Focus On: Indie Reads

NetGalley offers a wealth of insightful data that sheds light on the latest trends and preferences, and we’re thrilled to focus on Independent Books & Publishers this month. If you haven’t browsed these categories recently, you may be missing out! In 2023, indie publishers added nearly 2,500 new books, generating a lot of engagement and excitement from the NetGalley community.

Read on for a glimpse at some of the Most Requested and Top Performing Indie Reads

Most Requested* Indie Reads

On average, books by independent publishers receive about 280 requests and auto-approvals. This includes activity generated when a publisher invites a reader to access the book using the NetGalley widget or makes the book available to ‘Read Now’, in addition to organic requests from NetGalley members. The Feedback Ratio (amount of Feedback returned based on all types of approval) is 24%.

Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on December 2023.

Top Performing** Indie Reads

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in December 2023.

Case Study: Every Day is Christmas by Karen Schaler

A beloved name in Christmas romance, Karen Schaler’s newest book is bringing joy to readers everywhere. Was Every Day is Christmas love at “frost” sight for NetGalley members too? Let’s find out! 

  • 180 Feedback as of February, 2024
  • Over 3,300 Impressions
  • 100% of approved Librarians recommend the book through Reader’s Advisory, book clubs, events.
  • 11% of all readers requested the book due to word of mouth recommendations!
  • See Karen’s previously listed books with Hawktale Publishing on NetGalley here!

Case Study: Avocado Magic by Taltal Levi

Beautiful illustrations, family sweetness, and learning about avocados– what’s not to love! NetGalley members praised Avocado Magic for being a heartwarming story about patience and believing in yourself.  

  • Love this book’s cover? We did too! Avocado Magic was featured on our Homepage for a full week!
  • 95% of approved Educators recommended their students read or purchase this book
  • 100% of Booksellers are likely to handsell this book
  • The book’s illustrations were by far the thing NetGalley members loved most about this book in their reviews
  • Check out NorthSouth Book’s other books on NetGalley here!

Case Study: So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan

From Booker Prize Finalist and bestselling author of Small Things Like These, NetGalley members called this book of short stories “succinct yet impactful” and “profound”. Here’s what NetGalley members thought of So Late in the Day: 

  • 369 feedback as of February, 2024
  • Over 6,700 impressions
  • 100% of Booksellers who submitted feedback suggested they would purchase this book for their stores
  • 92% of Reviewers would recommend this book/author to their audience
  • 277 four and five star reviews were generated from NetGalley members
  • Check out Grove Atlantic’s other books  here! 

Promotions for Indie Reads

Launch your frontlist or leverage your backlist! We have both on-site and email promotions for every budget, goal, and type of book. Learn more or view the full Media Kit here.

This newsletter was sent to 25,500 members who are interested in Indie Reads, and saw a 66% open rate!

Information in this article is from December 2023unless otherwise specified. Data includes details from NetGalley.com.

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Focus On: Cooking, Food & Wine

NetGalley offers a wealth of insightful data that sheds light on the latest trends and preferences, and in this holiday season we’re focusing on Cooking, Food & Wine. If you haven’t browsed these categories recently, you may be missing out! In the last 12 months, publishers have added over 270 new books, generating a lot of engagement and excitement from the NetGalley community.

Read on for a glimpse at some of the Most Requested* and Top Performing** books in these categories!

Most Requested Cooking, Food & Wine

On average, books in the Cooking, Food & Wine category receive about 158 requests and auto-approvals. This includes activity generated when a publisher invites a reader to access the book using the NetGalley widget or makes the book available to ‘Read Now’, in addition to organic requests from NetGalley members. The Feedback Ratio (amount of Feedback returned based on all types of approval) is 24%.

Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on November 27, 2023.

Top Performing Cooking, Food & Wine

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in September 2023.

Case Study: Wine Witch on Fire by Natalie MacLean

Hailed as a heartfelt and inspiring journey, Dundurn Press promoted what would become a National Bestseller on NetGalley pre-publication. Here’s what NetGalley members toast to about Wine Witch on Fire

  • 90 feedback as of November 2023
  • Nearly 1,600 impressions
  • 80% of Media/Journalists said they are interested in the author for interviews/events
  • 96% of Reviewers would recommend this book/author to their audience
  • 81 four and five star reviews on NetGalley

Buzz Beyond NetGalley

Promotions for Cooking, Food & Wine

Launch your frontlist or leverage your backlist! We have both on-site and email promotions for every budget, goal, and type of book. Learn more or view the full Media Kit here.

