Took a break for vacation, so this is an XXL issue. Hope you like it!
Innovation
From The New York Times to CNN, how 9 media companies are tapping into the $41 billion NFT market to open up a lucrative new revenue stream
www.businessinsider.com
Some publishers’ NFT strategies are still in the early experimentation stage, while others are generating millions of dollars in revenue.
Forbes Launches ‘Virtual Billionaires’ NFT Collection, Expands Into Metaverse
One giant leap for Jeff Koons: artist to send his sculptures to the moon
RT @TheArtNewspaper Liftoff! Jeff Koons has announced that he will send a group of new sculptures to the moon later this year (and launch a corresponding group of NFTs too, obviously) @Int_Machines @PaceGallery
The Vice Media women’s lifestyle title Refinery29 plans to start testing live shoppable video this spring. — digiday.com
How to build a thriving career?
MT @rishad Here is distilled learning down to a 10 minute read providing the four key tools you may need: A map to understand the terrain, a telescope to look ahead, a compass to help you find your way, and a first-aid kit.
Technology
You can sell items in the metaverse — but Meta will keep a nearly 50% cut
nypost.com
Mark Zuckerberg says Meta plans to let creators sell virtual items in the metaverse — but the company plans in many cases to keep a cut of nearly 50%.
Meta Readies Virtual Currency ‘Zuck Bucks’
Facebook’s parent company plans to add virtual coins, tokens and lending services to its apps, as it pursues ambitions in finance. Mark Zuckerberg hopes payment tokens will reduce platforms’ reliance on advertising as popularity wanes.
Facebook News Feed bug mistakenly elevates misinformation, Russian state media
www.theverge.com
An internal Facebook investigation found that a “massive ranking failure” mistakenly elevated misinformation, Russian state media, and other harmful content over a period of roughly six months.
Facebook is now pushing other initiatives in talks with podcast partners, including events in the metaverse and online shopping.
www.bloomberg.com
Facebook’s interest in podcasts is fading, barely a year after it began.
YouTube is figuring out ways to monetize podcasts and provide analytics for podcast producers
iHeartMedia building new NFT network for podcasts
They plan to combine the IP from various NFTs into a content collection called the “Non-Fun Squad” universe, + world-build for them, creating narratives and bringing those stories to life via podcasts.
Spotify puts its Podz acquisition to use with test of new podcast discovery feature
MT @michellemanafy Spotify acquired podcast discovery platform Podz last summer for roughly $49.4 million. Now, Spotify is testing a feature that leverages the startup’s technology to help users find new podcasts they may like. Via @TechCrunch
TikTok Surpasses Snapchat As Teens’ Favorite, Facebook And Twitter Barely Register
RT @BoSacks #TikTok has surpassed #Snapchat as teens’ favorite social platform, while Facebook and Twitter barely register with them — and 48% are iffy about or uninterested in the metaverse, finds latest @Piper_Sandler teen survey @KLmarketdaily
Snapchat partners with 40+ newsrooms on new automated product
www.axios.com
More publishers will be able to get their content in front of Snapchat users more easily.
IMDb TV Rebranded as Amazon Freevee
Amazon is adding a 5% surcharge for fuel fees and other costs to companies in its Marketplace program
HT @tcarmody Amazon.com Inc. will levy a 5% fuel and inflation fee on online merchants that use its shipping services, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg, putting pressure on sellers to raise prices.
Google Chrome Hit By Another 2022 Zero-Day Hack
Google issued an emergency update warning to billions of Chrome users.
Twitter Advanced Search
HT @justincbzz
Publishing & Media
What will we be reading next year? Five biggest trends from the London book fair
The publishing jamboree was finally back after a two year break with clues of what we can expect in bookshops once all the deals are signed.
Business Musings: The Final Brandon Sanderson Post
HT @publishingtrend Well, Brandon Sanderson’s Kickstarter is one for the record books. It became the highest grossing Kickstarter about a month before his Kickstarter closed. And then it continued to make money. Via @KristineRusch
Banned in the USA: Rising School Book Bans Threaten Free Expression and Students’ First Amendment Rights
PEN America has compiled a report on book bans in the US — including where it’s happening and which books and authors are getting banned the most. It finds a “profound increase… [in bans on] books that relate to communities of color and LGBTQ+ subjects.” In the past 9 months, there have been 1,500+ bans; including 1,100+ unique book titles; 1000 authors, illustrators, translators; in 86 districts + 26 states.
