Publishing News Daily Book News Friday, 23rd January 2026

[AgentPete]

Daily Book News Friday, 23rd January 2026

DAILY SUMMARY:

New statistics showed only a modest boost in November book sales, led by religion and children’s fiction, while China’s bestseller lists leapt on Singles’ Day promotions and the U.S. market cooled but stayed healthy. Libro.fm celebrated rapid growth with a new annual subscription, libraries published their 2025 impact report, and Australian awards and programs spotlighted writers and visiting publishers. Publishers sought to join the Gemini AI lawsuit, scholars decried ghost‑written research, and book sections served up reviews, reading campaigns and protest‑ready reading lists.

Publishing Industry News​

Libro.fm Reports Growth in 2025, Launches Annual Subscription​

The audiobook platform supporting independent bookshops reported strong 2025 results and unveiled a new annual plan giving 12 monthly credits plus a bonus credit for about \$169, noting its community has expanded to more than 4,400 shops across 39 countries and a catalogue of over 600,000 titles. Chief executive Mark Pearson said that being a B Corp means a portion of revenue is shared with bookshops and that the annual plan offers better value than monthly membership.

EveryLibrary Assesses 2025 and Looks Ahead​

EveryLibrary’s annual impact report recounted its 2025 campaigns defending ethical librarianship, the right to read and civil rights of readers, and said that the organisation will intensify advocacy in 2026. The report highlighted grassroots organising, fundraising for challenged libraries and support for ballot initiatives as part of its mission to build public support for libraries.

Publishing Sales Got a Small Boost in November​

November 2025 data from AAP’s StatShot showed that total book sales rose 1.9 percent year on year thanks to a 7.5 percent jump in religious books and a 7.4 percent gain in children’s/YA fiction, while digital audio posted double‑digit growth and e‑book sales inched up. Adult fiction sales rose slightly, adult nonfiction improved 2.3 percent and hardcover sales drove most of the gains, though year‑to‑date figures remained down because of weak trade paperbacks.

China Bestsellers: Double 11 Promotions and Living in an Era of Uncertainty Boost Sales​

OpenBook’s November list revealed that Chinese bestsellers enjoyed a surge from Singles’ Day promotions and themes of survival amid uncertainty; classics and web novels climbed the fiction rankings while nonfiction readers turned to guides on health, economics and stoicism. Top titles included the revolutionary novel *Red Crag*, the self‑help bestseller *Don’t Worry About the Future* and the *Magic School Bus* series, showing how discounts and anxiety‑driven tastes shaped the market.

U.S. Trade Sales Cooled Somewhat in November but Remain Solid​

Publishing Perspectives, drawing on AAP’s StatShot report, noted that U.S. trade revenues in November 2025 rose 3.1 percent to \$972 million even as year‑to‑date figures were 1.7 percent lower; adult fiction and nonfiction both posted small gains, children’s/YA revenue climbed 4.6 percent and digital audio revenue jumped 15.8 percent with e‑book sales up 2.1 percent. Audio formats accounted for just over eleven percent of monthly revenue, while e‑books represented nearly nine percent, underscoring the continued strength of digital formats.

Hazel Rowley Fellowship Shortlist Announced​

Books+Publishing reported that nine Australian writers were shortlisted for the \$20,000 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship, which supports biographical writing. Della Rowley said applications reached a record high in the fellowship’s final year, and the winner will be announced later in 2026.

Local Authors Feature in UK and US Shortlists​

In other Books+Publishing coverage, the site noted that Oxford‑based Australian historian Christopher Clark was shortlisted for the Duff Cooper Prize while several Australian writers appeared on US book‑prize lists, highlighting international recognition for Australian talent. The article emphasised that such listings boost authors’ profiles abroad.

Writing Australia Announces 2026 VIPs​

Writing Australia named twelve international publishing professionals for its 2026 Visiting International Publishers program, designed to connect overseas editors and scouts with the Australian industry. The selected VIPs will attend events and meetings later in the year to foster rights deals and collaborations.

