has joined as Literary Agent, focusing on romance, romantasy, and self-published authors. Morris is the creator of the popular BookTok Substack Romancing the Phone. Nicole Cunningham will join as a Literary Agent on June 16. She was previously an agent at The Book Group.

At P.S. Literary Agency, Carleen Geisler, formerly Associate Literary Agent at ArtHouse Literary, has joined as Associate Literary Agent. Marina Green, formerly Acquiring Editor at Harlequin and HarperCollins, has also joined as Associate Literary Agent.

PROMOTIONS

At Penguin Random House, Kim-Salina has been promoted to Associate Marketing Manager at Berkley. At Dutton, Caroline Payne has been promoted to Senior Marketing Manager.

At HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Jerri Helms has been promoted to SVP of Marketing Operations. At Harper overall, Wendy Ceballos has been promoted to Senior Director of Retail Marketing and Field Sales.

At ReaderLink, Kaitlyn Lockwood has been promoted to Associate Publisher and Senior Editorial Director, and Dienesa Le has been promoted to Associate Editor.

At Sourcebooks, Susie Benton has been promoted to Senior Editorial Manager of Development and Operations. Heather VenHuizen has been promoted to Design Manager for Adult and YA. Jillian Rahn has been promoted to Senior Art Director of Nonfiction. Stephanie Rocha has been promoted to Executive Production Designer. Drew French has been promoted to Data Science Manager. Jennifer Sterkowitz has been promoted to Senior Manager of Metadata Operations. Michelle Denney has been promoted to Purchasing Manager for Sourcebooks Kids & Callisto.

At Hanover Square Press, John Glynn has been promoted to Editorial Director.

At University of North Carolina Press, Sonya Bonczek has been promoted to Director of Publicity and Communications, and Helen Kyriakoudes has been promoted to Publicist.

At Publisher Spotlight, Heather Ahmie has been promoted to Director of Marketing.

At Kensington Publishing Corp., Sarah Beck has been promoted to Digital Operations Manager, and Megan Zimlich has been promoted to Assistant Director of Digital Operations.

At Andrews McMeel Publishing, Lynne McAdoo has been promoted to SVP of Sales and Marketing, Cat Vaughn has been promoted to VP of Marketing, and Kathy Hilliard has been promoted to SVP of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Andrews McMeel Universal.

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DULY NOTED

The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) has launched Find a Rightsholder, a centralized, searchable database designed to help publishing professionals identify rights and permissions contacts across more than 3,500 US and UK imprints–including many inactive or defunct ones. Spearheaded by BISG’s Rights Committee and chaired by Kris Kliemann, the tool supports industry wide efforts to simplify rights communication, reduce licensing delays, and open new opportunities for content reuse and monetization. For more information about BISG, please visit www.bisg.org  or contact Liz Bartek, MarketingCommunications Manager liz@bisg.org.

 

The NYU Advanced Publishing Institute is now open for registration with a special early-bird rate. Designed for mid- to senior-level book publishing professionals, the program will take place in-person on New York University’s Greenwich Village campus, from January 5 through January 9, 2026. The full day executive education sessions will feature lectures, case studies, and workshops led by top publishing and media professionals, with an emphasis on management, leadership strategies, and consumer connections.  The team at the NYU Center for Publishing,Writing, and Media, hosts of NYU API, are lining up an exciting roster of industry thought leaders. You can view highlights of API 2025 HERE. For questions, please reach out to nyu.api@nyu.edu.

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EVENTS

June 4-22nd

Feira do Livro de Lisboa

Lisbon, PT

 

June 9-12th

Associate of University Presses Annual Conference

Virtual

 

June 12-15th

Nantucket Book Festival

Nantucket, MA

 

June 17-21st

ThrillerFest

New York Hilton, NY

 

June 26-30th

ALA Annual Conference

Philadelphia, PA

Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blogs Posts of The Week 06/02-06/06

Every week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

New Data Uncovers Gaps Between Readers and Publishers

 

Summer Book Overload: Is Publishing’s Seasonal Break a Thing of the Past?

 

Salman Rushdie Speaks Out on America’s Censorship Culture

 

Amazon Faces Surge of AI-Generated Book Knockoffs

 

Nationwide Efforts Counter Book Bans and Protect Historical Narratives

Standing Room Only at PW’s U.S. Book Show

Publishers Weekly‘s 5th annual U.S. Book Show was another sold-out success, held at a new venue at the New York Academy of Medicine and featuring a packed schedule.

The conference opened with a celebration of the Schomburg Center’s 100th anniversary, before transitioning to Jonathan Segura’s interview with Hachette’s David Shelley and Simon & Schuster’s Jonathan Karp. Their conversation covered everything from AI to DEI initiatives, book bans, and the importance of data collection.

A final question about the importance of independent publishers caught Karp by surprise. As he explained that his focus remained on his own company, Shelley noted that Hachette was happy to distribute many small presses—prompting Karp to graciously respond, “That’s a much better answer!” The pair concluded by offering advice to newcomers: “Make publishing better than it already is.”

What followed were a dozen talks and panels, with AI and the eternal challenges of book discovery emerging as common themes throughout the day. Keith Riegert, president of the Stable Book Group and CEO of Brooklyn-based independent publishing companies, Ulysses Press and VeloPress Books, delivered his now-annual presentation on navigating AI for publishers, with many specific recommendations for using it to improve internal operations, produce engaging marketing creative, and do some of the time-consuming tasks that humans aren’t likely to miss. 

An audiobook panel moderated by Ed Nawotka explored the evolving landscape, touching on Spotify’s entry into the space, Audible’s continuing growth (children’s audio grew 22% in Q4 2024), Sourcebooks’ new audio initiatives, and developments on the horizon—including “immersive audio” experiences and a remaking of the Harry Potter audiobooks featuring the newest sound capture technology.

PW‘s John Maher moderated a particularly compelling panel on nurturing the next generation of publishing professionals, with insights from industry leaders Sally Kim, Sloan Harris, Emi Ikkanda, Christoph Paul, Davi Pillai, and Erinn McGrath. Their takeaways for aspiring publishers were clear: learn, listen actively, respect colleagues, interact meaningfully (especially in the office!), and above all, remain optimistic about books and the industry. And for those just starting their careers, one standout piece of advice was to find a peer group outside of one’s organization, to learn from others who may have similar experiences.

The conference concluded with a panel on TikTok and BookTok, where panelists acknowledged the platform’s uncertain future, given that the June 19 deadline for a mandated sale has been extended once again. But everyone was excited by the promise of TikTok LIVE to boost awareness of authors, genres, and tropes–and generate book sales

As attendees filed out of the packed venue after a well-attended cocktail hour, the buzz was louder than ever–a reminder that publishers love what they do, and love to talk about it. 

Top 5 Publishing Articles/Blogs Posts of The Week 05/26-5/30

Every week, we recommend 5 publishing articles/blog posts that supplement the major news for the week. Whether data or industry commentary, we hope these 5 links will be a simple way to keep you in the know.

Global Publishing Leaders Unite for Policy and Advocacy in Madrid

 

BookTok Backlash: Luke Bateman’s Deal Highlights Disparities in Publishing

 

Authors Publishing House Expands Nationwide to Empower Indie Authors in $15B Surge

 

The Self-Publishing Dilemma: How AI Is Flooding the Market With Synthetic Stories

 

Writing Under the Weight of a Legend: Simon Tolkien Reflects on His Grandfather’s Influence