BookNet Canada: Recent Episodes
BookNet Canada
Over the last five years, the popularity of audiobooks has been on a consistent upward trend: BookNet research suggests that the percentage of Canadian readers who prefer audiobooks over other formats increased from 8% in 2020 to 16% in 2025. We brought together a panel of professionals from different corners of the industry to talk about what’s behind this increase, how they champion audiobooks, what opportunities and challenges they face, how the industry could look in the future as technology evolves, and much more.
An unexpected entanglement between Heated Rivalry breakout star Hudson Williams and Playwrights Canada Press’ Yaga has led the Canadian independent press to its busiest season since it started operations in 1984. We talked to Annie Gibson about how they’ve handled the increase in sales, how they reach readers beyond Canadian borders, their plans for the future, and more.Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2026/5/26/podcast-the-heated-rivalry-ripple-effect-impacting-playwrights-publishing-in-canada
Reading Study 2025, releasing May 5. We also see if some recent reading trends that have made headlines are true for Canadians. We’ve even included some data we didn’t get to use in the study.Further reading/listening- Study Finds 20-Year Drop in Reading for Pleasure: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/98435-study-finds-20-year-drop-in-reading-for-pleasure.html- Is reading your favourite hobby? A new era of book clubs is reshaping how we read: https://theconversation.com/is-reading-your-favourite-hobby-a-new-era-of-book-clubs-is-reshaping-how-we-read-274406BookNet Canada Newsletter sign up: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/newsletter-sign-up
Founder of Tandem Collective, Naomi Bacon, talks to us about the various ways in which publishers and booksellers can utilize social media to market books and how online book communities operate.
This month’s episode features an interview with Vanessa Gomez, a recent graduate from Simon Fraser University’s Master of Publishing program, about how she’s breaking into the industry, and The Publishing Guide, an online platform she created where young professionals can find relevant information about the industry.
This month’s episode features a conversation with Jen Gauthier, Publisher at Greystone Books, about how to approach changes to distribution as an independent publisher.
In this month’s podcast, we’re sharing some mid-year market data from an excerpt of the Tech Forum presentation, Ready, set, go: Pre-fall sales trends and data-driven insights.Links:- Ready, set, go: Pre-fall sales trends and data-driven insights: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/ready-set-go-pre-fall-sales-trends-and-data-driven-insights/ - BookNet eNews weekly newsletter: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/newsletter-sign-up#enews- BookNet blog: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog- Customer satisfaction survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LX7DD55
This month we talked with Evelyn Elgie, the assistant publisher at Inanna Publications about what it’s like to run a feminist press in today’s landscape, the challenges facing small presses, and why prioritizing marginalized voices and building community is so important to upholding the values of the company.
This month’s episode features a conversation with Sophie Wu, a Master's candidate in Digital Humanities at McGill University, about AI and one of its potential applications in the publishing industry: storytelling analysis.
In this month’s podcast episode, we dive into the data on Canadian book borrowers, their library visitorship, book borrowing by format, and more.Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/10/1/podcast-libraries-and-canadian-readers
Mélanie Ritchot joins us this episode to talk about the Indigenous Editors Circle and how it's influenced her approach to editing. Whether you're an editor, a publisher, or just interested in how the industry is evolving to better support Indigenous voices, this episode is for you.Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/6/24/podcast-editing-indigenous-voices-with-care
This month’s podcast episode is a continuation of the conversation from the Tech Forum webinar: Canadian book publishing: Insights from the latest salary survey. Saffron Beckwith, President at Ampersand Inc., joins us to chat about pay equity, inclusion, and more.
This month we’re talking with Chandler Jolliffe, owner of Cedar Canoe Books in Huntsville, who pioneered the idea of a Canadian flag bookmark as a way to easily identify which books in his store were Canadian-authored. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/4/29/canadian-bookmark-project
In this podcast episode, we talk to Cassie Smyth about AI integration into audiobooks, accessible audiobooks, supporting the Canadian audiobook ecosystem, and more.Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/3/25/podcast-canadian-audiobooks-in-2025
Listen to a sneak peek of BookNet Canada’s upcoming research reports, The Canadian Book Market and The Canadian Book Consumer.Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/2/25/a-research-sneak-peek
In this podcast episode, we share some snippets from last year’s Tech Forum sessions on AI in the book industry.Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/1/28/podcast-ai-in-the-book-industry
In this month’s podcast episode, we talk to Simon Crump, Environmental Consultant for BIC, to discuss the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and its impact on the book industry. Simon offers insights on how the EUDR affects the book supply chain, practical steps for Canadian publishers to align with the regulation, and resources for non-European publishers aiming to understand compliance requirements. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/12/17/podcast-an-introduction-to-the-european-union-deforestation-regulation
In this episode of the BookNet Canada podcast, we share valuable tips and strategies for independent booksellers gearing up for the holiday season. From planning business hours and fulfillment options to creating engaging themed promotions and leveraging social media, this episode covers content that will help you increase sales and connect with your community. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/11/26/podcast-gearing-up-for-the-holiday-season-tips-for-independent-booksellers
We share some highlights from our newest study, Turning Pages: Print Book Use in Canada 2023, all about print books: who’s buying them, borrowing them, and reading them. And what did we learn about their book acquisition and reading behaviours?
This month, we invited Wendy Reid, the Accessibility and Publishing Standards Lead at Rakuten Kobo and the co-chair of the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) Advisory Board to talk about the W3C, the EPUB Fixed Layout Accessibility document, and more.
In this month’s podcast episode, we talk to Nick Maturo, Interim Executive Director at the English Language Arts Network (ELAN), to delve into the aftermath of a cybersecurity incident that ELAN faced a few years ago. Nick offers valuable insights into the incident's repercussions, the invaluable lessons learned from the experience, as well as the implementation of best practices and procedures in response.
This month, we invited Janis Nostbakken, the Project Director for Accessible Books for Young Readers at the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) to talk about their services.Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/5/28/podcast-accessible-canadian-childrens-books
We invited Jarin Pintana, speaker at the first Swiftposium, to come and talk to us about Taylor Swift and her impact on the book industry.Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/4/30/podcast-taylor-swifts-impact-on-the-book-industryFurther reading:- MPub alumnus Jarin Pintana presents at the first-ever 'Swiftposium': https://www.sfu.ca/publishing/news/news-announcements/jarin-pintana-presents-at-swiftposium/- All the hidden literary references in Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department: https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-lyrics-literature - BookTok: The next chapter for booklovers: https://stories.uq.edu.au/contact-magazine/2023/booktok-the-next-chapter-for-booklovers/index.html - Taylor Swift's impact on Poetry: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2024/4/26/taylor-swifts-impact-on-poetry
In this month’s podcast episode, cybersecurity expert Francis Syms joins us to discuss the evolving landscape of digital security. In our conversation, we explore key insights and best practices to safeguard digital assets against cyber threats.Find the transcript and additional resources here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/3/26/podcast-navigating-cybersecurity-insights-for-the-publishing-industry
This month we’re bringing you a small taste of a Tech Forum presentation with booksellers from Little Ghosts Books, Cross & Crows Books, Cedar Canoe Books, and Analog Books Inc. where they share insights into their bookselling journeys, collaborative strategies with various partners, and their approach to online vs. in-person bookselling.Find the transcript here:https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/2/27/podcast-booksellers-adapting-engaging-and-thriving
In this podcast episode we share some high-level data for what was going on with the print book market in Canada last year and share some highlights from the BookNet research and education channels.Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/1/30/podcast-looking-back-at-2023Show notes: - BNC SalesData: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/salesdata- Canada's population estimates: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231219/dq231219c-eng.htm- Trending now: Book subjects on the move in the Canadian market: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/trending-now-book-subjects-on-the-move-in-the-canadian-market/- Book industry state of the nation 2024: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/book-industry-state-of-the-nation-2024/- eNews newsletter: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/newsletter-sign-up#enews- Bestselling books of 2023: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2023/12/14/bestselling-books-of-2023 - Bestselling Canadian books of 2023:https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2024/1/8/bestselling-canadian-books-of-2023- BNC LibraryData: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/librarydata- Most circulated books of 2023: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2023/12/12/most-circulated-books-of-2023 - Most circulated Canadian books of 2023:https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2024/1/4/most-circulated-canadian-books-of-2023- Tapping into Ebooks: Ebook use in Canada 2022: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/tapping-into-ebooks-ebook-use-in-canada-2022 - Winning Kidlit: The Impact of Children’s Book Awards 2022: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/research-reports-for-sda-subscribers- Tech Forum website: https://bnctechforum.ca/
In this month’s episode, we hear from Daniella Levy-Pinto, Manager at the National Network for Equitable Library Service, and Sarah Smith-Eivemark, Associate Director of Retail Marketing and Partnerships at Penguin Random House Canada about the latest collaboration project between their organizations and its impact on accessibility.Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2023/12/19/podcast-jamie-oliver-braille-publishing-milestone-impact-on-readers-and-the-industryFurther reading- 5 Ingredients Mediterranean by Jamie Oliver: https://bnccatalist.ca/viewtitle.aspx?ean=9780525612902- Billy and the Giant Adventure by Jamie Oliver; illustrated by Mónica Armiño: https://bnccatalist.ca/viewtitle.aspx?ean=9781774884140Lean more about:- National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS): https://nnels.ca/- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): https://www.wipo.int/portal/en/index.html- Accessible Books Consortium (ABC): https://www.accessiblebooksconsortium.org/- Braille Institute: https://brailleinstitute.org/- Marrakesh Treaty: https://www.wipo.int/marrakesh_treaty/en/
In this month’s podcast episode, we take a look at the data on book formats, the people behind the data, and what it means to be a good reader.Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2023/11/28/podcast-book-formats-and-what-it-means-to-be-a-good-readerFurther reading and listening:-Is BookTok sucking the joy out of reading?: https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/60751/1/is-booktok-sucking-the-joy-out-of-reading-tiktok-competitive-Do experts think audiobooks count as reading?: https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/culture/books/editor-s-picks/do-audiobooks-count-as-reading-Why Spotify is betting big on the booming audiobooks industry: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20231103-why-spotify-is-betting-big-on-the-booming-audiobooks-industry-Tracking banned books in Canada: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2023/11/16/tracking-banned-books-in-canada-There’s really no wrong way to read a book: https://www.tor.com/2023/02/16/theres-really-no-wrong-way-to-read-a-book/
In this episode we look at two upcoming reasons to get your metadata in order (whether you’re a data sender or a data user): I Read Canadian Day and the holiday season.Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2023/10/31/podcast-the-power-and-importance-of-metadataFurther reading and listening:- I Read Canadian: https://ireadcanadian.com/day/- Canadian Leisure & Reading Study 2022: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-leisure-and-reading-study-2022- Canadian authors: The whys and hows of identifying them in your data: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/5/26/canadian-authors-the-whys-and-hows-of-identifying-them-in-your-data- Give them what they need: A case study of what retailers can accomplish with good metadata: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/give-them-what-they-need-a-case-study-of-what-retailers-can-accomplish-with-good-metadata/
Listen to this month’s episode where we hear from Max Arambulo, Bookseller & Manager at TYPE Books Junction, about how they run the bookstore with inclusivity and equity in mind, create safe spaces for their staff and customers, and build community.Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2023/9/26/podcast-running-a-bookstore-with-inclusivity-and-equity-in-mindFurther reading and listening:- The Juncture Substack: https://thejuncture.substack.com/- Canadian Leisure & Reading Study 2022: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-leisure-and-reading-study-2022
This month we talked to Christen Thomas and David Stinson from CNIB Beyond Print about accessible audiobooks, braille, and more.
Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2023/6/27/podcast-making-books-accessible-for-everyone
Further reading and listening: -CNIB Beyond Print: https://cnib-beyondprint.ca/ -Centre for Equitable Library Access: https://celalibrary.ca/ -CNIB braille transcription services portal: https://cnib-beyondprint.ca/braille-portal/ -Benetech’s Global Certified Accessible (GCA) Program: https://bornaccessible.benetech.org/global-certified-accessible/
Authors of the short book Reading Bestsellers: Recommendation Culture and the Multimodal Reader, Danielle Fuller and DeNel Rehberg Sedo, join us for this month’s episode to talk about their research into the relationship readers have with bestsellers and what they found from their qualitative work with a group of international Gen Z readers.- Reading Bestsellers: Recommendation Culture and the Multimodal Reader by Danielle Fuller and DeNel Rehberg Sedo: https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/abs/reading-bestsellers/8C6D9254C5B8C6DD87714DE3A98CEA77- Canadian Leisure & Reading Study 2022: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-leisure-and-reading-study-2022- What makes a book a bestseller: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2018/11/12/what-makes-a-book-a-bestseller
Book industry leaders EJ Hurst from New Society and Jen Knoch from ECW Press talk about their work and progress in making their operations greener. Brian O’Leary from the Book Industry Study Group shares insight into the mission of the Green Book Alliance, the resources they have made available, and what they’re hoping to accomplish in the near future.Link to the transcript: www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2023/4/25/podcast-industry-leaders-on-making-publishing-greenerFurther reading and listening:- element6 Dynamics and Ingram Content Group Announce Strategic Supplier Relationship for Industrial Hemp-Based Paper: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/element6-dynamics-ingram-content-group-183000632.html- About B Corp certification: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification/- Banking on Climate Chaos: https://www.ran.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/BOCC_2022_vSPREAD-1.pdf- Green Book Alliance website: https://www.greenbookalliance.org/- Publisher-Printer Sustainability Checklist: https://www.greenbookalliance.org/checklist- Making Sense of Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG Emissions webinar: https://www.greenbookalliance.org/post/gba-sustainability-series-an-introduction-to-your-carbon-footprint- Canopy: https://canopyplanet.org/solutions/next-generation-solutions/- This is what the world looks like if we pass the crucial 1.5-degree climate threshold: https://www.npr.org/2021/11/08/1052198840/1-5-degrees-warming-climate-change- Bloomsbury wins inaugural sustainability prize at LBF International Excellence Awards: https://www.thebookseller.com/news/bloomsbury-wins-inaugural-sustainability-prize-at-lbf-international-excellence-awards- 5 questions with ECW Press: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/01/10/5-questions-with-ecw-press- 5 questions with New Society Publishers: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/01/17/5-questions-with-new-society-publishers- Green Games Guide: https://www.greengamesguide.com/- IPCC Reports: https://www.ipcc.ch/reports/
It's clear that romance titles are seeing an increase in sales in the Canadian market. In this month’s podcast, we look beyond the numbers and discuss why we're seeing this trend.(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2023/3/28/podcast-the-resurgence-of-romance-books)Further reading/listening:- Romance book sales in the Canadian market: A love story: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2023/2/16/romance-book-sales-in-the-canadian-market-a-love-story- Trendspotting: Book subjects on the move in the Canadian market - Tech Forum 2023: https://youtu.be/6huV7CUt-QI- The Canadian Book Market: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-book-market- The real impact of #BookTok on book sales: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2022/9/29/the-real-impact-of-booktok-on-book-sales- How TikTok is changing the music industry: https://www.businessinsider.com/how-tiktok-is-changing-the-music-industry-marketing-discovery-2021-7- How TikTok is changing book cover designs: https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/culture/books/editor-s-picks/how-tiktok-is-changing-book-cover-designs- Most Americans who are ‘single and looking’ say dating has been harder during the pandemic: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/04/06/most-americans-who-are-single-and-looking-say-dating-has-been-harder-during-the-pandemic/- Key findings about online dating in the U.S.: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2023/02/02/key-findings-about-online-dating-in-the-u-s/- The "Dating Wrapped" Movement On TikTok Will Entertain You For Hours: https://www.bustle.com/life/tiktok-dating-wrapped-2022- I Found Mr. Right — Unfortunately, He Only Exists In My Romance Novels: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2021/03/10328800/romance-novels-bad-unrealistic-expectations
This month we chatted with Taste Canada’s Karen Baxter about the work she and Taste Canada are doing to promote Canadian books and the business case for identifying Canadian authors in your metadata.
Wondering how events have changed for independent booksellers now that we’re three years into the pandemic? We sat down with John Toews, the Event Coordinator at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg to chat about the positive side of hosting virtual and hybrid events, how they measure success, the challenges that came with pivoting to virtual, and so much more.
The BookNet staff recaps 2022 in terms of book sales and library circulation in the Canadian book market, popular BookNet blog series, and some other 2022 book related highlights.(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/12/20/podcast-another-year-in-the-books-2022-highlights)Further reading/listening:- Tech Forum to-go series:https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=tech%20forum%20to%20go- Must-Watch, Must-Read: Book-to-Screen Adaptations in the Canadian Book Market 2022: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/must-watch-must-read-book-to-screen-adapatations-2022- Book adaptations blog series: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=book%20adaptations- The real impact of #BookTok on book sales: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2022/9/29/the-real-impact-of-booktok-on-book-sales- The real impact of #BookTok on library circulation: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2022/10/7/the-real-impact-of-booktok-on-library-circulation- The State of Publishing in Canada: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/state-of-publishing- On Loan: Library Use in Canada 2021: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/on-loan-libary-use-in-canada-2021- Easier with BookNet blog series: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=easier+with+booknet
In this month’s episode, we again pull back the curtain for a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to be a BookNet staff member. CataList Project Coordinator Vivian Luu, Project Manager and Retailer Liaison Tim Middleton, and Senior Software Engineer Tom Gerrard join this episode to tell us what they do, their favourite part of the job, and what they do when they're not working.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/11/29/podcast-behind-the-scenes-again-at-booknet)
Further reading/listening -Podcast: BookNet behind the scenes: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/8/31/podcast-booknet-behind-the-scenes - BNC CataList: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/catalist - The Legend of Drizzt series by R.A. Salvatore: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Drizzt - BNC BiblioShare: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/biblioshare - BNC SalesData: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/salesdata - Peak Mind by Amishi P. Jha: https://bnccatalist.ca/viewtitle.aspx?ean=9780062992154 - The Great Transformation by Karen Armstrong: https://bnccatalist.ca/viewtitle.aspx?ean=9780676974669
In September, eBOUND Canada launched the Accessible Publishing Learning Network, an online resource library and community hub designed to empower publishers in Canada to create high-quality content that is accessible to all readers. We invited accessibility expert, Laura Brady, to tell us all about it in this podcast episode.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/10/25/podcast-introducing-a-free-accessibility-learning-network)
Further reading: - eBound’s Accessible Publishing Learning Network: https://apln.ca/ - European Accessibility Act: https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1202 - The European Accessibility Act: Everything you need to know: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/05/11/the-european-accessibility-act-everything-you-need-to-know/?sh=4f191de05b86
This month, we interviewed Serah-Marie McMahon, a graphic novel editor at Annick Press. We talked about editing, comics and graphic novels, accessibility, and everything in between. Is the rise of comics and graphic novels just a trend? Find out what we think in this episode.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/9/27/podcast-behind-the-scenes-of-childrens-graphic-novels)
Further reading: - Tech Forum to-go: Emerging trends: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/5/20/tech-forum-to-go-emerging-trends - Subject spotlight: Comics & Graphic Novels: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2022/5/9/subject-spotlight-comics-amp-graphic-novels
This month, we’re talking all about movies and TV shows. Specifically the ones based on books. Our newest research report, out today, Must-Watch, Must-Read: Book-to-Screen Adaptations in the Canadian Book Market 2022 gives you all the information we’ve been asked for and that you’ve been looking for about the impact that TV and movie adaptations have had on book sales and library circulation!