Self-Publishing & Independent Publishing News​

News Summary: Publishers Seek to Join Copyright Lawsuit against Google’s Gemini AI​

The Alliance of Independent Authors reported that educational publisher Cengage and trade giant Hachette filed a motion to intervene in an existing lawsuit accusing Google’s Gemini AI of training on copyrighted books sourced from shadow libraries. The publishers hope to represent a class of rightsholders and argue for licensing agreements and partnerships rather than unfettered AI development, signalling growing industry resistance to AI models trained on unlicensed content.

Academic & Scholarly Publishing​

The Ghost in the Machine: Why Generative AI is a Crisis of Authorship, Not Just a Tool​

A guest post on The Scholarly Kitchen warned that generative AI poses an existential threat to scholarly integrity by enabling undisclosed “ghost” authorship; the author argued that using large language models to draft articles without disclosure undermines accountability and transparency. They urged journals to distinguish between minor AI‑assisted editing and substantive text generation and called for clear policies requiring authors to declare AI‑generated contributions.

Notable Book News & Book Reviews​

‘It’s About Making Reading as Natural as Breathing’: Malorie Blackman Backs the National Year of Reading​

The Guardian reported that former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman joined the UK’s National Year of Reading 2026 as an ambassador, urging that reading should be “as natural as breathing.” Backed by a £27.5 million library funding package, the campaign follows research showing only a third of young people enjoy reading, and Blackman said the initiative aims to rekindle a love of books across communities.

Workhorse by Caroline Palmer Review – a Devil Wears Prada‑Style Tale of Ambition​

This Guardian review praised Caroline Palmer’s darkly comic novel set in the heyday of glossy magazines, comparing it to *The Devil Wears Prada* but with a more viciously funny heroine. The critic noted the book’s sharp observations on workplace ambition and its nostalgia for print‑media excesses.

On Censorship by Ai Weiwei Review – Are We Losing the Battle for Free Speech?​

Reviewing artist Ai Weiwei’s essay collection, the Guardian wrote that the book argues free expression is being eroded not just in China but globally. It lauded Weiwei’s combination of memoir and manifesto and said the work challenges readers to resist complacency in the face of creeping censorship.

7 New Books We Love This Week​

The New York Times’ Book Review recommended seven notable new releases across fiction and nonfiction, offering a quick guide to titles its editors are excited about. The list included memoirs and novels that blend social commentary with engrossing storytelling, aiming to help readers discover fresh voices.

The Writer Who Defined 1920s Paris? It Wasn’t Hemingway​

A New York Times feature argued that another author, not Ernest Hemingway, most vividly captured the glamour and grit of 1920s Paris. Drawing on newly translated diaries and novels, the piece reassessed literary legends and spotlighted a lesser‑known writer who chronicled the era’s bohemian scene.

John Sayles Has Come Around on ‘The Sun Also Rises’​

Filmmaker and novelist John Sayles told the New York Times that rereading Hemingway’s *The Sun Also Rises* changed his view of the characters he once found insufferable. Now older, he appreciates the book’s depiction of lost‑generation malaise and reflects on how his own experiences shaped his original reaction.

‘Stick Together and We’ll Win.’ How to Get Inspired for the Minneapolis General Strike​

LitHub published a reading list by James Folta recommending works by W.E.B. Du Bois, Chris Hedges and others to inspire participants in Minnesota’s forthcoming general strike. The article framed the upcoming “ICE Out of Minnesota” day of non‑violent action as a catalyst for solidarity and suggested literature that can galvanise activists.

 

[Pamela Jo]

https://libro.fm/. This was new to me. It seems a more successful model than the Spiracle one. I do wonder how readers browse audiobooks in bookstores? Esp given that online you get a blurb PLUS a sample and I cant see that available in any bookstore.xcept online. So what are they actually offering? There is a gap here as readers switch over to audio from print. There needs to be some kind of in store shopping experience that makes audio readers want to go into a bookstore. But what is it? Maybe that they browse find an interesting book and have the choice of buying it in print or audio with a quick download? Given the choice and having selected the book -they may chose it in audio over kindle or print. That makes sense to me. You still drop into a bookstore for that new book smell and all the ambiance-you just walk out with your chosen book on your phone instead of a bag. For authors that means they need some kind of physical presence that can be picked up, fondled, leafed thru, before being chosen. That gives trad published an advantage unless audiobook self publishers can come up with something that mimics that experience wo the actual books. Posters? Blurb Handouts?