More Than 1,000 Books Banned From Schools Since July 2021, Study Finds
“What we’re seeing here is a resurgence of widespread censorship in America.” PEN America says policies affect 2,899 schools across U.S.
PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans
HT @MindyMcGinnis @PENamerica compiled this index of books that have been challenged/banned in schools. #freadom
A surprising list of recently banned books
RT @PenguinUKBooks From Haruki Murakami to Art Spiegelman, here’s a surprising list of recently banned books #teamPRH
Suspending Access to Library App Epic! Disregards Students First Amendment Rights, Says PEN America
MT @PENamerica The Williamson County, Tennessee, school district’s decision to remove access to the digital library app Epic! for all K-5 families after a parental complaint of one book “undermines the very education this school board is responsible for ensuring.”
Forsyth County Schools planning for changes to media centers, book challenges in 2022–23 year
MT @glecharles A whole lot of 🙁 here, but Follett potentially building tools to narc on kids might be the worst. “For example, a parent could request that a student not be able to check out a book tagged as LGBTQ in Destiny.”
The Cruel Practice of Banning Books Behind Bars
In Florida, the list of 20,000-plus banned books includes Nutrition For Dummies and PCs For Dummies.
How To Fight Book Bans and Challenges: An Anti-Censorship Tool Kit
bookriot.com
A guide to how to fight back against censorship and book challenges, including tools and techniques for citizens and gatekeepers.
NYPL Supports the Right to Read Banned Books
RT @dabeard The New York Public Library is making a group of commonly banned books available to all nationwide — no library card needed — using a free e-reader. “All people have the right to read or not read what they want,” the @nypl says. @ALALibrary
Paper Shortage, Workforce Issues Tackled in Webinar
www.publishersweekly.com
The publishing industry faces continuing supply chain issues and paper shortages, while another set of challenges has appeared in early 2022, in the form of employee resignations and work-life balance issues.
Paper Shortages: What’s Behind the Problem and What Can We Do?
HT @BoSacks PIASC President Lou Caron in-depth look at the paper shortage the printing industry is facing, tracing its origins in pre-pandemic trends, + looking to the possible end game.
Qatar’s first Ramadan Book Fair underway as Arab book fair season attracts millions in Q1 2022
It will be after the summer that we begin to put together exactly how big is the book fair comeback for the MENA region. But safe to say the numbers will be staggering (5–10 million likely), and ignored by most of the western publishing media.
Now In-Demand at Fashion Houses and Galleries? Novelists and Poets — www.wsj.com
Acclaimed writers have lately been collaborating with Valentino, Tory Burch, Gagosian and others, lending them their intellectual cachet and brand of cool.
Finance: HMH Sale Closes, Quarto Owner Keeps Buying, NPD to Merge with IRI
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com
Private equity firm Veritas Capital formally completed their purchase of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, valuing the shares at roughly $2.8 billion. Now a private company again, the shares no longer trade on the NASDAQ.
Barnes & Noble is offering an audiobook service
Malala Yousafzai on Her Reading Journey and Helping Expand Children’s Access to Books — www.marieclaire.com
RT @literati We are excited to announce @Malala as our Chief Education Advisor. The Nobel Laureate will help support Literati’s work to expand access to books in underserved communities and spotlight exceptional books that inspire children.
Condé Nast UK plans to bundle magazine subscriptions with exclusive films, podcasts, and events, for about $25 a month.
Hearst’s ban on sponsored posts is an outlier in the industry. Conde Nast requires editors to give the company a cut
www.businessoffashion.com
As magazines restrict staff from pursuing sponsored content opportunities, recruiting top talent has become harder than ever.
Martha Stewart Living to end print edition as Dotdash Meredith continues shift to digital-only — www.desmoinesregister.com
Dotdash Meredith has now announced plans to end print editions of seven titles.