This newsletter was sent to over 24,200 members who are interested in Cooking, Food & Wine, and saw a 39% open rate!

Information in this article is from September 2023unless otherwise specified. Data includes details from NetGalley.com.

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Focus On: Mystery & Thrillers, Horror, and True Crime

NetGalley offers a wealth of insightful data that sheds light on the latest trends and preferences, and in this spooky season we’re focusing on Mystery & Thrillers, Horror, and True Crime. If you haven’t browsed these categories recently, you may be missing out! In the last 12 months, publishers have added nearly 5,000 new books, generating a lot of engagement and excitement from the NetGalley community.

Read on for a glimpse at some of the Most Requested* and Top Performing** books in these categories!

Most Requested Mystery & Thrillers

On average, books in the Mystery & Thriller category receive about 320 requests and auto-approvals. This includes activity generated when a publisher invites a reader to access the book using the NetGalley widget or makes the book available to ‘Read Now’, in addition to organic requests from NetGalley members. The Feedback Ratio (amount of Feedback returned based on all types of approval) is 29%.

Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on October 27, 2023.

Top Performing Mystery & Thrillers

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in October 2023.

Most Requested Horror

Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on October 27, 2023.

Top Performing Horror

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in October 2023.

Most Requested True Crime

Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on October 27, 2023.

Top Performing True Crime

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in October 2023.

Case Study: The Ballad of Old Joe Booth

by William Pauley III

Horror meets poetry, this Doom Fiction audiobook has NetGalley members atwitter with four and five star reviews. Here’s how The Ballad of Old Joe Booth has made some spooky waves:

– 89 feedback as of October 23, 2023

– Over 2,000 impressions

– 100% of approved Booksellers nominated this book for the Indie Next List

– 95% of Reviewers would recommend this book/author to their audience

– The word “recommend” was in the top list of words used in NetGalley reviews! 

View this book on NetGalley!

Buzz Beyond NetGalley!

Note: The cover of this book was updated since these reviews were written.

Promotions for Mystery & Thrillers, Horror, and True Crime

Launch your frontlist or leverage your backlist! We have both on-site and email promotions for every budget, goal, and type of book. Learn more or view the full Media Kit here.

This newsletter was sent to over 38,000 members who are interested in Mysteries & Thrillers, and saw a 77% open rate!

Information in this article is from October 2023unless otherwise specified. Data includes details from NetGalley.com.

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The Benefit of Reader Reviews

Guest post by Corrin Foster, Sr. Director of Book Marketing & Promotions, Forbes Books

No book marketing initiative exists in a bubble. While each has a purpose, benchmarks, and expectations, how a book marketing strategy works together to build book visibility and sales momentum as a whole is what’s most important. At the center of this philosophy, reader reviews are the golden thread that ties together every element of a successful book marketing campaign. These candid reviews penned by avid readers hold the power to transform casual browsers into buyers and from buyers into fans, followers, and author devotees. They guide readers through the millions of reading choices, to the book that most meetss their needs, whether that’s solving a specific business problem, providing the best gluten-free recipes, or offering a fantastical escape from everyday life. 

Reader reviews are the golden thread that ties together every element of a successful book marketing campaign.

Need more reasons why reviews are vital to a successful book marketing campaign?

  • Reader reviews are the social proof that helps to convert browsers into buyers. They make readers feel confident in their buying decision and excited to read a new book. Generally speaking, the more reviews a book has, the more people read that book. And no matter where they are buying or borrowing the book, they’re likely checking the reviews on Amazon and/or Goodreads before doing so. 
  • Reader reviews help advertising convert to sales at a higher rate. If ad dollars are being spent to drive potential buyers to Amazon to buy your book, those potential buyers need proof that the book is worth buying. Ads generally begin to convert to sales at a higher rate once there are 15+ reviews on the book page, so make that your first reader review goal. 
  • Reader reviews have legs. They get shared online on retail sites, reading communities, blogs, and social media. They get shared offline between friends at brunch, at book club meetups, and in chit-chat with coworkers. 
  • Reader reviews keep books active in Amazon’s product recommendation algorithm. Reviews create page activity. The page activity tells Amazon that there is interest in a book and they should recommend that book to more potential readers. 
  • Reader reviews lead to more reader reviews. When readers see other readers sharing their opinions, they want to join in that conversation. That’s called buzz! 