Further reading: - Must-Watch, Must-Read: Book-to-Screen Adaptations in the Canadian Book Market 2022: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/must-watch-must-read-book-to-screen-adapatations-2022 - Book to screen adaptation blog series: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=book%20adaptations - The Rise of Must-Read TV: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/07/tv-adaptations-fiction/619442/ - Media Tie-In blog post: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2022/6/28/must-watch-must-read-and-more-about-media-tie-ins
Looking for a quick roundup of our most recent research? Look no further. In this podcast episode we’ll share a list of quick takeaways from our most recent studies including our Canadian Leisure & Reading Study 2021, The Canadian Book Market 2021, and the Canadian Book Consumer Study 2021.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/5/30/podcast-booknet-research-roundup-what-you-need-to-know)
Further reading/listening - Canadian Leisure & Reading Study 2021: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-leisure-and-reading-study-2021 - Canadian Book Consumer Study 2021: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-book-consumer-2021 - The Canadian Book Market 2021: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-book-market - Book to screen adaptations blog series: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=book+adaptations - Subject spotlight blog series: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=subject+spotlight - Backlist titles blog series: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=backlist - Bestselling books blog series: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=bestsellers - Are people over puzzles? blog post: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2022/2/7/are-people-over-puzzles - Look who's turning 20: Insight into the sales performance of books published in 2002 blog post: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2022/4/4/look-whos-turning-20-insight-into-the-sales-performance-of-books-published-in-2002
Just how many books are written by Canadian authors, anyway? In this episode we take look at why identifying Canadian contributors in book metadata matters for the industry — the work it involves, the impact it has across the supply chain, and how we can measure that change.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/4/26/podcast-why-identifying-canadian-contributors-still-matters)
Further reading/listening: - The Canadian Book Market 2021:https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-book-market - Canadian authors: The whys and hows of identifying them in your data: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/5/26/canadian-authors-the-whys-and-hows-of-identifying-them-in-your-data - Identifying Canadian Authorship: https://booknetcanada.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/UserDocs/pages/1378508/Identifying+Canadian+Authorship - Easier with BookNet: Calculating your store's Canadian contributor sales: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/4/5/easier-with-booknet-calculating-your-stores-canadian-contributor-sales - Promoting Canadian books: An interview with 49th Shelf: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/11/29/podcast-promoting-canadian-books-an-interview-with-49th-shelf
In this podcast episode we’re bringing you a small taste of a Tech Forum presentation given by Jennifer Chen and Nikoo Sarraf from McGill University’s .txtlab. They took a deep dive into the differences between queer fanfiction and mainstream published works and shared some insights about what publishing can learn from their work.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/3/29/podcast-the-importance-of-queer-fanfiction)
What does BookNet Canada know about independent bookstores? A lot. In this podcast episode, BookNet Canada’s Marketing Associates Nataly Alarcón and Aline Zara share highlights from the study The State of Independent Bookselling in Canada 2020, talk about what the last five years of independent bookselling have looked like in Canada in terms of book sales and the pandemic, and share a clip from a recent Tech Forum session.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/2/22/podcast-shoplocal-what-we-know-about-the-health-of-canadian-indie-bookstores)
Further reading/listening: -The State of Independent Bookselling in Canada 2020: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/the-state-of-independent-bookselling-in-canada-2020 -What’s in Store: The State of Independent Bookselling in Canada: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/whats-in-store -Beyond #BookTok: When social media and publishing collide: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/7/27/podcast-beyond-booktok-when-social-media-and-publishing-collide -The State of Social Media in Canada 2020: https://socialmedialab.ca/2020/07/13/the-state-of-social-media-in-canada-2020-a-new-survey-report-from-the-ryerson-social-media-lab/ -I opened a bookstore in the pandemic!: https://youtu.be/6Y_IAUWtwDo -Tech Forum’s upcoming sessions: https://techforum.booknetcanada.ca/registration/ -BookNet Canada YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BookNetCanadaVideos/featured -Subscribe to start receiving our monthly research newsletter: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/newsletter-sign-up#research
January 4 was World Braille Day and to celebrate we sat down to talk with Kerry Kijewski and Marcia Yale, two of the five authors of the study Improving Braille Availability in Canadian Public Libraries to learn more about the study and what the book industry can do to improve braille accessibility in Canada.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/1/24/podcast-improving-access-to-braille-in-canada)
Further reading/listening: -Improving Braille Availability in Canadian Public Libraries: https://nnels.ca/braillestudy -How to improve braille accessibility in Canada: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2022/1/4/how-to-improve-braille-accessibility-in-canada
The BookNet staff recaps 2021 in terms of book sales in the Canadian market, BookNet staff reading habits, and all the other book news fit to share.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/12/21/podcast-2021-in-the-rear-view-window)
Further reading/listening: - See this as a webinar on YouTube: https://youtu.be/j5Ef4vImS2o - Subject spotlight blog series: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=subject+spotlight - Backlist blog posts: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=backlist - Canadian Book Consumer survey blog posts: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=canadian+book+consumer+survey - BookNet reading: Stats and staff picks 2021: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/12/13/booknet-reading-stats-and-staff-picks
We sat down with Kiley Turner, 49th Shelf’s Managing Editor, to have a conversation about the work she and her colleagues do to promote Canadian books, the role metadata plays in discoverability and marketing, the ways publishing and non-publishing people can use 49th Shelf, and much more.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/11/29/podcast-promoting-canadian-books-an-interview-with-49th-shelf)
Further reading: -49th Shelf website: https://49thshelf.com/ -49th Kids website: https://kids.49thshelf.com/ -Identifying Canadian Authorship user document: https://booknetcanada.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/UserDocs/pages/1378508/Identifying+Canadian+Authorship -Canadian authors: The whys and hows of identifying them in your data: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/5/26/canadian-authors-the-whys-and-hows-of-identifying-them-in-your-data -Easier with BookNet: Sending interior images to supply chain partners via BiblioShare: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/11/16/easier-with-booknet-sending-interior-images-to-supply-chain-partners-via-biblioshare -Kiley’s article, “The one thing that can double your book sales”: https://www.readerbound.com/Blog/The-One-Thing-that-Can-Double-Your-Book-Sales
A conversation with Fazeela Jiwa from Fernwood Publishing about sensitivity readers — what that term means, the shortcomings of using them, Fernwood’s approach, and what the future might have in store for sensitivity reading.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/10/26/podcast-beyond-sensitivity-readers)
Further reading: - Fernwood Publishing: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/ - Authenticy reading. Part 1: What editors need to know: https://blog.ciep.uk/authenticity-1/ - Authenticity reading. Part 2: Becoming an authenticity reader: https://blog.ciep.uk/authenticity-2/ - A dog named Lavender by Vivek Shraya: https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/poetry/dog-named-lavender
In this month’s episode, we give you a behind the scenes look at life as a BookNet staff member, aka a BookNetter. Join us for a chat with Project Manager Monique Mongeon, Product Coordinator Hannah Johnston, and Software Developers Ben Farrall and Madeleine Griggs to learn a bit about themselves and all about their work with us at BookNet Canada.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/8/31/podcast-booknet-behind-the-scenes)
Further reading/listening: Monique's backlist blog posts: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/5/4/everything-old-is-new-again-backlist-sales-growth-in-2020 & https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/8/13/aged-like-a-fine-wine-whats-the-ideal-age-for-a-backlist-title Hannah's LibraryData: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/librarydata Ben's BiblioShare: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/biblioshare Madeleine's Bibli-O-Matic: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/2/4/bibli-o-matic-the-metadata-extension-you-didnt-know-you-needed
In this month's podcast episode we’re talking about social media and its influence on bookselling, what the popularity of these online communities built around books mean for the industry, how backlist titles are having second chances thanks to TikTok, and more.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/7/27/podcast-beyond-booktok-when-social-media-and-publishing-collide)
Further reading/listening: - BookNet’s Canadian Leisure & Reading Study 2020: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-leisure-and-reading-study-2020 -BookNet’s Canadian Book Consumer Study 2020: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-book-consumer-2020 -Ryerson University’s Social Media Lab report The State of Social Media in Canada 2020: https://socialmedialab.ca/2020/07/13/the-state-of-social-media-in-canada-2020-a-new-survey-report-from-the-ryerson-social-media-lab/ -Bookstagrammer @spinesandvines: https://www.instagram.com/spinesvines/?hl=en -Buzzfeed's 24 Black Bookstagrammers list: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ariannarebolini/black-bookstagram-authors-book-lovers-to-follow -Shereads' BookTubers' to watch in 2021 list: https://shereads.com/best-booktubers-2021/ -Popsugar's TikTok accounts for book lovers list: https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/best-book-tiktok-accounts-47761943
This month we’re talking about Thema and exploring how you can use this international book classification for describing diverse books. Join BookNet Canada’s Marketing Associate Aline Zara, with appearances by EDItEUR’s Chris Saynor and BookNet Canada’s Bibliographic Manager Tom Richardson, alongside a worked example of Tanya Boteju’s book Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens, just in time to wrap up Pride month.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/6/29/podcast-describing-diverse-books-with-thema)
Further reading/listening: - Thema version 1.4: https://www.editeur.org/151/Thema-v1.4/ - Chris Saynor’s Tech Forum presentation Using Thema and ONIX to boost discoverability: https://youtu.be/hCDdN_CSlNg - Tom Richardson’s webinar Thema Refresher: https://youtu.be/KXDlX4fsokA - Thema worked examples: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=Thema%20worked%20examples
Last month we shared highlights from Tech Forum 2021. This month we’re sharing one thought-provoking panel in particular. The idea for this panel was inspired by an essay from Annahid Dashtgard a renowned author, changemaker, and co-founder of Anima Leadership, a boutique consulting company specializing in issues of diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. This essay, called Foreign Object in the House of Canadian Literature, was about her experience as an author of colour and her reception in Canadian publishing. Annahid was joined by Chelene Knight and Léonicka Valcius to discuss author care and creating safe spaces for BIPOC authors.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/6/1/podcast-foreign-object-in-the-house-of-canadian-literature)
