Ep. 156: 2023 State of the Industry with Sarah Landis (Literary Agent)
11/29/23 • 62 min
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For our first annual 2023 State of the Industry episode, we’re welcoming back literary agent Sarah Landis for an overview and exploration of some hot topics in the book world this year. Taking stock of how this year panned out for the publishing industry, Sarah discusses top news stories, dives deep into how specific titles performed this year, and shares current trends she’s seeing in publishing. Also, Sarah shares her favorite books of 2023!
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Coming Soon- The updated 2024 Rock Your Reading Tracker will release on December 6! This year’s updated edition will be exclusively available to our $7/month Superstars Patrons and will not be offered for separate purchase as in previous years. Don’t miss out on this and other bookish goodies – become a Superstars Patron here!
- 2023 bookish news and publishing numbers overview.
- Sarah talks current popular genres, BookTok trends, and Simon & Schuster sale.
- A quick dive into IP books, their meaning, and a notable downside.
- The Elizabeth Gilbert book review bombing situation.
- BTS vs. Taylor Swift pre-order controversy.
- Playing Over/Under with this year’s top book performers.
- Do celebrity book clubs really boost sales? A look at the numbers.
- Publisher expectations and the influence of page count.
- Bookish trends of the year: BookTok’s impact on publishing.
- Examining shifts in publishing calendars.
- Anticipating 2024’s potential bookish trends.
High-Level Overview [3:08]
- Spare by Prince Harry | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:30]
- The Woman in Me by Britney Spears | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:31]
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:58]
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Amazon | Bookshop.org [7:31]
- Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:08]
- Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:21]
- Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:22]
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:48]
Big Book Stories of 2023 [13:10]
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:21]
- Beyond the Story by BTS and Myeongseok Kang | Amazon | Bookshop.org[21:22]
The Over / Under Game [25:17]
- Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah | Amazon | Bookshop.org[26:05]
- Yellowface by R. F. Kuang | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:41]
- Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:17]
- In Memoriam
For our first annual 2023 State of the Industry episode, we’re welcoming back literary agent Sarah Landis for an overview and exploration of some hot topics in the book world this year. Taking stock of how this year panned out for the publishing industry, Sarah discusses top news stories, dives deep into how specific titles performed this year, and shares current trends she’s seeing in publishing. Also, Sarah shares her favorite books of 2023!
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Coming Soon- The updated 2024 Rock Your Reading Tracker will release on December 6! This year’s updated edition will be exclusively available to our $7/month Superstars Patrons and will not be offered for separate purchase as in previous years. Don’t miss out on this and other bookish goodies – become a Superstars Patron here!
- 2023 bookish news and publishing numbers overview.
- Sarah talks current popular genres, BookTok trends, and Simon & Schuster sale.
- A quick dive into IP books, their meaning, and a notable downside.
- The Elizabeth Gilbert book review bombing situation.
- BTS vs. Taylor Swift pre-order controversy.
- Playing Over/Under with this year’s top book performers.
- Do celebrity book clubs really boost sales? A look at the numbers.
- Publisher expectations and the influence of page count.
- Bookish trends of the year: BookTok’s impact on publishing.
- Examining shifts in publishing calendars.
- Anticipating 2024’s potential bookish trends.
High-Level Overview [3:08]
- Spare by Prince Harry | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:30]
- The Woman in Me by Britney Spears | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:31]
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:58]
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Amazon | Bookshop.org [7:31]
- Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:08]
- Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:21]
- Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:22]
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:48]
Big Book Stories of 2023 [13:10]
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:21]
- Beyond the Story by BTS and Myeongseok Kang | Amazon | Bookshop.org[21:22]
The Over / Under Game [25:17]
- Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah | Amazon | Bookshop.org[26:05]
- Yellowface by R. F. Kuang | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:41]
- Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:17]
- In Memoriam
Previous Episode
Ep. 155: Fall 2023 Circle Back with Catherine (@GilmoreGuide)
In the Fall 2023 Book Preview, Catherine (@GilmoreGuide) and I shared our 12 most-anticipated books that released mid-August – December. Today we’re going to circle back to share updates on which of these books we’ve read, our thoughts on them, and a few we attempted but couldn’t quite get through.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Coming Soon- The updated 2024 Rock Your Reading Tracker will release on December 6! This year’s updated edition will be exclusively available to our $7/month Superstars Patrons and will not be offered for separate purchase as in previous years. Don’t miss out on this and other bookish goodies – become a Superstars Patron here!
- Catherine’s curse has been broken — her top pick was a winner!
- Both Catherine and Sarah circle back with two 5-star books each!
- Their reading stats and success rates for fall.
- The best and worst picks from the Fall 2023 Book Preview.
Sarah’s Pick:
- Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (August 29) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:19]
Catherine’s Picks:
- The English Experience by Julie Schumacher (August 15) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:43]
- The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger (September 5) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [15:26]
Other Books Mentioned:
- Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher [9:56]
- Miracle Creek by Angie Kim [11:45]
September
Sarah’s Pick:
- Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll (September 19) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:23]
Catherine’s Pick:
- The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar (September 26) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [26:17]
Other Books Mentioned:
- The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon [18:53]
- Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka [18:51]
- The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff [21:44]
- Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll [25:56]
- The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll [25:57]
- Honor by Thrity Umrigar [28:12]
October
Sarah’s Picks:
- Kill Show by Daniel Sweren-Becker (October 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [28:15]
- In Light of All Darkness by Kim Cross (October 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:42]
- The Sun Sets in Singapore by Kehinde Fadipe (October 31) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:33]
Catherine’s Picks:
- The Hank Show by McKenzie Funk (October 3) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:35]
- The Leftover Woman by Jean K...
Next Episode
Ep. 157: Best Books of 2023 Superlatives with Susie (@NovelVisits)
We’re gearing up to close out our year of reading with today’s podcast episode, featuring the Best Books of 2023 Superlatives with Susie (@NovelVisits). Our wrap-up is split into two episodes: today’s Superlatives and next week’s Genre Awards. Today, we’re diving into more than 25 Superlative categories, including Most Deserving of the Hype, Biggest Surprise, the Darkest Book of the Year, and many others!
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Announcements- My 2024 Reading Tracker is out! Once again, the Tracker will ONLY be available to $7/month Superstars patrons (i.e., no longer available as a separate purchase for $14.99 here on my website). Become a Superstars Patron here!
- Our best books of the year from over 25 categories, including:
- Most Deserving of the Hype
- FOMO-Worthy Book
- Third Time’s the Charm
- Darkest Book of the Year
- Top Underrated Gem
- Biggest Surprise
- The Book You Flew Through
- Most Polarizing Favorite
- Most Heartbreaking
Susie
- Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano | Amazon | Bookshop.org [7:03] & [24:25]
- I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai | Amazon | Bookshop.org[11:37]
- Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor | Amazon | Bookshop.org [16:07]
- Juno Loves Legs by Karl Geary | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:17]
- Western Lane by Chetna Maroo | Amazon | Bookshop.org [25:14]
- The Future by Naomi Alderman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:44]
- Pete and Alice in Maine by Caitlin Shetterly | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:46]
- The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:31]
- Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah | Amazon | Bookshop.org[40:22]
- One Woman Show by Christine Coulson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:40]
- Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:41]
- Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:20]
- The Postcard by Anne Berest | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:19]
- Happiness Falls by Angie Kim | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:01]
- Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:03:40]
Sarah
- The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue | Amazon |
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