You never know when or where someone will sing a book’s praises, but that cannot happen without actively engaging with reading communities like NetGalley. 

Here are some ways you can get started connecting with readers.

  • Make your book available on NetGalley. NetGalley is the first touchpoint between authors, publishers, and readers. They are enthusiastic readers, supporters of authors and independent bookstores. They are responsible for the success of many books. 
  • Proactively seed books with your author network. Identify 15-20 people who would be willing to review the book the week of publication. Give them a copy of the book 4-6 weeks prior to publication so that they can begin reading and be ready to review.
  • Take advantage of the giveaway functionality of reading communities like Goodreads, StoryGraph, and LibraryThing. Every book you giveaway is a potential review and every review is an opportunity to attract a new reader. 
  • Respectfully follow up with readers the week of publication.Thank them for their interest in the book, share any wins that may entice them to make it their next read (great trade review? Amazon bestseller? Readers love to know that!). Encourage them then to share their honest review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever they choose to engage. 
  • No hounding readers for reviews! Every avid reader has a stack of books to read and yours might not be at the top of that stack. Give them time to read, enjoy, and form their opinion. And remember that sometimes the best review is no review. 
  • Encourage honest reviews. As a publisher, we never like to see a critical review for one of our books, but readers should be free to share their opinions. Diversity in reviews not only helps books appeal to the right readers, it deters the wrong readers from buying a book and leaving a future critical review. Remember, it’s not about avoiding criticism, it’s about embracing the diversity of opinions that ultimately guide the right readers to your book while helping others avoid a mismatched reading choice.

Reviews act as a bridge between the author and the reader, offering valuable insights into the book’s quality, appeal, value, and relevance. They create a buzz; an ever-expanding conversation that draws more readers into the fold. To harness this potential, engaging with reading communities like NetGalley and proactively involving your network in reviewing your book are essential steps. 

In a world where readers have more choices than time, the importance of reader reviews cannot be overstated—they are the underlying heartbeat of long-term book sales and visibility.

In a world where readers have more choices than time, the importance of reader reviews cannot be overstated—they are the underlying heartbeat of long-term book sales and visibility.

Corrin Foster, Sr. Director of Book Marketing and Promotions, Forbes Books

As the Sr. Director of Book Promotions and Marketing at Forbes Books, Corrin Foster develops and executes strategic book launch marketing campaigns and works directly with authors to help them build their brand, establish authority, and connect with readers. With nearly 20 years of branding and digital marketing experience, Corrin holds an MBA from Indiana University, completed the Yale Publishing Course, and was a Publishers Weekly Start Watch Honoree.

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Focus On: Comics, Graphic Novels, & Manga

NetGalley offers a wealth of insightful data that sheds light on the latest trends and preferences, and this month we’re focusing on Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga. If you haven’t browsed these categories recently, you may be missing out! In the last 12 months, publishers have added nearly 650 new books, generating a lot of engagement and excitement from the NetGalley community.

Read on for a glimpse at some of the Most Requested* and Top Performing** books in these categories!

Most Requested Comics, Graphic Novel, Manga

On average, books in the Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga category receive about 150 requests and auto-approvals. This includes activity generated when a publisher invites a reader to access the book using the NetGalley widget or makes the book available to ‘Read Now’, in addition to organic requests from NetGalley members. The Feedback Ratio (amount of Feedback returned based on all types of approval) is 31%.

Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on August 9, 2023.

Top Performing Comics

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in August 2023.

Top Performing Graphic Novels

Top Performing Manga

Case Study: It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth

by Zoe Thorogood

Image Comics added It’s Lonely at the Center of the Earth to NetGalley on June 29, 2023. In just two months, this graphic memoir has seen some amazing activity

– 64 Feedback, primarily 4 or 5 stars

– 1500 + impressions

– 100% of booksellers nominated the book for Indie Next List

– 89% of Librarians would order for their library

– 53 “thumbs up” on the cover image

Plus, Image Comics enhanced their title record with a Press Release and Reading Guide, maximizing the resources available to NetGalley members. 

View this book on NetGalley!

 

Buzz Beyond NetGalley!

Reviews for It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth on Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, and individual blogs

Promotions for Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga

Launch your frontlist or leverage your backlist! We have both on-site and email promotions for every budget, goal, and type of book. Learn more or view the full Media Kit here.

This newsletter was sent to over 35,000 members who are interested in Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga, and saw a 36% open rate!

