February 23, 2025

Short Week, Big Moves

The state of Iowa doubled down on its book-banning efforts this past holiday week with two new pieces of legislation targeting allegedly “obscene” materials at public and school libraries. Michael Wolff has taken his next book on Trump, due out next week, to Crown. This month’s final PubWest conference saw the debut of a new partnership, Publishers Cooperative, in an effort to pool resources during a time of rising costs and uncertainty for independent publishers. Plus, Simon & Schuster UK and International will welcome a new CEO in May, U.K.–based e-tailer World of Books sets its sights on the U.S., and more.

Writer Bob Johnson launched his debut short fiction collection The Continental Divide (Cornerstone Press) at a jam-packed Fables Books in Goshen, Ind., on February 18. (Courtesy Kaye Publicity)

New Bills in Iowa Threaten to Tighten Obscenity Provisions for Libraries

House File 274 would repeal a section of the Iowa Code that addresses obscenity exemptions for public libraries and educational institutions, while Senate File 347 proposes steep fines for sharing allegedly obscene work with minors. ALA president-elect Sam Helmick called the legislative pairing “a parfait of awful.” more

Crown to Publish Michael Wolff’s Next Book on Trump

The Random House imprint will publish All or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America on February 25. Wolff is the author of three other books on Trump, all published by Henry Holt: the blockbuster 2016 hit Fire and Fury, 2019’s Siege, and 2021’s Landslide. more

Eight Independent Publishers Form Cooperative to Share Resources, Cut Costs

The Publishers Cooperative aims at leveraging collective buying power and sharing resources. Founding members include AdventureKEEN, C&T Publishing, Gibbs-Smith, Mango Publishing, Mixed Media Resources, Mountaineers Books, Schiffer Publishing, and Ulysses Press. more

Final PubWest Conference Focuses on Finance, Fostering Best Practices

Publishers Association of the West held its final annual conference in New Orleans February 11–13 before it joins forces with the Independent Book Publishers Association this July. more

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