April 2020 News Roundup

HOW THE CORONAVIRUS WILL CHANGE BOOK PUBLISHING, NOW AND FOREVER

Since the beginning of the pandemic, ebooks are selling at “about the level we would see during the holidays,” Michael Tamblyn, CEO of ebook and audiobook seller Rakuten Kobo, told this reporter for a piece in Publishers Weekly. Libro.fm, which sells downloadable audiobooks through independent bookstores, reported “record sales” since the start of the crisis. [Source: LA Times]

AUDIOBOOK COMPANY LIBRO.FM HAS TRIPLED ITS MEMBERSHIP GROWTH RATE SINCE FEBRUARY

Interestingly, podcast download numbers have dipped recently, due to the lack of a commute [Source: Forbes]

FAST GROWING INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS OF 2020

Audiobooks Play Important Role in Growth and Revenue [Source: Publishers Weekly]

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A ONCE-REJECTED DYSTOPIAN NOVEL TURNS INTO REALITY?

The book, which was rejected by publishers at the time for being too unrealistic, was finally published on Thursday. [Source: WRCBTV.com]

PUBLISHERS REPORT EARLY LOCKDOWN BOOST FOR E-BOOKS AND AUDIO

[Source: The Bookseller]