Links - Foreign Object in the House of Canadian Literature essay by Annahid Dastgard: https://rungh.org/foreign-object-in-the-house-of-canadian-literature/ -Foreign object in the house of Canadian literature Tech Forum presentation:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe-1yxT1O3k&list=PLRthkZj3fAc3XJln6vHSoQZ5BzFgTS38d&index=13&t=1012s - Léonicka Valcius on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonicka_/ - Tech Forum: https://techforum.booknetcanada.ca/ - Podcast: Tech Forum 2021 highlights: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/4/26/podcast-tech-forum-2021-highlights
In this month’s podcast episode, we’re bringing you some highlights from some of our fantastic sessions. This year’s programming had a mix of topics that ranged from crisis management, the impact of the pandemic on booksellers and publishers, bibliographic standards, diversity, equity and inclusion, and much more. The recordings from the sessions we’ll be talking about today are available on our YouTube channel — you can find the link in the episode notes.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/4/26/podcast-tech-forum-2021-highlights)
Further Reading: - Session 1: Come taste the difference good management can make in your crisis!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJBXso5h_lw - Moving pieces: Industry initiatives you don't want to miss: https://youtu.be/ZeyvmAid4Pg - Serving communities in crisis: The bookseller’s role: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hP2G2nZkLA - If we knew then what we know now: COVID-driven initiatives with staying power: https://youtu.be/t03YfhqE95Q - How to combat racial gaslighting in the workplace: https://youtu.be/4LZCN78SysQ - Tech Forum 2021 YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rmi7jFTuors&list=PLRthkZj3fAc3XJln6vHSoQZ5BzFgTS38d - Sign up for the Tech Forum newsletter: https://us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4576b1cb7fdce43af498937a5&id=a705168569
The newly formed Canadian Independent Booksellers Association (CIBA) is hitting the ground running. In this podcast episode, we sat down to talk to Doug Minett, the Executive Director, to learn how it came about, what initiatives they’re tackling in their first year, what they see for the future post-COVID, and what they’ll need to do to be successful.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/3/29/podcast-all-about-the-canadian-independent-booksellers-association)
Further reading: - Canadian Independent Booksellers Association (CIBA): https://cibabooks.ca/ - What’s in Store: The State of Independent Bookselling in Canada: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/whats-in-store
Join BookNet Product Coordinator Hannah Johnston and Marketing Associate Nataly Alarcón as they share sales data for print books about anti-racism and social justice in 2020, a brief overview of the efforts related to equity, diversity, and inclusion made in the Canadian book industry, as well as a number of resources available to you — from research reports to Tech Forum presentations — that touch on these topics.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/2/22/podcast-diversity-books-about-anti-racism-and-the-canadian-book-industry)
Further reading/listening - Blog post covering the updates made to BISAC subject codes: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/12/21/2020-bisac-subject-codes-out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new -BookNet YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv62canXJChXqjegPv9H9-A -BookNet Canada podcast: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/podcast -Research by BookNet: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/bnc-research -Blog posts related to equity, diversity, and inclusion: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?tag=diversity -Demand for Diversity study: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/demand-for-diversity -Tech Forum 2021 website: https://techforum.booknetcanada.ca/ -Subscribe to receive Tech Forum updates: https://us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4576b1cb7fdce43af498937a5&id=a705168569 -Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/newsletter-sign-up#enews
A look at book sales and reader behaviour in the Canadian market in 2020.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/1/26/podcast-a-look-at-the-canadian-book-market-in-2020)
Show notes: eNews sign up: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/newsletter-sign-up#enews BookNet blog: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/
Niche subject explorations on the BookNet blog: Signs & Spells: Astrology, crystals, tarot, and witchcraft in the Canadian book market: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/5/11/signs-amp-spells-astrology-crystals-tarot-and-witchcraft-in-the-canadian-book-market
Get that bread: The cooking subcategories that are selling like hotcakes: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/5/19/get-that-bread-the-cooking-subcategories-that-are-selling-like-hotcakes
Stars and stanzas: Social media, stardom, and poetry in 2020: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2021/1/7/stars-and-stanzas-social-media-stardom-and-poetry-in-2020
Checkmate: How the popularity of a TV show is impacting book sales in Canada: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/12/8/checkmate-how-the-popularity-of-a-tv-show-is-impacting-book-sales-in-canada
Consumer survey results: Canadian readers in 2020, half-year review: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/10/2/canadian-readers-in-2020-half-year-review
2020 Canadian book market half-year review: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/8/27/2020-canadian-book-market-half-year-review
This month’s episode is tailored to booksellers. In it, we go over some key things you should think about before facing the peak of the holiday bookselling season, as well as a series of tools, products, and resources from BookNet and other organizations that can help you take your business to the next level now or beyond the gifting season.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/11/24/podcast-bookselling-during-the-2020-holiday-season-and-beyond)
Links: -Weathering the COVID-19 storm blog series: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?category=Publishing+%26+COVID-19 -Prepare for the 2020 holiday season now: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/10/22/prepare-for-the-2020-holiday-season-now -Blog posts relevant to booksellers: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog?category=Bookselling -BookNet Canada research: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/bnc-research -Subscribe to the Let’s Sell Some Books newsletter: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/newsletter-sign-up#lets-sell-some-books -BookNet Canada contact information: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/contact-us -Digital Main Street: https://digitalmainstreet.ca/ -Retail Council of Canada resources for retailers: https://www.retailcouncil.org/coronavirus-info-for-retailers/
BookNet Canada products and services mentioned in this episode: -SalesData: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/salesdata -LibraryData: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/librarydata -CataList: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/catalist - Pubnet EDI: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/edi -BiblioShare: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/biblioshare -Shopify plugin: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/bibliographic-data-distribution#shopify -WordPress plugin: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/bibliographic-data-distribution#wordpress
Websites that already use our web services: -Playwrights Canada Press website: https://www.playwrightscanada.com/ -Arsenal Pulp: https://arsenalpulp.com/ -Coach House Books: https://chbooks.com/ -Les Libraries: https://www.leslibraires.ca/ -49th Shelf: https://49thshelf.com/
It's Canadian library month, so LibraryData team members, Hannah Johnston and Monique Mongeon share some data about Canadian library circulation stats, genre trends, and more.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/10/27/podcast-canadian-library-month)
Further reading/listening LibraryData: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/librarydata Loan Stars: https://www.loanstars.ca/ Borrow, Buy, Read: Library Use and Book Buying in Canada: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/borrow-buy-read LibraryData sign up form: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/librarydata
In this episode, BookNet Marketing & Communications Manager, Ainsley Sparkes, shares insights about the status of the publishing industry in Canada. What impact has COVID-19 had on readers' habits? Have book buying behaviours changed? What subjects are selling the most? All these answers and more in this edition of the BookNet Canada podcast.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/9/29/podcast-the-canadian-book-market-so-far-in-2020)
Links: Canadian book market half year review blog post: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/8/27/2020-canadian-book-market-half-year-review
The State of Publishing in 2019 infographic and blog post: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/9/8/infographic-the-state-of-publishing-in-canada-2019
The impact of COVID-19 on reading blog post: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/4/15/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-reading
The State of Publishing in Canada in 2019 full report: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/state-of-publishing
It would be fair say that we’re fascinated by audiobooks and learning about their production, distribution, and everything else involved in the process. Last month we interviewed Jamie Dupras and Jeff Guillot from Deyan Audio in Los Angeles, but for this month’s podcast episode, we brought the conversation to Canada. Ann Jansen, Director of Audiobook Production at Penguin Random House Canada, and David Caron, Co-Publisher at ECW Press, joined BookNet Canada Research Associate Shimona Hirchberg for a conversation about the state of the audiobook industry in Canada and what’s on the horizon for this rapidly evolving chapter of publishing.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/8/31/podcast-the-story-of-canadian-audiobooks)
Links: -BookNet Canada's Press Play: Audiobook Use in Canada 2020: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/press-play-audiobook-use-in-canada-2020 -ECW Press' office land acknowledgment: https://ecwpress.com/pages/about-us -Longest audiobook Ann has ever worked on, First Snow, Last Light by Wayne Johnston: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/549668/first-snow-last-light-by-wayne-johnston/9780735272576 -Longest audiobook David has ever worked on, Membering by Austin Clarke: https://ecwpress.com/products/membering -Audiobook on about diversity and inclusion that PRHC licensed, The Authenticity Principle by Ritu Bhasin: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/605932/the-authenticity-principle-by-written-and-read-by-ritu-bhasin/9780771009747 -Audiobook PRHC is about to co-publish with Dundurn Press, Seven by Farzana Doctor: https://www.dundurn.com/books/Seven -Audiobook Ann was recently directing remotely, Dearly by Margaret Atwood: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/647306/dearly-by-margaret-atwood/9780771012969 -Backlist books PRHC has worked on or is currently working on: Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/163908/funny-boy-by-shyam-selvadurai/9780771001758 Halfbreed by Maria Campbell: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/610927/halfbreed-by-maria-campbell/9780771024092 Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/113915/fugitive-pieces-by-anne-michaels/9780771058820 Lives of the Saints by Nino Ricci: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/153652/lives-of-the-saints-by-nino-ricci/9780385696050 Richard Wagamese’s books: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/authors/32220/richard-wagamese -Titles part of ECW’s Bespeak list: Policing Black Lives by Robin Maynard, narrated by Marcia Johnson: https://ecwpress.com/products/policing-black-lives Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars by Kai Cheng Thom, narrated by Adri Almeida: https://ecwpress.com/products/fierce-femmes-and-notorious-liars In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Mosionier, narrated by Michaela Washburn: https://ecwpress.com/products/in-search-of-april-raintree Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead: https://ecwpress.com/products/jonny-appleseed Islands of Decolonial Love by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, narrated by Tantoo Cardinal: https://ecwpress.com/products/islands-of-decolonial-love
