Publishing News Daily Book News Wednesday, 14th January 2026

[AgentPete]

Daily Book News Wednesday, 14th January 2026

Independent publishing punched above its weight as a new indie bestseller list debuted and novelists leapt up the charts. Big houses reshuffled leadership while self‑publishing platforms embraced video and AI. French and Australian book markets saw both dips and drops, but readers everywhere were encouraged to dive in—whether through New Year challenges, atmospheric BookTok videos or nationwide campaigns..

Publishing Industry News​

Independent Publishers Caucus launches an indie bestseller list​

The Independent Publishers Caucus and American Booksellers Association unveiled the Independent Press Top 40, a weekly chart spotlighting fiction and non‑fiction titles from independent presses. The list ranks books based on sales data from indie bookstores and aims to give smaller publishers more visibility in a market dominated by conglomerates.

Leadership changes at Random House Publishing Group​

Ballantine Books Group president Kara Welsh will leave Random House Publishing Group, and veteran executive Scott Shannon will take over as president of Ballantine Bantam Dell. The reshuffle is part of a broader reorganisation under RHPG president Sanyu Dillon, who praised both executives’ contributions and signalled a new strategic direction for the division.

Sam Eades and Sophie Wilson to co‑head new commercial fiction imprint​

Simon & Schuster UK announced that editors Sam Eades and Sophie Wilson will co‑lead a new commercial fiction imprint called Skylight. Operating as a job‑share, the duo will report to executive publisher Phoebe Morgan and plan to acquire contemporary page‑turners, with further details about the imprint’s direction expected later in the year.

SPCK Group takes on distribution of Baylor University Press​

Religious publisher SPCK has signed a distribution deal with Baylor University Press, bringing the US academic house’s theology and religion list to SPCK’s network. The agreement, set to start this year, will expand Baylor’s reach in the UK and Commonwealth while strengthening SPCK’s academic catalogue.

Bible sales surge on both sides of the Atlantic​

A report from Christian publisher HarperCollins Christian revealed that sales of Bibles have reached record highs in the US and UK, with consumers turning to faith‑based titles for comfort amid economic uncertainty. The surge includes significant growth in children’s Bibles and gift editions, reflecting renewed interest in religious texts.

Jessica Sänger elected chair of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee​

The International Publishers Association named Jessica Sänger, director of European and international affairs at Germany’s Börsenverein, as chair of its Freedom to Publish Committee. Sänger will lead efforts to defend persecuted publishers worldwide, succeeding Norway’s Kristenn Einarsson, and will work alongside a global team monitoring free‑expression challenges.

HarperCollins signs a science‑of‑ageing blockbuster​

Fourth Estate has acquired *The Age Code* by journalist Dr David Cox. Billed as a “groundbreaking” exploration of longevity, the book promises research‑backed strategies for staying youthful and will blend science with accessible lifestyle advice. Publication is planned for 2027.

French book market slips as industry looks to children’s reading initiatives​

France’s publishers’ association SNE reported a 2 percent decline in book sales for 2025 and warned that 2026 may be challenging. The trade is pinning its hopes on government‑backed programmes to encourage children to read, including initiatives designed to make books more affordable and accessible.

Hutchinson Heinemann appoints Dredhëza Maloku as senior commissioning editor​

Hutchinson Heinemann has hired Dredhëza Maloku as its new senior commissioning editor for fiction. She joins from Faber & Faber and will focus on acquiring literary and upmarket commercial novels. Maloku said she aims to develop a diverse list that reflects global storytelling.

North House Press launches to champion Scottish culture​

Publisher and bookseller David Graham teamed up with novelist Kirsty Gunn to found North House Press, a new Scottish independent publisher. The press intends to publish fiction, essays and poetry that engage with Scotland’s culture and landscapes, and plans to debut its first titles later this year.

Sheffield bookshop ‘Novel’ shutters amid staff harassment​

Independent bookshop and café Novel in Sheffield announced an indefinite closure due to alleged harassment of staff by a local customer. Owners said the decision was taken for employee safety after repeated incidents, and they are working with authorities to resolve the situation.

Booksellers Association urges business‑rates relief for bookshops​

The Booksellers Association called on the UK government to extend business‑rates relief to bookshops in forthcoming reforms, arguing that rising costs threaten high‑street retailers. CEO Meryl Halls warned that without support, many independent bookshops could suffer the same fate as recently closed pubs.

HarperCollins drops David Walliams following misconduct claims​

Books+Publishing reported that HarperCollins has severed ties with bestselling children’s author and entertainer David Walliams amid allegations of inappropriate behaviour toward women. Walliams, known for the *World’s Worst* series, has also seen TV adaptations of his books; the publisher declined to comment further on the decision.

TNPS questions Audible’s in‑app video beta​

The New Publishing Standard examined Audible’s new beta programme allowing publishers to upload promotional videos directly into the app. While short‑form clips could boost discovery and engagement, the analysis warned that costly production might favour major houses and leave smaller presses at a disadvantage, potentially creating a two‑tier system.

