How Important is Having an Effective Website as a Publisher in 2026?
Reliance on third-party retailers is a risky strategy in 2026. Data shows that 30% of authors and publishers are already selling direct, with more joining this year to escape high platform fees. Se...
Key Features of the 2025 BISAC Code Update
The 2025 BISAC codes were officially released in early December 2025 and brought some significant changes.
Jólabókaflóð: Iceland’s Christmas Book Flood
Iceland is a book wormery, besides boasting a near 100% literacy rate, the nation leads the world in terms of writers, books published, and books read per person. Incredibly about 1 in 10 Icelander...
Let’s be honest, the weeks from Thanksgiving to the end of the holiday period sends most of us into a spin! We all rush around trying to get presents for loved ones, often unsure what to buy and th...
Main players of UK comics industry join forces to build UK into a ‘Global Comics Superpower’
The UK’s comic books giants have joined forces to boost industry and tackle Ai collectively. Historically rivals, they’re now allied. Here we explore the reasons behind this new allegiance. The UK ...
Books With Stories Darker Than Their Pages
Every book tells a story - but sometimes the story behind the book is even stranger, darker, or more mysterious than the tale itself. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley (1818) Few novels have an origin ...
What Publishers Can Learn From Netflix’s Recommendation Engine
When Netflix recommends your next binge-worthy series, it’s not guessing - it’s harnessing vast amounts of metadata to personalise discovery. Publishers can take a page from this playbook. In an in...
6 Reasons to Replatform or Rebuild your Website
With AI algorithms defining a new generation of search, direct-to-consumer becoming the norm, and audiobooks growing exponentially, it is essential that your website is fit for purpose in 2026. Dec...
David Marlin in the Publisher's Chair
David Marlin, founder of MetaComet, shares his journey from tech consultant to publishing innovator...
Shelf-Awareness: Why Some Book Covers Get Noticed and Others Don't
What is the psychology behind cover design and its impact on consumer behaviour.
A Reflection on Gossip’s Political Past
In the early 1500s, the word "gossip" had a very different meaning than it does today. Back then, it referred to close kinship ties, especially female friendships. It was even used to mean a godpar...
Carry On, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse Set in 20th-century British high society. Carry On, Jeeves is a collection of humorous short stories by P. G. Wodehouse featuring the bumbling aristocrat Berti...
Spotify Delivers Growth for the Publishing Industry
Since Spotify Premium launched audiobooks in 2023, there's been significant growth. The number of English-language audiobooks available has nearly tripled to over 400,000 titles. In the US, UK and ...
"You Say, Goodbye and I Say, Hello, Hello, Hello"
While we Brits tentatively roll up our newspapers and politely push them into the recycling bin, others are staying loyal. We conceive the papers as a staple of traditional British culture, a time ...
Beyond the Bookstore: How Subscription Services Are Redefining Reading
Book subscription services have surged in popularity, transforming the way readers discover and engage with literature. Major publishers like Penguin Random House, Hachette Livre, and HarperCollins...
How Voices of the Past Are Shaping the Future of Audiobook Storytelling Through AI Narration
The London based company ElevenLabs has introduced a technology that mimics the celebrity voices of Judy Garland and Laurence Olivier for audio-book narration. Launched by two Polish entrepreneurs,...
Joshua Tallent in the Publisher's Chair
Interviewer: Hi Joshua, thank you so much for joining me on In the Publisher's Chair for our in-person interview. It's great to have you here. Joshua Tallent: Thank you! It’s great to be here. Int...
“Recording 1 million book purchases” by the Books and Consumer Survey 2024
The 13th year of the Books & Consumers survey provides invaluable research for publishers. After more than a decade of data collection, key trends are clearer, we can observe significant shifts...