Publishing News Daily Book News Wednesday, 18th March 2026

[AgentPete]

DAILY SUMMARY:

U.S. book output smashed through four million titles in 2025, a staggering 32.5% jump powered largely by self-publishing — a stat that should make every aspiring author sit up and take note. The literary world also lost two towering figures: spy novelist Len Deighton at 97 and legendary literary agent Al Zuckerman at 94. In a plot twist worthy of fiction, a Utah author who penned a grief memoir was convicted of poisoning her husband. Elsewhere, Goodreads launched a Did Not Finish shelf, and the UK gets its first official BookTok chart — because apparently the algorithm needed a trophy cabinet too.

Publishing Industry News​

Book Output Topped Four Million in 2025​

The total number of books published in the U.S. in 2025 surged 32.5% over 2024, according to Bowker data, driven largely by a boom in self-published titles. The number of traditionally published books rose 6.6% to 642,242.

Albert Zuckerman, Literary Agent and 'Hero of the Blockbuster,' Dies at 94​

Albert Zuckerman, founder of Writers House literary agency, has died at 94 after a fifty-year career representing dozens of bestselling authors including Ken Follett, Stephen Hawking, and Michael Lewis.

New IDW Imprint Aims to Give Crime Comics Their Due​

IDW is launching a dedicated crime comics imprint in May, spurred by readers' appetite for true crime and cult stories. The first release will be Seven Wives #1, a comics trilogy set in the Church of Latter Day Saints.

Jeff Hobbs's 'Seeking Shelter' Wins Lukas Book Prize​

Jeff Hobbs has won the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize for Seeking Shelter: A Working Mother, Her Children, and a Story of Homelessness in America. William Dalrymple won the Mark Lynton History Prize for The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World.

Beanstack Acquires Comics Plus, Launches Joyful Reading Company​

Digital reading platform Beanstack has acquired Comics Plus, combining the two to create a new brand called the Joyful Reading Company. The merged entity will pair Comics Plus's catalogue with Beanstack's reading motivation tools.

Religion Book Deals: March 18, 2026​

Among recent religion book deals reported are a crime novel, a look at rebuilding a deconstructed faith, and a husband-and-wife devotional.

Goodreads Launches Did Not Finish Shelf​

Goodreads is rolling out a new Did Not Finish shelf, allowing users to formally categorise abandoned reads. The feature has been a long-requested addition from the reading community.

Self-Publishing & Independent Publishing News​

Official BookTok Chart Launches in UK; Audible Expands to 11 New Markets​

The UK is set to launch its first official BookTok chart, compiled by Nielsen BookScan with data support from Media Control, which previously trialled the concept in Germany. The monthly charts will track what the BookTok community is reading and measure the platform's commercial influence on book sales. Separately, Audible announced expansion into eleven new international markets including Sweden, Ireland, and South Africa.

4 Book Design Considerations for Authors Planning to Translate Their Work​

Self-published authors planning to translate their work should consider design choices early in the process, as decisions around layout, typography, and formatting can significantly affect how easily a book adapts to other languages and markets.

Notable Book News & Book Reviews​

Len Deighton, Author of Espionage Best-Sellers, Dies at 97​

Len Deighton, the bestselling British spy novelist whose Cold War thrillers including The Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin brought documentary-style realism to the espionage genre, has died at 97. His career spanned decades and his work rivalled that of John le Carré in reshaping how readers thought about intelligence services.

How Did Great Replacement Theory Go Global?​

Ibram X. Kendi's new book Chain of Ideas argues that a modern form of xenophobia has come to dominate conservative movements around the world, tracing the intellectual history of Great Replacement theory.

A Salty Ode to Nature's Wonders​

Caroline Tracey's new book explores the mysteries and beauty of salt lakes in what has been described as a compelling meditation on the natural world.

The Delusions by Jenni Fagan Review​

Jenni Fagan's novel The Delusions imagines an afterlife characterised by queues and bureaucracy, offering a darkly inventive take on what comes after death.

Solidarity by Rowan Williams Review​

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams examines the meaning of solidarity and what it truly means to stand by someone in his latest philosophical work.

Utah Author Who Wrote Book on Grief Found Guilty of Murdering Husband​

Kouri Richins, who wrote a children's book about grief following her husband's death, has been found guilty of fatally poisoning him. The case drew widespread attention due to the grim irony of her published work.

Geopolitics May Test the World Cup — A New Book Draws Lessons from the Past​

Roger Bennett's new book examines how past World Cup competitions have intersected with cultural and geopolitical moments, drawing lessons for the upcoming 2026 tournament in North America.

Good Slut by Zoe Strimpel Review​

Zoe Strimpel's Good Slut has drawn a sharp critical response, with reviewers noting that a book ostensibly celebrating women's freedom is marked by striking blind spots and an overall sense of joylessness.