Information in this article is from August 2023unless otherwise specified. Data includes details from NetGalley.com and NetGalley.co.uk.

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Focus On: Children’s Books

NetGalley offers a wealth of insightful data that sheds light on the latest trends and preferences, and this month we’re focusing on children’s books. If you haven’t browsed the Children’s Fiction, Children’s Nonfiction, or Middle Grade categories recently, you may be missing out! In the last 12 months, publishers have added nearly 4,500 new books, generating a lot of engagement and excitement from the NetGalley community.

Children’s and Middle Grade books receive a lot of interest from reviewers, educators, librarians, booksellers, and media who use NetGalley to discover new books to share with their audiences.

In the last 12 months, publishers added nearly 4,500 new books to NetGalley in these categories!

Read on for a glimpse at some of the Most Requested* and Top Performing** books in these categories!

Most Requested Children’s Fiction

On average, books in the Children’s Fiction category receive about 71 requests and auto-approvals. This includes activity generated when a publisher invites a reader to access the book using the NetGalley widget or makes the book available to ‘Read Now’, in addition to organic requests from NetGalley members. The Feedback Ratio (amount of Feedback returned based on all types of approval) is 25%.

* Most requested status changes regularly. Books listed in this article were among the most requested on June 16, 2023.

Top Performing Children’s Fiction

** “Top Performers” refers to the amount of Feedback titles received. Books listed in this article were among the Top Performers in May 2023.

Most Requested Children’s Nonfiction

On average, books in the Children’s Nonfiction category receive about 52 requests and auto-approvals. The Feedback Ratio is 29%.

Top Performing Children’s Nonfiction

Most Requested Middle Grade

On average, books in the Middle Grade category receive about 96 requests and auto-approvals. The Feedback Ratio is 17%.

Top Performing Middle Grade

Promotions for Children’s & Middle Grade Books

Launch your frontlist or leverage your backlist! We have both on-site and email promotions for every budget, goal, and type of book. Learn more or view the full Media Kit here.

This newsletter was sent to over 33,000 members who are interested in Children’s and Middle Grade titles, and saw a 44% open rate!

Information in this article is from May 2023, unless otherwise specified. Data includes details from NetGalley.com and NetGalley.co.uk.

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Don’t miss the Firebrand Group Community Conference in Baltimore!

NetGalley is thrilled to co-host the Firebrand Group Community Conference next week (Sept. 26 – 28, 2022) in Baltimore. We can’t wait to present you with this stellar lineup of sessions, featuring speakers from across the industry including keynote addresses from Kirsty Melville and Alistair Croll, plus an introduction to incoming CEO, Angela Bole!

Connect with Your Audience: Marketing Sessions

Building & Scaling Influencer Programs Effectively: TikTok, Instagram, & More

Presented by: Emily Lyman, CEO & Founder, Branch & Bramble

Activating social media influencers is one of the fastest and most effective marketing tools to drive awareness—but it can also be one of the most time consuming and challenging. This session will focus on the tactical elements of building influencer programs based on individual titles as well as entire genres across TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms. Learn how to scale collaborations and maximize budgets with long-term partnership advice, negotiation tactics, and efficiency ideas.

Insights Into Action: The Making of a Bestseller

Presented by: Andrea DeWerd, book marketing strategist, consultant, author

As publishers are competing with streaming services, TikTok, podcasts, and every other hobby for consumers’ attention, book marketers have to adapt new technology for the competitive edge. In this session, book marketing strategist and consultant Andrea DeWerd will present a simple and effective approach for leveling up your organization’s MarTech stack to streamline and scale campaigns for success. We’ll look at the audience insights that drove a New York Times bestselling cookbook, as well as the steps to:

  • Become a data-informed marketing organization
  • Solicit buy-in for new technology at every level of the organization
  • Create a culture of teaching, training, and learning for new tech adoption

Beyond the Book Review: Leveraging Media Placements for Lasting Author Success

Presented by: Publicity Manager Andrea Kiliany Thatcher and Marketing Associate Olivia McCoy, of Smith Publicity

While securing book reviews is a major goal for almost every author, what happens after is just as important. During this session, discover how to leverage book reviews from NetGalley and other sources for well-rounded author success. Topics include:

  • The different types of reviews including endorsements, trade, media, and consumer reviews and the impact each has an on author’s brand
  • How consumer reviews affect retail algorithms
  • How to leverage reviews to line up author events, speaking engagements, etc.
  • The long-lasting impact of book reviews—reviews serve as a foundation to further opportunity
  • Placement and use for NetGalley reviews

Finding Your Audience/Growing Your Community

Presented by Tarah Theoret,  Senior Director, Community Experience, and Kelly Gallucci, Executive Editor, We Are Bookish

Join the NetGalley Member Experience team to learn how targeted acquisition efforts can help expand your audience. This session will explore using data (from NetGalley as well as external sources like Google Analytics, social media platforms, & newsletter subscribers) to identify product/brand champions and inform your community engagement and retention strategies. 