Ebony Media Launches Production Platform to Amplify Voices of Established and Emerging Creatives of Color — www.hollywoodreporter.com
Ebony Media has launched an all-inclusive, full-service production platform to develop and produce content exploring Black culture.
The News Media Alliance will absorb the MPA — The Association of Magazine Media under a merger awaiting approval. — www.poynter.org
Combinations of news associations have become common over the last decade. But this is a particularly big one, at least symbolically.
Media measuring company Nielsen to be acquired in $16B deal
apnews.com
Nielsen is being acquired for $16 billion, including debt, about a week after the media measurement company rejected a smaller offer earlier this month. Viewing data collected by Nielsen plays a big role in determining where billions in advertising dollars are spent each year.
Bitch Comes to a Close
Bitch Media, a feminist media outlet founded 25 years ago, announces it will cease operations in June 2022; http://BitchMedia.org will remain accessible as an archive.
Substack wants users to create “personal media empires” using text, video and audio, and talk with subscribers via comments.
www.nytimes.com
The publishing platform’s founders want Substack to be an “alternate universe on the internet.” But it faces copycat rivals, an exodus by writers and a need to move beyond newsletters.
Linkedin editorial expansion: Tech giant to employ nearly 200 journalists
Publishers Are Getting Organized to Protect Female Reporters from Digital Harassment
www.adweek.com
Defector Media, Vice Media Group, BuzzFeed Inc. and Reuters have adopted policies that treat digital harassment as a workplace hazard.
How AI can help publishers use archives to engage audience
HT @BoSacks From searching audio soundbites to analyzing quotes and sources, machine learning has the potential to better serve diverse audiences and create new beats. #AI
FT launches 99p per month smartphone edition aimed at its 26m social media followers
The big idea: should we get rid of the scientific paper?
HT @publishingtrend As a format it’s slow, encourages hype, and is difficult to correct. A radical overhaul of publishing could make science better.
How the Music Industry Created Their Own Problems w Copyright
Resources & Opportunities
Factsheets — Think Tank For Inclusion & Equity — www.writeinclusion.org
RT @latinxpitch Calling all agents & editors, check out these fact sheets from @WriteInclusion on authentic representation. Includes overrepresented & harmful stereotypes of underrepresented communities + more stories we need to see in the world.
The BookLife Prize — booklife.com
MT @wordisdiversity Looking for #contests to enter your #fiction? The BookLife Prize is an annual writing competition sponsored by @BookLifeSocial & @PublishersWkly. Submit your #writing by 8/31 to #win a #prize of $5,000 as well as a profile in PW. #WritingCommunity
2022 [margins.] Award Nomination
MT @wordisdiversity We’re now accepting 2022 [margins.] #awards#nominations for contributions to the #literary arts from creators of marginalized backgrounds! Nomination period ends April 30. Awardees announced in June.
Submissions for Reese’s Book Club’s LitUp Fellowship Open
MT @mscharlies #women #writers: not yet represented? not yet published? @ReeseW Book Club created an opportunity just for you:
Native Children’s and YA Writing Intensive
MT @diversebooks Applications for the Native Children’s & YA Writing Intensive are now OPEN! Native/First Nations writers looking to improve their craft and receive manuscript feedback + career mentorship are encouraged to apply:
May 2022- Party at the Pier | Books for Kids
MT @ListProducer Join @booksforkidsorg at our annual event held in celebration and recognition of those who have improved the landscape of #literature, literacy, and education through their work. #BFKParty2022
At Bologna: A New Campaign for Ukraine’s Children’s Books — publishingperspectives.com
Following Putin’s attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s printing hub, the Federation of European Publishers at Bologna issues a worldwide appeal.
Bospar Stands Up for justice initiative
MT @BosparPR We Say Gay & Offer $20K: @BosparPR launches grants for #educators in the fight against DeSantis signage TODAY of the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. The latest work falls under our Stand Up for Justice initiative. Encourage Friends, Family & Colleagues to apply
RT @WMG_NYC Women’s Media Group is pleased to introduce our new Board for the year 2002–2023! Thanks to outgoing Board members @sfbowen, @CandiWords, and @jkhoey for their contributions to the Board! We can’t wait to serve our WMG community and those around us!