For last month’s podcast episode we had planned to include bits of an interview BookNet Canada Research Associate Shimona Hirchberg had with Jamie Dupras and Jeff Guillot from Deyan Audio but the conversation was so rich we decided to share the full interview in this month’s episode. Among other things, they talked about
-the nitty-gritty of audiobook production and distribution; -audiobooks in languages other than English; -casting and working with diverse narrators; and -the Canadian audiobook market.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/7/27/podcast-the-whys-and-hows-of-audiobooks-a-conversation-with-deyan-audio)
Links: -BookNet Canada's Press Play: Audiobook Use in Canada 2020: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/press-play-audiobook-use-in-canada-2020 -ACP symposium report Audiobooks: Building Capacity for Canadian Creation and Publishing: https://publishers.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ACP_audiobook_report_FA_05-11-2020_SM.pdf -ACP and eBOUND's Accessible Publishing Research Project: https://www.eboundcanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ACP_eBound_AccessibilityReport_final.pdf -Audiobook quality control service Pozotron: https://www.pozotron.com/ -Deyan Audio website: https://deyanaudio.squarespace.com/ -Deyan Audio actor index for casting: https://www.deyanaudio.com/castingindex.html -Fortune article: Chef Marcus Samuelsson Wants to Redefine Cookbooks Through Audiobooks: https://fortune.com/2019/06/29/marcus-samuelsson-audiobook/ -"How Do YOU Read?" study conducted by the National Network of Equitable Library Service: https://nnels.ca/HDYR-KeyFindings
Our biennial study on audiobook use among Canadians is here! Join BookNet Canada Research Associate Shimona Hirchberg and President & CEO Noah Genner as they go over how Canadian audiobook listeners discover, use, and feel about audiobooks, including what they like to listen to, when they like to listen, and how they obtain their audiobook content.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/6/29/podcast-press-play-audiobook-use-in-canada-2020)
Links: - BookNet Canada's research: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/bnc-research - Press Play: Audiobook Use in Canada 2020: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/press-play-audiobook-use-in-canada-2020 - Canadian Leisure & Reading Study 2020: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-leisure-and-reading-2020 - Noah Genner's Audiobooks in Canada presentation: https://youtu.be/t9CTydJMRrk - The Impact of COVID-19 On Reading survey results on the BNC Blog: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/4/15/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-reading - Inaugural Press Play email course sign up: https://booknetcanada.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4576b1cb7fdce43af498937a5&id=fd163659c8
Isadora Cal goes over how in Brazil, a country with so many adversities in all areas, accessible publishing is being tackled. She shares how Bookwire Brazil is taking part on it, being in the position of an aggregator, and what further options they’re currently exploring. Accessible publishing is a social issue, but one that will be profitable for companies and for the market as a whole.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/5/26/podcast-making-brazilian-literature-accessible)
The results for our annual Canadian Leisure and Reading survey are in! BookNet Canada President & CEO Noah Genner and Research Associate Shimona Hirchberg will tell you all about them in this month's podcast episode.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/4/27/podcast-canadian-leisure-amp-reading-study-2020)
Links: - BookNet Canada's research: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/bnc-research - Canadian Leisure & Reading Study 2020: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-leisure-and-reading-2020 - Noah Genner’s Book industry state of the nation 2020 presentation: https://youtu.be/nr-Lrvxz5Nc Reading Together: Book Clubs in Canada: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/reading-together
What better time than the present to start a podcast? Learn how to get started and create the best podcast possible with tips from BookNet Canada’s Marketing Manager and Tech Forum speaker, Zalina Alvi in this podcast sharing her Tech Forum presentation, Podcasting for beginners.
(Find the transcript here: Find a transcript to the episode at https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/3/31/podcast-podcasting-for-beginners)
Links Podcasting for beginners on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uoEy_OoZtAM Podcasting for beginners presentation slides: https://www.slideshare.net/booknetcanada/getting-started-with-audio-podcasting-for-beginners-zalina-alvi-booknet-canada-tech-forum-2020
Cynthia Pong, feminist career strategist, founder of Embrace Change, and Tech Forum 2020 speaker, joins us this month to talk about the publishing industry’s vertical segregation problem, why stats on diversity haven’t been shifting much, and how we can balance addressing systemic issues with helping individuals to empower themselves.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/2/24/podcast-finding-empowerment-in-the-book-industry-with-cynthia-pong)
Links: - Meg Bolger’s definitions of diversity, equity, and inclusion: https://generalassemb.ly/blog/diversity-inclusion-equity-differences-in-meaning/ - Problems with the equity vs. equality graphic you’ve been seeing: https://culturalorganizing.org/the-problem-with-that-equity-vs-equality-graphic/ - Jhaymee Tynan’s commitment to sponsor 100 women of colour by 2030: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellevate/2020/02/05/why-im-sponsoring-100-women-of-color-in-healthcare-by-2030/#184672083f3f - Wordup Community Bookshop: https://www.wordupbooks.com/ - Cynthia’s workshop at Tech Forum on March 25: https://sched.co/aDhQ
With the recent release of new BISAC subject codes for 2019, host Elizabeth Barker goes over the changes, what they mean for Indigenous books in Canada, and asks publishers Theytus Books, Second Story Press, and Kegedonce to share their thoughts.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/1/27/podcast-new-bisac-codes-for-indigenous-books)
Episode links: - BISG press release https://bisg.org/news/481848/Updated-BISAC-Subject-Headings-Released.htm - BISG Appendix of Inactivated Codes https://bisg.org/page/InactivatedCodes - What's New In Bibliographic Standards https://booknetcanada.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/UserDocs/pages/1378799/What+s+New+In+Bibliographic+Standards - Theytus Books http://www.theytus.com/ - Second Story Press https://secondstorypress.ca/ - Kegedonce https://kegedonce.com/
In this episode, we talk to BookNet President and CEO, Noah Genner, about the decade in review. What were the biggest trends in publishing? What were the biggest changes to the supply chain? And what happened at BookNet Canada? We're also bringing you highlights from our top five most popular episodes.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/12/16/podcast-a-look-back-at-the-decade)
Further reading/listening - What’s In Store: The State of Independent Bookselling in Canada: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/whats-in-store
- Innovative bookselling, part 1: Outside-the-box partnerships: https://soundcloud.com/booknet-canada/innovative-bookselling-part-1-outside-the-box-partnerships -49th Shelf: https://49thshelf.com/
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Briny Books: http://www.brinybooks.ca/
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Shoot for the Moon: Awards for underrepresented writers: https://soundcloud.com/booknet-canada/shoot-for-the-moon-awards-for-underrepresented-writers
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shootforthemoon.art: https://shootforthemoon.art/
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Information Doesn't Want to be Free - Cory Doctorow - Tech Forum 2015: https://soundcloud.com/booknet-canada/information-doesnt-want-to-be-free-cory-doctorow-tech-forum-2015
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True Crime: https://soundcloud.com/booknet-canada/true-crime
- Slate: The True Crime Memoir: https://slate.com/culture/2017/08/the-true-crime-memoir-when-mfa-grads-and-literary-aspirants-write-true-crime.html
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Buzzfeed: Being "polite" often gets women killed: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/scaachikoul/whats-your-favorite-murder#.oqbqp223a
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Demand for Diversity: https://soundcloud.com/booknet-canada/demand-for-diversity
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) has been used for decades in other industries, like in car manufacturing and for commercial use as anti-theft systems. And while the technology could have applications in the book supply chain, it has never been put into practice. This month's host, Elizabeth Barker, and BookNet Canada Bibliographic Manager Tom Richardson discuss RFID's potential for tracking books and why the book industry will never adopt them.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/11/26/podcast-radio-frequency-identification-amp-the-publishing-industry)
For this month's podcast, we're talking with Simon Collinson, a former ebook developer, a small press publisher, and Content Sales Analyst at Rakuten Kobo, about an issue important to the health of the publishing industry, and especially important for those new to the industry: unpaid internships. We find out how he got involved in the #PayInterns campaign, why companies don't pay interns, some success stories, and how you can get involved in this issue.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/10/29/podcast-payinterns)
For the third and final episode in our summer series on innovative bookselling (see the first episode and the second episode at the links), we talk with bookstores who are findings ways to go beyond their core mandate of selling books. BookNet Canada Research Associate Shimona Hirchberg will also give an overview of the average indie bookseller in Canada. From school competitions to singles nights, they're finding creative ways to engage with their communities. Take a look at the highlights from our study, What's in Store: The State of Independent Bookselling in Canada 2018 .
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/9/24/podcast-innovative-bookselling-part-3-more-than-a-bookstore)
Learn more about the bookstores featured in this episode: - The Bookshelf https://bookshelf.ca/ - Woozles https://woozles.com/ - Bolen Books https://www.bolen.bc.ca/ - A Different Booklist https://www.adifferentbooklist.com/
Read the full What's in Store report on our website, for free, at https://www.booknetcanada.ca/whats-in-store.
For the second episode in our summer series on innovative bookselling, we talk with Canadian booksellers who are dedicating space and time to supporting the writers in their communities, whether they're in grade school or working on their latest book.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/8/26/podcast-innovative-bookselling-part-2-writers-are-friends-not-food)
Find out more about the bookstores featured in this episode: - Woozles Writes!: https://www.woozles.com/?q=p.woozles_writes_ - Queen Books: http://queenbooks.ca/ - The Bookshelf: https://bookshelf.ca/home - A Different Booklist: https://www.adifferentbooklist.com/
For our three-part summer series, we're talking with booksellers across Canada who are proving that there's more than one way to sell a book. In part 1, we dive into some examples of outside-the-box partnerships where three brick-and-mortar bookstores work with a publisher, a podcast, and even another bookstore to reach new readers and sell more books.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/7/29/podcast-innovative-bookselling-part-1-outside-the-box-partnerships)
Episode links: - Podcast: Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! https://www.mythsbaby.com/ - Briny Books http://www.brinybooks.ca/ - Queen Books http://queenbooks.ca/ - Woozles' Gift of Reading Program https://www.woozles.com/?q=p.gift_of_reading - Weekly TinyLetter: Let's Sell Some Books https://tinyletter.com/booknet_canada
You can find the transcript of the episode here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/7/29/podcast-innovative-bookselling-part-1-outside-the-box-partnerships#transcript
We're pleased to introduce BookNet Canada's latest project: LibraryData.