Discussion: Maintaining Momentum Beyond the Pub Date

Book publishers know that they have a wealth of IP in their backlist, but what is the most effective way to mine it? In this session, we will explore creative ways to surface the most relevant backlist titles of the moment, in order to drive their momentum when the time is right. For this group discussion, we hope attendees will come ready to share their concerns, ideas, and successes!

NetGalley 101 

Presented by Darcy Piedmonte, Senior Sales Manager, NetGalley

Rediscover the roots of your NetGalley publisher account! Kristina Radke, VP of Business Growth & Engagement, will guide you through each important moment of a book’s life on NetGalley. We’ll cover everything from creating new titles, setting Availability, incorporating the Widget in your day-to-day efforts, managing requests, building your Auto-Approved List, as well as looking at and using the robust reports available to you. 

NetGalley Promotions Overview

Presented by Lindsey Lochner, Executive Vice President, NetGalley

Learn how publishers use NetGalley Promotions to launch their frontlist and leverage their backlist to reach trade professionals and early influencers, generate reviews, run giveaways, collect pre-orders, advertise around the pub date, and connect directly with their audience. With advertising options for every budget, goal, and type of book, NetGalley’s popular programs are highly valued for their strong engagement rates—delivering outstanding results while remaining at a competitive price. 

More sessions will be announced as they are finalized! While you wait, be sure to talk to your colleagues about attending the Firebrand Group Community Conference. Each track focuses on different aspects of the publishing process.

  • Connect the Dots with Data | Sessions for data analysts, business ops, and marketing teams, including Eloquence on Alert and NetGalley users.

Register today to ensure your space and take advantage of the Early Bird Discount rate! A Group Discount is available for multiple team members attending from one company. Please email us for details.

Posted ago | 0 Comments
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Sessions Announced! Firebrand Group Community Conference

Join us for a very special opportunity to connect with the NetGalley team and your peers from across the publishing industry!

We are thrilled to announce some of the sessions that will be presented at the Firebrand Group Community Conference, September 26- 28 in Baltimore! Experts from across the publishing industry will be speaking about topics critical to your work. This track is dedicated to book marketers and publicists, including NetGalley users, and is specifically designed to help you connect with your audience.

Building & Scaling Influencer Programs Effectively: TikTok, Instagram, & More

Presented by: Emily Lyman, CEO & Founder, Branch & Bramble

Activating social media influencers is one of the fastest and most effective marketing tools to drive awareness—but it can also be one of the most time consuming and challenging. This session will focus on the tactical elements of building influencer programs based on individual titles as well as entire genres across TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms. Learn how to scale collaborations and maximize budgets with long-term partnership advice, negotiation tactics, and efficiency ideas.

Insights Into Action: The Making of a Bestseller

Presented by: Andrea DeWerd, Senior Marketing Director at Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins

The Harvest lifestyle marketing team at HarperCollins has adopted a unique MarTech stack to streamline and scale campaigns in a traditionally very old-fashioned industry. Please join us for this session with Senior Marketing Director Andrea DeWerd and learn how this team adopted new technology to launch a New York Times bestseller and leads the organization in marketing experimentation driven by audience insights and data synthesis.

Key Takeaways:

  • Becoming a data-informed marketing organization
  • Soliciting buy-in for new technology at every level of the organization
  • Creating a culture of teaching, training, and learning for new tech adoption
  • The path to a New York Times bestselling cookbook

Finding Your Audience/Growing Your Community

Presented by Tarah Theoret,  Senior Director, Community Experience, and Kelly Gallucci, Executive Editor, We Are Bookish

Join the NetGalley Member Experience team to learn how targeted acquisition efforts can help expand your audience. This session will explore using data (from NetGalley as well as external sources like Google Analytics, social media platforms, & newsletter subscribers) to identify product/brand champions and inform your community engagement and retention strategies. 