Self-Publishing & Independent Publishing News​

Audio platforms lean into video for creators​

The Alliance of Independent Authors’ news roundup reported that Audible is testing in‑app video, including trailers and interviews, while Spotify has lowered the eligibility thresholds for podcasters to monetise their shows. Both moves highlight how audio platforms are adopting visual elements and making it easier for self‑published creators to earn revenue.

New Kindle Scribe drops the frontlight—and the price​

Good e‑Reader questioned whether readers will buy Amazon’s upcoming Kindle Scribe without a built‑in light. The stripped‑down model, announced for early 2026, features an 11‑inch glare‑free display, AI tools such as spoiler‑free summaries and note search, and costs less than other Scribes. Reviewers noted that without an integrated light it may look dark unless used with external lighting.

Academic & Scholarly Publishing​

Roly Sussex story award shortlists announced​

Organisers of the Roly Sussex Short Story Competition released the 2026 shortlists for adult and junior categories. Writers will compete for a total prize pool of A$10,500, and winners will be announced at the Sussex festival later this year.

Notable Book News & Book Reviews​

Irish monthly bestseller list crowns Guinness Book of Records​

Books Ireland’s December bestseller chart, compiled from Nielsen BookData, named *The Guinness Book of Records* the month’s overall top seller. Other leaders included Eimear Ní Bhraonáin’s memoir *The Dodger*, Lee and Andrew Child’s thriller *Exit Strategy* and Marie Cassidy’s *Deadly Evidence*, while children’s hits like *Diary of a Wimpy Kid 20* and *Dog Man 14* dominated the kids’ list.

UK launches National Year of Reading with star ambassadors​

The UK’s National Year of Reading campaign kicked off at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, enlisting footballer Leah Williamson and author Richard Osman to promote literacy. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the initiative aims to reverse a decline in reading for pleasure by encouraging children to read in any format and urging parents to model reading.

‘Heated Rivalry’ TV adaptation sparks book‑buying frenzy​

Bookstores in Australia reported selling out of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers hockey romance series after the TV adaptation of *Heated Rivalry* became a hit. Demand was compared to the *Bridgerton* effect, with HarperCollins rushing to reprint the novels and readers clamouring for the forthcoming seventh book *Unrivalled*.

Daniyal Mueenuddin returns with interlinked novellas​

The Washington Post hailed Pakistani American author Daniyal Mueenuddin’s *This Is Where the Serpent Lives* as a welcome return after a 17‑year hiatus. The long‑awaited book comprises interconnected novellas exploring identity and displacement, and critics noted the author’s lyrical prose and keen social observations.

NPR spotlights January releases by literary heavyweights​

NPR’s Book Ahead column urged readers to watch for January releases from authors like George Saunders, Julian Barnes, Jennette McCurdy, Karl Ove Knausgaard and Daniyal Mueenuddin. The piece celebrated the start of a promising reading year, suggesting that these big names offer something for everyone.

Jung Chang writes a deeply personal tribute to her mother​

In a review of historian Jung Chang’s memoir *Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself and China*, NPR noted that the author turns the lens on herself and delivers an unflinchingly honest portrait of her mother’s life. The book blends family history with China’s turbulent past, creating an emotionally resonant narrative.

Lit Hub lists 21 books to jump‑start your reading year​

Literary Hub highlighted 21 notable books released on January 13, ranging from Karl Ove Knausgaard’s new novel and Daniyal Mueenuddin’s fiction collection to fresh titles by Niall Williams, Val McDermid and C. Thi Nguyen. The editors suggested that readers pick up one of these varied fiction and non‑fiction works to launch their 2026 reading resolutions.

Lit Hub offers reading challenges for 2026​

A companion piece from Literary Hub encouraged readers to stick to New Year reading goals by joining challenges such as StoryGraph’s Genre Challenge, Popsugar’s Reading Challenge, Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge and the 52 Book Challenge. The article ranked them by difficulty and offered tips for staying motivated.

BookTok’s ambience videos promise reading immersion​

Lit Hub also explored the trend of “ambience videos” on TikTok and YouTube, where readers watch cosy backdrops like crackling fireplaces or enchanted forests while they read. The piece suggested that such videos create a “magic circle” of concentration and provide a sensory escape from everyday distractions.

PEN America convenes press briefing on human rights​

PEN America announced a joint press briefing with Amnesty International USA, Human Rights Watch and other groups to discuss global human rights trends since Donald Trump’s return to office. The virtual event aims to highlight censorship, attacks on immigrants and the erosion of free expression, underscoring the intersection of politics and publishing.

 

[Pamela Jo]

In other words You Tube and podcasts..... I'd like to see that last sentence supported...