While LibraryData is currently in beta only for select libraries who are providing their circulation and hold data, we're happy to share all the possibilities, realities, and general joy this new industry tool will bring.
In this episode, we're also sharing some highlights from our study on library use and book buying in Canada, Borrow, Buy, Read.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/6/24/podcast-libraries-and-their-data-introducing-librarydata-a-new-product-from-booknet-canada)
Show links: LibraryData: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/library-data
Borrow, Buy, Read: Library Use and Book Buying in Canada: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/borrow-buy-read
Jumping on the basketball bandwagon: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/6/10/jumping-on-the-basketball-bandwagon
In this episode, BookNet Canada Research Associate Shimona Hirchberg shares some highlights from our new Demand for Diversity: A Survey of Canadian Readers study, alongside related clips from our recent Tech Forum 2019 conference that add some more context to the conversation on diversity in the Canadian book industry.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/5/28/podcast-demand-for-diversity)
Further reading: - Read the full, free study, Demand for Diversity: A Survey of Canadian Readers: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/demand-for-diversity - Continue the discussion with our blog post that includes more resources on the topic: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/5/17/further-reading-demand-for-diversity - View videos from Tech Forum 2019 on the BookNet Canada YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRthkZj3fAc3DXfR7-Zl3sguRhXU_xPqX
In this month's episode, we talk about ISNI, the International Standard Name Identifier. It's an identifier with potential in the supply chain for your trading partners and as a marketing tool. Tom Richardson, Bibliographic Manager at BookNet Canada and Kendra Martin, Marketing Administrator at Dundurn Press (https://www.dundurn.com), join us to shed light on how ISNI is and isn't being used.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/4/30/podcast-isni-the-dream-identifier)
Jennifer Baker of the Minorities in Publishing podcast interviews Jael Richardson, author, columnist, and founder of the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD), on craft, publishing, and formulating equity within the literary community. This conversation was hosted live at Tech Forum on March 20, 2019.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/3/25/podcast-minorities-in-publishing-live-at-tech-forum-2019)
Here at BookNet, we've had children's titles on the mind since we opened up voting for our new Loan Stars Jr. list in November. The first Loan Stars Jr. list, consisting of Juvenile and Young Adult titles, will be released this March and while we're waiting to see what will make the inaugural list, there's been a lot of reflecting and bonding over memories of the books and library programs that led us to dedicate our lives to making them. It also raised questions about the state of children's publishing in Canada and the role that libraries play. So we decided to take our questions to children's librarian, Scott Robins, the Children's Services Specialist at the Don Mills branch of the Toronto Public Library.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/2/25/podcast-a-childrens-librarian-on-the-state-of-childrens-publishing-in-canada)
Connect with Loan Stars: Loan Stars: https://www.loanstars.ca/ Loan Stars Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loanstars Loan Stars Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoanStarsCA Loan Stars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loanstarsca/ Loan Stars Tumblr: http://loanstars.tumblr.com/ Loan Stars Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/loanstars/ Loan Stars Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/54831332-loan-stars
Our PubFight game came to an end at the beginning of January, so we wanted to interview our All-Star players to find out what strategies they employed, whether they were successful or not, what they learned, and apparently most importantly, how they felt about the trash talk.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/1/29/podcast-pubfight-all-stars-game-end-wrap-up)
Further reading: The road to the All-Stars finale: All the blog posts about this league: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/?tag=all-stars More information and how to sign up for PubFight: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/pubfight/
For our last episode of 2018, we share the bestselling Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Juvenile/YA books of the year, discuss some of the major award winners, give a rundown of the top 10 Loan Stars picks for the year, and look ahead to our projects for 2019.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2018/12/17/bestselling-books-of-2018-and-year-end-wrap-up)
Further reading: Bestselling books of 2018: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2018/12/11/2018-bestsellers Literary awards season: Canadian awareness of and interest in literary awards: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2018/10/8/literary-awards-season-canadian-awareness-of-and-interest-in-literary-awards Loan Stars Best of the Brightest 2018: https://bnccatalist.ca/viewcatalogue.aspx?id=32907 AmReading research series: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/amreading-research-series Readers Are Listening: Audiobook Use in Canada 2018: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/readers-are-listening LibraryData: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/library-data Loan Stars Jr. is on the way!: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2018/11/5/loan-stars-jr-is-on-the-way Tech Forum & ebookcraft 2019: https://techforum.booknetcanada.ca/ Sign up for eNews: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/newsletter-sign-up/ Answer our customer satisfaction survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5SWJGJQ
Talk to anyone in the book industry and they'll tell you, the winter holidays are the best but busiest time of year for book sales. We bring you the stats you need to know for the season and we talk to Rebecca Andoff of Type Books in Toronto for the retailer perspective.
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2018/11/27/podcast-holiday-bookselling)
Resources mentioned in the podcast: When does holiday shopping begin: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2017/12/19/when-does-holiday-shopping-begin
Think with Google: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-ca/consumer-insights/want-win-holiday-season-get-know-these-four-types-canadian-shoppers/
How and when to reach the 2018 holiday shopper: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2018/10/15/how-and-when-to-reach-the-2018-holiday-shopper
Perennial holiday bestsellers: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/?tag=perennial+bestsellers
RCC Holiday Shopping Survey 2018: https://www.retailcouncil.org/research/holiday-shopping-in-canada-survey-2018/
Canada Post 2018 Holiday Success Guide: https://www.retailcouncil.org/research/canada-post-2018-holiday-success-guide-e-commerce-operations/
It's been two eventful years since we published our last study on audiobook listening in Canada, so we're back with updated stats on consumer habits and preferences for 2018. We're also discussing recent work being done to support the expansion of audiobook production in Canada, including a new initiative between Audible and Ryerson University.
You can read our study, Readers Are Listening: Audiobook Use in Canada 2018, for free in its entirety here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/readers-are-listening
(Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2018/10/30/podcast-the-growth-of-audiobook-listening-and-production-in-2018)
Other resources: - Livres Canada Books' The Global Audiobook Market report: https://livrescanadabooks.com/en/reports/digital-publishing/the-global-audiobook-market/ - Details on the partnership between Audible and Ryerson: https://business.financialpost.com/pmn/press-releases-pmn/business-wire-news-releases-pmn/audible-and-ryerson-university-announce-a-collaboration-to-develop-new-facilities-and-programming-in-audio-entertainment - eBOUND Canada: https://www.eboundcanada.org
This month we're talking about book clubs. But not the kind where you pretend to read the books and just drink wine – real book clubs. We're bringing you some stats on Canadian book clubs: who's in them, how they find their books, and more. We also take a look at the popularity of celebrity book clubs. And lastly we talk to Randy Chan, senior marketing manager at Harlequin, who talks to us about the importance of book clubs to publishers and how they find and reach out to them.
To see the transcript of the episode and links to further reading see our blog post: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2018/9/28/the-first-rule-of-book-club-is-tell-us-all-about-your-book-club
From drag queens to Netflix to registered therapy dogs to power tools, Canada's libraries offer patrons more than just books.
In this month's episode, Athena McQueen tells us about her involvement with Drag Queen Story Time, and OLA's Michelle Arbuckle talks about the importance of libraries and community outreach programs. Plus Elizabeth Barker and Monique Mongeon share a little bit about BookNet's various library projects.
To find out more about Athena McQueen's upcoming events, visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theathenamcqueen/
The Drag Queen Storytime article that we mentioned, featuring Michelle and her daughter Simone, can be found here: https://torontolife.com/culture/books/inside-drag-queen-storytime-toronto-librarys-fiercest-kids-reading-series/
Finally, don't forget to check out OLA's Library Land Loves podcast: http://librarylandloves.libsyn.com/
Loan Stars: https://www.loanstars.ca/ SalesData for Libraries: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/salesdata-for-libraries
As part of his mission to make sure artists are financially supported, Toronto-based fundraising consultant Rahim Ladha has taken it upon himself to fund and award three new cash prizes for underrepresented writers in Canada, ranging from BIPOC writing poetry to non-binary illustrators working in SFF. In this month's episode, we talk to Rahim about his intentions for the monthly/quarterly awards, how it's going so far, and his plans for growing the program.
Full details on the Spark, Nova, and Echo awards, including eligibility and how to get in touch with Rahim, can be found at https://shootforthemoon.art. The 'racism in CanLit' article that Rahim mentions in the episode can be found at http://yilinwang.com/racism-in-canlit.
In our latest research study, we asked publishers about their digital publishing programs, from audio production to use of EPUB 3. We're sharing some highlights from the report in this month's episode. We also expand on recent trends in digital audiobooks and stress the importance of providing accessible content for libraries.
Here are the links that we mention in the episode: The State of Digital Publishing in Canada 2017: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/state-of-digital-publishing BISG's Quick Start Guide to Accessible Publishing: https://bisg.org/store/ViewProduct.aspx?id=6972996 Loan Stars: https://www.loanstars.ca Let's Sell Some Books TinyLetter: https://tinyletter.com/BookNet_Canada PubFight: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/pubfight
How big is the book piracy issue, who's pirating them, and why? We answer these questions, offer other (legal!) ways of getting free books, and talk with Canadian publisher ECW about how the industry is (or isn't) fighting back against book theft. Visit our blog for all the show notes, including sources and further reading: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2018/5/28/podcast-batten-down-the-hatches-how-were-combatting-book-piracy
This month we're looking back at our biggest book-publishing-meets-technology conference ever. From March 21-23, 2018, hundreds of professionals from across the industry, from ebook developers to librarians, converged in Toronto for Tech Forum and ebookcraft to share, learn, and debate the future of the industry.
We've put together a highlight reel from some of our favourite talks (though they were all amazing), with insights on topics like metadata for ebooks, how retailers are bridging the digital divide, some great moments from our women in publishing panel, and lots more.