Discussion: Maintaining Momentum Beyond the Pub Date

Book publishers know that they have a wealth of IP in their backlist, but what is the most effective way to mine it? In this session, we will explore creative ways to surface the most relevant backlist titles of the moment, in order to drive their momentum when the time is right. For this group discussion, we hope attendees will come ready to share their concerns, ideas, and successes!

NetGalley 101 

Rediscover the roots of your NetGalley publisher account! Kristina Radke, VP of Business Growth & Engagement, will guide you through each important moment of a book’s life on NetGalley. We’ll cover everything from creating new titles, setting Availability, incorporating the Widget in your day-to-day efforts, managing requests, building your Auto-Approved List, as well as looking at and using the robust reports available to you. 

NetGalley Promotions Overview

Learn how publishers use NetGalley Promotions to launch their frontlist and leverage their backlist to reach trade professionals and early influencers, generate reviews, run giveaways, collect pre-orders, advertise around the pub date, and connect directly with their audience. With advertising options for every budget, goal, and type of book, NetGalley’s popular programs are highly valued for their strong engagement rates—delivering outstanding results while remaining at a competitive price. 

More sessions will be announced as they are finalized! While you wait, be sure to talk to your colleagues about attending the Firebrand Group Community Conference. Each track focuses on different aspects of the publishing process.

  • Connect the Dots with Data | Sessions for data analysts, business ops, and marketing teams, including Eloquence on Alert and NetGalley users.

Register today to ensure your space and take advantage of the Early Bird Discount rate! A Group Discount is available for multiple team members attending from one company. Please email us for details.

NetGalley is a member of the Firebrand Group, which provides leading software and services to help publishers achieve success. In addition to sessions geared toward marketers and publicists who use NetGalley, the Firebrand Group Community Conference will include tracks dedicated to users of Firebrand’s Title Management and Eloquence services, as well as Supadu’s website and ecommerce solutions.

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Cory Verner on the Growth of Audiobooks

BookSmarts Podcast

Get smarter about your books! The BookSmarts podcast features discussions about publishing data and technologies and interviews with industry experts, deep thinkers, and doers, bringing you insights that will help you sell more books.

Episode 24: Cory Verner on the Growth of Audiobooks

Cory Verner is the CEO of ONE Audiobooks, a publisher of audiobooks and a turnkey audio services provider. Cory has been working in the audiobooks industry for over 20 years, and has seen the changes in technology, the changes in focus, and the growth in sales as the format has taken off in the last 6-7 years. Cory and I talk about some of the reasons for that growth, the demographics of listeners, and some specific differences between the Inspirational Books market that he is closely connected to compared to the general audiobooks market.

Transcript available here.

We also talk about how the audiobooks industry has changed over time, including technology changes that have driven much of the recent growth, and we discuss the risks publishers take on when they create their own audiobook program.

You can learn more about ONE Audiobooks at oneaudiobooks.com (corporate site) and oneaudiobooks.app (customer engagement tools).

Joshua Tallent is an acclaimed teacher and guide on the role of data in publishing, and a vocal advocate for high quality book metadata. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys playing complex board games, playing Minecraft, and fiddling with his 3D printer.

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Mark Herschberg How Books Might Escape the Page

BookSmarts Podcast

Get smarter about your books! The BookSmarts podcast features discussions about publishing data and technologies and interviews with industry experts, deep thinkers, and doers, bringing you insights that will help you sell more books.

Episode 23: Mark Herschberg How Books Might Escape the Page

In this episode we are joined by Mark Herschberg, publisher at Cognosco Media, author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You, and the developer of a new app that is attempting to promote a new take on reader interaction with book content.

Transcript available here.

I was a bit skeptical of Mark’s approach from the offset, having seen so many ebook apps and new ideas about digital engagement flame out over the years. However, Mark and I had a great conversation about how the relevant content in a book might be more or less than the actual page count, how so many new technologies are just like sticking a fake horse head on the front of an automobile, and more. Mark shared some of the ideas behind his app, most notably the notifications feature that can help readers recall key points from books they have read.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can check out Mark’s publishing company, Cognosco Media (https://www.cognoscomedia.com) and take a look at both his book and the related app (https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com).

Joshua Tallent is an acclaimed teacher and guide on the role of data in publishing, and a vocal advocate for high quality book metadata. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys playing complex board games, playing Minecraft, and fiddling with his 3D printer.

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