The Alliance of Independent Authors’ news roundup reported that Audible is testing in‑app video, including trailers and interviews, while Spotify has lowered the eligibility thresholds for podcasters to monetise their shows. Both moves highlight how audio platforms are adopting visual elements and making it easier for self‑published creators to earn revenue.

This Review of an anthology of xmas stories in the irish times resonated w me. Are those w the power to chose what is published too "middlebrow"?

" It’s not great either. Or maybe that’s unjust, and it ultimately comes down to
personal taste. Hordes of you may well devour these stories like the reading
equivalent of “the big Christmas dinner”, and who am I to judge. For me, with
exceptions we’ll come to presently, it mostly felt a bit tasteful and bland and
middlebrow.
I just can’t be doing with middlebrow, in movies or telly or books or anything else.
Give me well-crafted trash or something truly artful, no matter how weird or
difficult. Anything but middlebrow.

Most of the authors, going by their bios at the back, seem of a similar cast.
Degrees in creative writing. Teaching creative writing. This and that arts
award or writer-in-residence gig
How would I define that term? Maybe something like: “The kind of writing that
definitively isn’t genre – it sees itself on a higher plane than cheery, unpretentious
romances and comedies – and aspires to the status of ‘literary’. But it doesn’t fully
commit to art for the sake of art, so ends up in a sort of watery no-man’s-land.”
The kind of stuff that wins awards, gets bestowed with breathless encomia by a
particular type of chin-stroking critic (who refer to themselves as critics, not plain
old “reviewers”), features prominently at arts festivals, is loved by book clubs and
podcasts and radio…and leaves me a little bored.
But it’s more than aesthetic preference. I think my main problem with middlebrow
literature is that there’s not enough to it, stylistically or conceptually.

And middlebrow seems lacking in big philosophical ideas to me. To take A
Clockwork Orange again, it’s not only this thrilling performance of linguistic
virtuoso: the book also wrestles with deep questions of good and evil, free will,
individual rights and responsibilities versus social cohesion or control.
There’s a certain reverse-snobbery, I feel, in modern culture, towards books that
concern themselves with these big ideas; as if so-called “smaller” themes, such as
domestic life, having been unjustly ignored for too long, are now regarded as the
only right and proper authorial subject matter.
Writing a novel that’s contemplative or intellectually ambitious, examining abstract
(sometimes non-human) concepts through the prism of story, is seen as somehow
conceited or inauthentic. Character development and personal relationships are all.
The only appropriate topic is people and how they interact, whether intimately or
on the broader social scale.
But people are boring, aren’t we? Our inner lives are generally uninteresting; our
petty romantic or familial rows and reconciliations are tedious, often exhausting.
The majority of An Alternative Irish Christmas is about domestic strife, clan
gatherings, resentments and bad memories, social awkwardness and verbal
miscues, who said what to who, who’s thinking what about oh who cares. A lot of
blah blah blah, voiced aloud or intoned in inner monologue.
That’s fine, on one level. But you expect, or at least hope for, something more from
“literature”.
You want to be moved, yes – abstraction without emotion isn’t really art or fiction,
it’s an academic lecture or paper – but also surprised, shocked, jolted, energised,
unsettled, excited. You want to be kicked in the head and have your mind and eyes
opened. You want to see the world anew. You want to think, “What a cool idea. I
never looked at it like that before”. You want to feel, “This needed to be written”.
Too much of An Alternative Irish Christmas doesn’t do that; worse, a lot of it reads
very samey. Maybe this is because most of the authors, going by their bios at the
back, seem of a similar cast. Degrees in creative writing. Teaching creative writing.
This and that arts award or writer-in-residence gig. Featured in, or editors of, the
usual lit journals.
I wonder would an anthology like this have worked better if, say, they’d picked a
crime writer, horror novelist, properly avant-garde author, poet, TV screenwriter,
sports journalist, songwriter, someone who’s never written in their life – a big old
mix.
All that said, it’s Christmas: so let’s pause the criticism and accentuate the positive.
Feast of Sparrows and Swans , as mentioned, are damn good. The former reminds
me of Angela Carter’s brilliant The Bloody Chamber , an unnerving, dreamlike
vignette with a queasy feeling of menace spreading through the air like fumes off a
roasting bird. The latter – closer in length to novella than short story – begins as an
amusing, lively account of a mildly pretentious old-pals dinner party, before floating
off into a kind of existential state of uncertain reverie.

 

[AgentPete]

Yeah, I think that's true.. However, it's also turning into an all-out fight between YouTube, Spotify and one or two others for total market dominance, and we already know how that's going to play with creators...

 

[Pamela Jo]

Yeah, I think that's true.. However, it's also turning into an all-out fight between YouTube, Spotify and one or two others for total market dominance, and we already know how that's going to play with creators...

I do think the more they squeeze -the more the hungry consumer looks for someplace new. Capitalism is after all just that street where people set their wares out on a blanket after the apocalypse.

That's what the above review of "middlebrow" writing means to me. People want flavours even in the same old boiled spuds.