Talks highlighted: 1:00 - Dave Cramer (Hachette), "Jiminy and Dave's Excellent CSS Adventure" 2:30 - Rose Donohoo (OverDrive), "Oh the Places Ebooks Go! An ebook's journey from creation to circulation" 3:30 - Noah Genner (BookNet Canada), "How We Read Digitally: ebookcraft 2018 research study" 4:25 - Monique Mongeon (BookNet Canada), "How We Read Digitally: ebookcraft 2018 research study" 5:12 - Ellen Ullman (Life in Code), "Ellen Ullman in Conversation" 7:38 - Scaachi Koul (Buzzfeed), "Women in Publishing Panel" 10:52 - Bhavna Chauhan (Penguin Random House Canada), "Women in Publishing Panel" 12:50 - Joshua Tallent (Firebrand Technologies), "Backlist Keywords" 14:30 - Jennifer Haines (The Dragon), "Retailers Bridging the Digital Divide" 15:08 - Serah-Marie McMahon (TYPE Books), "Retailers Bridging the Digital Divide" 15:49 - Noah Genner (BookNet Canada), "State of the Publishing Nation 2018" 16:22: - Jon Fleming (Audible), Reka Rubin (Harlequin), Nastaran Bisheban (Kobo), "Audio-First Publishing Panel" 18:35 - Jessamyn C. West (Randolph Technical Career Center), "Libraries Bridging the Digital Divide"
Watch the talks on BookNet Canada's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/BookNetCanadaVideos Join the Tech Forum & ebookcraft mailing list: http://eepurl.com/Z8aIL
Tech Forum is presented by BookNet Canada. ebookcraft is presented by BookNet Canada and eBOUND Canada.
techforum.booknetcanada.ca
From the archives: While still in her undergrad at Dartmouth College, Kaya Thomas developed her first app: We Read Too, a book resource application that showcases a directory of hundreds of children's and young adult fiction books written by and for people of colour, which contains over 600 books and has over 4,000 downloads. Kaya has held software engineering internships at Time Inc. and Intuit working on mobile applications. She was a CODE2040 2015 Fellow and is a technical volunteer mentor for Black Girls Code. For her work in education and technology, Kaya was honoured by Michelle Obama at the 2015 Black Girls Rock Awards. She joins us to talk about her favourite books, breaking into coding, and diversifying the publishing industry.
In this presentation from last year's ebookcraft conference in Toronto, Amanda Karby from Michigan Publishing Services and Kristin Waites from The MIT Press shared the 7 milestones on their roadmap for accessibility, complete with details and examples from their own journeys putting those steps into action at their respective presses. From task forces to audits, they've got practical steps you can start taking today to make sure you're on the road towards producing accessible ebooks.
Interested in this year's ebookcraft conference on March 21-22 in Toronto? Learn more and get tickets: http://ebookcraft.booknetcanada.ca
Nastaran Bisheban, VP of Global Technology Delivery at Kobo, talks about their recently-launched audiobook program, their first audiobook original, and their future plans for audio content. And we speak to Book*hug's Hazel Millar about their record label that pairs authors with recording artists, Chaos & Star.
Curious about some of the articles we reference? Find them here: LiveMint: http://www.livemint.com/Companies/lObJNigyM1uKpaUB9V0dPJ/Audiobooks-could-be-the-next-big-thing-says-Penguin-Random.html
APA stats: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/audio-books/article/73917-audiobooks-posted-double-digit-gains-in-sales-output.html
Quartz: https://qz.com/1190281/google-and-apple-are-trying-to-lure-ebook-and-audiobook-readers-away-from-amazon/
TechRadar: http://www.techradar.com/news/youll-soon-be-able-to-buy-ebooks-and-audiobooks-in-walmart
Chaos & Star: https://bookthug.ca/chaos-and-star-records/
TF: http://techforum.booknetcanada.ca/sessions/the-future-will-not-be-silent-audio-first-publishing/
We're nearing the end of the year and, like pretty much everyone else, feeling reflective about the past 12 months. And since we're BookNet, that includes how the past year has shaped up in terms of the Canadian book market. So this month we have BookNet president and CEO, Noah Genner, as our guest to chat about the state of the market, the biggest books of the year, the biggest shakeups in the industry, what we can expect for next year, and, of course, lots about Margaret Atwood.
Our free webinar on bibliographic standards will be held on Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. ET. Find more info and register here: https://goo.gl/BxvSHv
This month we're talking with Léonicka Valcius about how to interrogate and rethink in-house processes and assumptions when publishing diverse books, including acquisitions, audience identification, setting priorities, and building in-house excitement.
Learn more about this topic at Tech Forum 2018: the largest tech-focused professional development event in the Canadian publishing industry. http://techforum.booknetcanada.ca/
Murder, organized crime, and....well, more murder. This month's episode is all about true crime, from recent bestsellers to the evolution of the genre. Featuring authors Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon and Peter Edwards, plus BookNet's Monique Mongeon.
Curious about some of the articles we reference? Find them here: NYT: Investigation Discovery Network Makes Crime Pay(https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/05/business/media/investigation-discovery-network-makes-crime-pay.html) Slate: The True Crime Memoir (http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2017/08/the_true_crime_memoir_when_mfa_grads_and_literary_aspirants_write_true_crime.html) Time: Murder shows — The New Soap Opera for Women? (http://ideas.time.com/2013/09/13/why-women-love-murder-shows/) The Hairpin: Why are Women Obsessed with True Crime (https://www.thehairpin.com/2017/05/why-are-women-obsessed-with-true-crime/) Buzzfeed: Scaachi Koul on why being "polite" often gets women killed (https://www.buzzfeed.com/scaachikoul/whats-your-favorite-murder) The Atlantic: How a True Crime Podcast Became a Mental Health Support Group (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/02/the-true-crime-podcast-turned-mental-health-support-group/517200/) Study – Captured by True Crime: Why are Women Drawn to Tales of Rape, Murder, and Serial Killers? (http://www.amandavicary.com/VicaryTrueCrime.pdf) Variety: True Crime on the Rise on TV (http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/manhunt-unabomber-menendez-brothers-the-keepers-unsolved-1202510421/) Toronto Life: Jennifer Pan's Revenge (https://torontolife.com/city/crime/jennifer-pan-revenge/)
Second Story Press is serious about keywords. Allie Chenoweth, Marketing & Promotions Coordinator, joins us to talk about their approach on this month's podcast.
Links: Demystifying the Inner Workings of Amazon Keywords: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlaZ6xIuRnc Google Ngram: https://books.google.com/ngrams
To help distract us from all our Game of Thrones feelings, we sat down with Evan Munday, children's author and Community Manager at TYPE Books, to discuss the influence of television adaptations on book buying habits of their viewers. Are viewers inclined to head towards bookstores after watching their favourite series? Do television tie-in covers matter? We talk stats, shows, and lots more.
Find more details (and fun graphs!) at www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2017/8/29/page-to-television-a-study-of-adaptations.
To help celebrate Canada's 150th birthday, we sat down with Sue Carter, Editor-in-Chief at Quill & Quire, Canada's magazine for the book publishing industry, to talk about the current state of the publishing landscape and what challenges we're facing. We also discuss some statistics from our most recent research reports, including what book buyers think of Canadian books and who the most well known Canadian author is. And, of course, we speculate on what the book industry might look like in another 50 years.
Micah Bowers, Founder and CEO of Bluefire, was a speaker at ebookcraft 2017. His talk, titled Ebook Apps from the Inside Out, is an exploration of the past, present, and future evolution of ebook reading applications and how that impacts and informs the art and craft of creating ebooks. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
There has lately been a huge surge in demand for audiobooks. This spike has largely been driven by the digital disruption that not only changes how listeners discover audiobooks, but also how they listen to, create, and purchase them.
As part of BookNet Canada's Tech Forum 2017 conference, we invited a panel of industry professionals to talk about the audiobook landscape including current trends and future opportunities.
Watch the video of this panel here: https://booknetcanada.wistia.com/medias/5amsjka062
Find the slides from Noah Genner's consumer data presentation here: https://www.slideshare.net/booknetcanada/audiobooks-and-the-sound-of-sales-noah-genner-tech-forum-2017
In this panel from Tech Forum 2017, panelists Léonicka Valcius, John Toews, and Tan light discuss how to effectively market and sell diverse book lists. This discussion goes beyond championing diverse books because it's the latest trend to acknowledging it as a business priority. They tackle how to identify the right tools and strategies to get diverse books into the hands of readers, while addressing the obstacles and assumptions that stand in the way of that goal.
When other resources are in short supply, the one thing all publishers always have more than enough of is content. So how do you maximize that resource to help you reach new audiences? As a preview of the panel he'll be joining at our Tech Forum conference on March 24 in Toronto, McSweeney's Jordan Bass joins us on the podcast this month to talk about their approach to repurposing content.
This month in the BookNet Canada podcast we talk with Ashleigh Gardner, Head of Partnerships at Wattpad about the evolution of Wattpad as a company, their models for monetizing content, and some of the things Wattpad has learned from their largest audience - the under 30 set. Ashleigh also talked to us a little bit about Wattpad's newest app, Tap, and it's freemium, candy-crush-like model.
In this mini episode, we run through the bookish highlights of 2016, including the current size of the Canadian book market, industry updates, and new research on consumer buying habits.
In the second part of our series on the print book and why it won't be going away any time soon, we talk with David Sax, the author of the new book, The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter. With the recent resurgence of brick-and-mortar bookstores and the plateauing of ebook sales, David sees a bright future ahead for physical books and the people who love them.
Is the print book as a technology underrated? In this month's episode, Joanne McNeish, a professor who studies the resilience of incumbent technologies, discusses why readers prefer print books, the challenges ebooks will have to overcome to be more competitive, and why we shouldn't expect physical books to ever be replaced entirely. Stay tuned for Part 2 in December 2016.
At last year's ebookcraft conference, Teresa Elsey, the Digital Managing Editor of the Trade & Reference Division at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, shared her experiences maintaining backlist ebooks with her team.
