BTW News Briefs

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Here’s what’s happening this week in the book industry:

Illinois’ Marketplace Fairness Act went into effect upon the announcement of the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of South Dakota v. Wayfair. The law, modeled on that of South Dakota, requires any out-of-state remote seller with at least 200 transactions or transactions comprising at least $100,000 in gross sales in the state to collect and remit sales tax to Illinois.

Political book category sales drove U.S. growth in the print book market for the year-to-date ending June 10, 2018, according to data collected by The NPD Group. Thanks to hits like Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff (Henry Holt and Co.) and A Higher Loyalty by James Comey (Flatiron Books), sales in this category rose 32 percent this year. NPD reported that in the first quarter of 2018, political books made up 3.8 percent of all print nonfiction. 

The Association for Library Service to Children Board voted to change the name of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award at its meeting on June 23. According to the board, the decision was made “in consideration of the fact that Wilder’s legacy, as represented by her body of work, includes expressions of stereotypical attitudes inconsistent with ALSC’s core values of inclusiveness, integrity and respect, and responsiveness.” The award will now be called the Children’s Literature Legacy Award.

Former U.S. poet laureate (2006-2007) Donald Hall died at the age of 89 on June 23. Over his career, Hall published poetry, essays, and memoirs, including the 1977 poem “Ox Cart Man,” which became a classic children’s book. He also won numerous awards including the National Book Critics Circle prize for the 1989 book-length poem The One Day. His most recent book was A Carnival of Losses: Notes Nearing Ninety (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), which will be released July 10.

On August 6, Macmillan President of Sales Alison Lazarus will join Hachette Book Group as executive vice president and director of sales. Chris Murphy, currently the senior vice president and group sales director at Macmillan, will now become senior vice president of retail sales. After leaving the company where she has worked for more than 20 years, Lazarus will report to CEO Michael Pietsch and join Hachette Book Group’s executive management board.

Military historian and author Dennis Showalter has been named the winner of the 2018 Pritzker Military Museum & Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing, which “recognizes and honors the contributions of a living author for a body of work dedicated to enriching the understanding of military history and affairs.” Showalter will receive a gold medallion, a citation, and a $100,000 honorarium.


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