May 2, 2022
Technology • Innovation • Publishing — Issue #192
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Innovation
Snap pushes into augmented reality shopping, unveils flying camera — www.reuters.com
Snap Inc will roll out new features to make it easier for brands to create augmented reality shopping experiences on its Snapchat app as well as a flying camera, the company said on Thursday at its annual presentation to showcase new technology. #Snap #AR
Sesame brings Epic MegaGrant to the street
Sesame Street recently awarded $150K to Epic Games (creator of Fortnite), to create a digital version of its iconic TV set in VR #VR
Hasbro teams w Quantum Storey on a series of AR/VR-powered books
Quantum Storey’s XR tech will be embedded in books starring Hasbro characters + readers can access the story in the virtual realm via their phone or VR headset. #AR #VR
Meta to Open Retail Store to Showcase Virtual Reality Hardware — www.bloomberg.com
Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. is opening its first ever retail store in California, hoping to introduce people to virtual reality worlds with a try-before-you-buy approach for hardware like its Portal video calling hub and virtual reality goggles.
New E Ink Gallery displays could finally make full-color e-readers good — arstechnica.com
New screen helps to close the gap with black-and-white e-readers.
Technology
Amazon reports first loss since 2015 on back of shares collapse in electric vehicle firm
Amazon reports first loss since 2015 on back of shares collapse in electric vehicle firm, with the CEO citing the pandemic and war in Ukraine bringing “unusual growth and challenges” and referred to ongoing inflationary and supply chain pressure
Media & Publishing
Early 2022 Sales Led by BookTok Fiction and Southern Migration — lunch.publishersmarketplace.com
Children reading more books but enjoyment levels in ‘worrying decline’, report suggests
ABC News Launches “The Book Case” Podcast
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com
ABC Audio announced the launch of a new weekly podcast, The Book Case, hosted by ABC News journalist Charlie Gibson and his daughter Kate Gibson. Each episode will include book recommendations from the hosts, “a short audio postcard” from an independent bookstore owner about their popular titles, and a conversation with authors and industry figures.
The PRH Education Team Launches Its New Translanguaging Collections — penguinrandomhousesecondaryeducation.com
MT @PRHSecondaryEd We’re thrilled to announce our brand new Translanguaging Collections: Affirming Bilingual and Multilingual Learners! Partnering with @ProfesoraEspana and @Dra_LuzYadira, we’ve created collections that validate and support all students. #TeamPRH
PRH & PYR Donate 10,000 Books to Local Teacher on TODAY Show Teacher Appreciation Segment — global.penguinrandomhouse.com
More Paper Problems: Big European Producer Looks to Sell Four Mills
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com
Announced about a month ago, Finland’s forestry and packaging giant Stora Enso announced plans for “a possible divestment” of four paper mills across Europe (in Finland, Sweden and Germany), retaining just one mill in Belgium that produces magazine paper as they focus on packaging and other products.
#BooksGiveRefuge, Ukraine Relief Efforts Continue
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the international publishing community has come together with a number of initiatives aimed at offering support to children’s authors and publishers; see more about these ongoing efforts. #BooksGiveRefuge
How to Support Diverse Books During a Book Ban
MT @diversebooks “Defending diverse books can feel like an enormous task, but you can make a difference.” Librarian @Adriana_Edu wrote for us about how you can fight against book bans — as well as showing how performative activism can actually do more harm than good. #FightCensorship
Book Banning In Walton County Based On Misleading “Porn In Schools Report” Illustrates Alarming Influence Of Fringe Groups On Educational Censorship
RT @PENamerica NEW at PEN America: Our Education team offers a deep dive into the “Porn in Schools Report” (you read that right) that recently led to a ban on 58 books in Walton County, FL. What is this misleading report and where did it come from? We have answers.
Texas County Officials Sued over Library Book Bans
www.publishersweekly.com
A group of library supporters in Llano County, Tex., have filed suit against county officials in federal court arguing that a series of book bans and other actions at the library violates their constitutional rights.
How Free Is Free Expression?
An avalanche of censorship is coming.
Four times more male characters in literature than female, research suggests
HT @publishingtrend A study by University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering used AI to measure pronoun use, uncovering a huge disparity in gender frequency
Publishers’ secondary market strategy: What happens when the monetary appeal of NFTs isn’t enough?
digiday.com
Publishers are still dropping NFT collections, but it’s not the get-rich-quick opportunity that’s getting people to buy and trade digital assets.
Record sales growth in the category in the U.S. has been tempered by supply chain delays — www.publishersweekly.com
Record sales growth in the category in the U.S. has been tempered by supply chain delays.
G/O Media, Owner of Gizmodo and Deadspin, Buys Business Site Quartz — www.nytimes.com
The deal is the latest in a wave of consolidation among digital publishers.
Publishers seek reader payments without the pressure of a paywall
digiday.com
By removing its paywall and opening up access to its content, Quartz’s membership model follows in the footsteps of Vox and The Guardian, aiming to drive direct revenue by simply asking for readers’ support.
Us Weekly is launching a celebrity-inspired commerce platform called Us Now
Former InStyle Editor Laura Brown to Debut Clubhouse Conversation Series ‘Ladies Night’ — www.hollywoodreporter.com
The audio show will be produced by InStyle veteran Glynis Costin, who also departed the magazine this year when it moved to digital-only.
Academic Publishing: Elsevier’s ‘Research Futures 2.0’
publishingperspectives.com
In its second stage of a multiyear study, Elsevier looks at pressures, challenges, and potentials in research in the next 10 years.
Vice Media Is Exploring Sale of Studio Business
Vice Media is working with PJT and LionTree to explore the sale of its studio business, which is Vice’s biggest business unit by revenue contribution, looking to take advantage of rising valuations for production companies in recent months. But a sale of the business would deprive Vice of its biggest business and would raise questions about the future direction of the firm.
Resources & Opportunities
PEN World Voices Festival — worldvoices.pen.org
RT @PENworldvoices 4 days. 70+ writers from 20+ countries. The 2022 PEN World Voices Festival is back in NYC & LA from May 11–14! Schedule and tickets OUT NOW. #PENWorldVoices
dvdebut — DiverseVoices, Inc.
MT @_DiverseVoices DVdebut and DVmentor are now open for mentee applications! Read more about our mentorship programs here:
DVdebut (for to-be-published marginalized book creators): http://diversevoicesinc.org/dvdebut
DVmentor (for marginalized book creators looking to break in): http://diversevoicesinc.org/dvmentor
We Need Diverse Books Internship Grant Program
MT @diversebooks Just over a week left to apply to the 2022 WNDB Internship Grant summer program! Applications close May 7, 2022. We continue to offer $3,000 grants, 12 of which are for children’s-focused internships and 12 for adult. Remote internships applicable.
A Museum in Bangalore Has Launched a Free Online Encyclopedia Covering 10,000 Years of Indian Art History
HT @paulkbiba The open-source platform was created by the Museum of Art & Photography, which is set to open later this year in Bangalore.
New York City Lawmakers Vote to Delay Pay-Range Disclosure on Job Listings
www.wsj.com
City council votes to revise salary transparency law, postponing the requirement until November among other changes
How to Get Covid Treatments in New York City
Covid treatments are widely available to at-risk people in New York City, but many may not even know they exist. Here’s how to get them.
Jane’s Walk 2022 — The Municipal Art Society of New York
MT @MASNYC Jane’s Walk is back May 6–8! Our 2022 roster is now live, featuring nearly 200 walks celebrating NYC and urban life. Jane’s Walks are free and open to the public, but many require RSVPs. Save your spot today!