Besides the technology advances that affect the quality of those earlier conversions, she explained that those backlist ebooks aren't getting any more semantic, aren't getting any more legal, aren't getting any more accurate, and have increasingly irrelevant metadata.
In this thought-provoking talk, Teresa discusses the challenges and questions that arise when books turn into software and ebooks don't go away after you've made them.
Learn more about ebookcraft: http://ebookcraft.booknetcanada.ca
Publishers opening their own physical bookstores seems to be all the rage these days. We sit down with two Canadian publishers—House of Anansi and Penguin Random House Canada—to talk about their new shops and why they've decided to take the plunge into brick-and-mortar.
Long live the audiobook! Thanks to smartphones, podcasts, and our oh-so-busy lives, the digital audiobook is making a comeback. We talk with some industry players to discuss the format's reinvention, how the industry is adapting to increased demand, and where Canadian-produced audiobooks fit into all this.
Hungry for more data? Keep an eye on the BookNet Canada Blog in the coming weeks for more results from our research: booknetcanada.ca/blog.
Laura Brady, ebook developer and principal of Brady Type, joins the BookNet podcast to educate us about the benefits and challenges associated with bringing accessible features to ebooks in Canadian publishing. We talk about ableist privilege, InDesign quirks, and if the future of print and digital in harmony includes coding that old book smell.
After another round of inspiring talks, illuminating research, and innovative ideas at our annual Tech Forum conference on digital developments in the book publishing industry, we're here to share some highlights from the conference.
We've got consumer research on how millennials buy and read books, how and why the industry should work to include more diverse voices, five recommendations for improving your book metadata in today's complex marketplace, and lessons for encouraging grassroots innovation at a legacy publisher.
To see videos of all the Tech Forum presentations in their entirety, visit booknetcanada.ca/tech-forum.
It's been a big year for adult colouring books in Canada: they've dominated the non-fiction bestseller lists, adults are frequenting drinking 'n' colouring nights, and everyone seems to have an opinion about the trend. So are they on the decline, or here to stay?
We investigate by examining sales trends from the past year, talking with consumers and experts on the subject, and surveying adult colouring book buyers to learn more about their buying habits and preferences.
Hungry for more data? Keep an eye on the BookNet Canada Blog in the coming weeks for more results from our research: booknetcanada.ca/blog.
Kaya Thomas, creator of the app We Read Too, joins BookNet on the podcast this month. While still in her undergrad at Dartmouth College, Kaya developed We Read Too—a book resource application that showcases a directory of hundreds of children's and young adult fiction books written by and for people of colour—which contains over 600 books and has over 4,000 downloads. Kaya has held software engineering internships at Time Inc and Intuit working on mobile applications. She was a CODE2040 2015 Fellow and is a technical volunteer mentor for Black Girls Code. For her work in education and technology, Kaya was recently honoured by First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2015 Black Girls Rock Awards. She joins us to talk about her favourite books, breaking into coding, and diversifying the publishing industry.
techforum.booknetcanada.ca
Can quantitative analysis be used to predict bestselling or prize-winning books? We discuss this question and more with Andrew Piper, an associate professor at McGill University where he's also the director of .txtLAB, a digital humanities laboratory focused on applying computational approaches to literature and culture. This month, it's all about how data can be used to better understand books.
To learn more about .txtLAB, check out their blog: http://txtlab.org/
In this month's episode, we ask our Bibliographic Manager, Tom Richardson, to ruminate on how subject metadata can be optimized to better serve the book industry. Strap in for 20 minutes of subject codes, meandering, and lots of telling it like it is.
Looking for the keywords white paper mentioned in the episode? Find it right here: https://www.bisg.org/best-practices-keywords-metadata.
BookNet Canada invites Canadian publishing superstars Allister Thompson, Leonicka Valcius, and Rachel Letofski to discuss the growing trend of adults purchasing Young Adult books for themselves, but misidentifying the target audience for those books as adult.
According to a report put out by BookNet Canada entitled The Canadian Book Buyer 2015, consumers think they're buying 14% juvenile and 50% fiction, though 2014 purchasing trends indicate consumers are buying 38% juvenile and 31% fiction. Does this variance indicate that adults are trending towards juvenile without realizing it?
There are three iron laws of information age creativity, freedom, and business, woven deep into the fabric of the Internet's design, the functioning of markets, and the global system of regulation and trade agreements. You can't attain any kind of sustained commercial, creative success without understanding these laws—but more importantly, the future of freedom itself depends on getting them right.
Presented by Cory Doctorow at Tech Forum 2015 / BookNet Canada / March 12, 2015
booknetcanada.ca/technology-forum
This week’s episode is very meta, in that it’s a podcast about podcasting. If your mind is still intact after being so spectularly blown, and if you’re interested in how podcasting can help you build a relationship with your audience, then you should definitely give it a listen.
The talk is from Anshuman Iddamsetty, who up until recently hosted Hazlitt Magazine’s book podcast, The Arcade. (It was retired after more than 50 stirring episodes.) In his Tech Forum talk, he explains the unique power of sound and how it’s the ideal medium for fostering intimacy, trust, and loyalty.
Presentation slides are available here: http://www.slideshare.net/booknetcanada/sound-strategy-how-can-11minute-podcast-can-change-a-books-life-tech-forum-2015-anshuman-iddamsetty
Presented by Anshuman Iddamsetty (Hazlitt) at Tech Forum 2015 / BookNet Canada / March 12, 2015
booknetcanada.ca/technology-forum
With the growth of subscription services such as Scribd and Oyster, and sites such as Pottermore, many publishers are starting to think differently about their businesses. The time has come for experimenting with conversion architectures: business models that involve attracting an audience, retaining it in various ways (website visits, email lists, newsletters, etc.) and monetizing it. Brian O'Leary explores how conversion architectures work and how they apply to current—and, more importantly, future—book content models. You'll leave this session ready to strategize new ways of marketing and selling content to your readers.
Presented by Brian O'Leary (Magellan Media Consulting) at Tech Forum 2015 / BookNet Canada / March 12, 2015
booknetcanada.ca/technology-forum
Striking a balance between books, games, and community.
Keith Fretz of Scholastic US explores three main components of a successful transmedia property: attracting and retaining interest with gamification, using usage data to inform the evolution of your product, and building and maintaining a vibrant community.
Presentation slides: http://www.slideshare.net/booknetcanada/transmedia-success-striking-a-balance-between-books-games-and-community-tech-forum-2015-keith-fretz
Presented by Keith Fretz (Scholastic US) at Tech Forum 2015 / BookNet Canada / March 12, 2015
booknetcanada.ca/technology-forum
As more and more publishing houses bring in talented digital employees there’s a likely clash of cultures on the horizon. How can publishers with their rich history work alongside technologists and their history of “disrupting” everything? A sometimes humorous, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately optimistic look at the future of the people behind the books.
Presentation slides are available at: https://dvs.atavist.com/tech-forum-2015
Presented by Derrick Schultz (Atavist) at Tech Forum 2015 / BookNet Canada / March 12, 2015
booknetcanada.ca/technology-forum
Drawing on their extensive history with the middle school market, Melanie Jeffs from Orca Book Publishers will examine how engagement, not only with customers but with staff and authors, can inform content generation as well as lead to successful marketing strategies that result in increased print and digital sales.
Slides are available at http://www.slideshare.net/booknetcanada/engaging-everyone-a-case-study-from-orca-book-publishers-tech-forum-2015-melanie-jeffs
Presented by Melanie Jeffs (Orca Book Publishers) at Tech Forum 2015 / BookNet Canada / March 12, 2015
booknetcanada.ca/technology-forum
BookNet Canada conducts regular market research and consumer research, giving you a detailed picture of the Canadian book market and Canadian book buyers. In this session, Noah Genner will present some of BookNet's recent research, including not-yet-released stats.
Presented by Noah Genner at Tech Forum 2015 / BookNet Canada / March 12, 2015
Presentation slides available at: http://www.slideshare.net/booknetcanada/new-at-booknet-canada-research-tech-forum-2015-noah-genner
booknetcanada.ca/technology-forum
Is there a difference between readers who mainly purchase heavily discounted ebooks versus those who pay full price? How about readers who purchase an ebook as soon as it's available, compared to readers who wait until the ebook price drops in correspondence with the trade paper release? What about readers who make spontaneous purchases, like Daily Deals? In this presentation, Kobo Director of Merchandising Nathan Maharaj weighs in on what Kobo has learned about the relationship between price points and reading habits. He'll also touch on other factors affecting reader engagement, such as season, country, and genre. Get ready for data-driven decision-making at its best!
Presented by Nathan Maharaj (Kobo) at Tech Forum 2015 / BookNet Canada / March 12, 2015
booknetcanada.ca/technology-forum
Many publishers are interested in bundling ebooks and print books, but don't know where to start. Will ebook bundling erode traditional ebook sales? Which price points are most likely to attract readers to bundle their books? Can ebook bundling be used as a discoverability strategy? And, what are the different options available to publishers who want to start offering print and ebook bundles? Mary Alice Elcock of BitLit will present answers to these questions and more, along with further insights into the book bundling market.
Presented by Mary Alice Elcock (BitLit) at Tech Forum 2015 / BookNet Canada / March 12, 2015
booknetcanada.ca/technology-forum
Concerns about ebooks “killing” publishing are just the latest in a centuries-long tradition of worrying unnecessarily about the end of reading. The rise of ebooks and, not by coincidence, big data, will be good for reading, writing, publishing, and bookselling, or at least for the people who learn to embrace them. Everyone else is right to be worried. Kevin Ashton draws on his experience as a bookseller, author, marketer, and leader of the “Internet of Things,” to provide guidance and reassurance to help you survive the coming Ebookalypse.
Presented by Kevin Ashton (How to Fly a Horse) at Tech Forum 2015 / BookNet Canada / March 12, 2015
booknetcanada.ca/technology-forum