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✦ Featured Story
Why '1,237 Ratings' Sells More Books Than '1,200'
The gap between 12, 120 and 1,200 reviews isn't just numbers—it's the invisible threshold where browsers become buyers. We unpack the psychology of anchoring, herd behaviour, and the 'safety in numbers' effect that quietly governs every Amazon buy-box decision, and why a precise count can out-convert a round one.
Read the Full Article →
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News Roundup
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Publishing & Rights
Catapult to Be Sold, End Operations
The independent publisher Catapult Book Group, cofounded in 2015 by Elizabeth Koch and Andy Hunter, is being sold to an unspecified buyer and is expected to end operations on October 30. The company's newly formed union said it was told the sale includes assets only and that continued employment with the prospective buyer is not an option. The Catapult website currently lists 25 employees, including CEO Elizabeth Koch and publisher Alyson Forbes. Read more →
Digital & Technology
Litigation, but Growing Use of AI in Book Publishing
Book publishers are suing AI companies even as AI use grows across the Big Five houses, highlighting the industry's conflicting positions on the technology. Five publisher organizations, including the Association of American Publishers and the Independent Book Publishers Association, filed an amicus brief arguing that OpenAI's training on copyrighted content is infringement rather than fair use. At the same time, a Wired report details efforts at Macmillan and Penguin Random House to encourage employees to use AI in their work. Read more →
Awards & Releases
Here are the winners of the 2026 Kirkus Prize
Kirkus Reviews announced the winners of the 13th annual Kirkus Prize at a ceremony in New York City, awarding $50,000 to books of exceptional merit in three categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Readers' Literature. Tayari Jones won the Fiction prize for her novel Kin, published by Alfred A. Knopf. Editor-in-chief Tom Beer praised the winners as remarkably accomplished works that wear their accomplishments lightly. Read more →
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✦ Author Spotlight
Our Authors This Month
Bestsellers & New Releases from the Scribando Showcase
This November, we're delighted to spotlight a group of authors whose work speaks to the way we think, work, and heal. Leading the lineup is Sutton Burke, whose "NOW WE PLAY: Mental Fitness for Everyday Life" reached #1 Bestseller in Consulting Psychology eBooks this October—a fresh take on building resilience through everyday practice. We're also keeping an eye on Mohit Mitra's forthcoming "Managing Up," a coming-soon guide for navigating the relationships that shape every career, and welcoming Dr. Phyllis S. Quinlan's new release, "The Missing Piece of the Healthy Workplace Puzzle," an incisive look at understanding and managing bullying and incivility in healthcare.
"These are voices that help us think harder, work kinder, and live with greater clarity."
Rounding out the month, Tracy Doyle's "Life Storms Finding Your Clear Sky" earned the 2026 NYC Big Book Award in Women's Health, offering practices to overcome negative thinking, build connection, and find fulfillment. And Damian Fozard's "Disbelief: An Honest Inquiry into Belief, Reason, and the Human Condition" arrives as a #1 New Release in Atheism, inviting readers into a thoughtful exploration of belief and reason. Visit the Scribando Showcase to discover these titles and the stories behind them.
#1 Bestseller in Consulting Psychology eBooks [Oct 2026]
NOW WE PLAY: Mental Fitness for Everyday Life
Sutton Burke
View Showcase ›
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Coming Soon
Managing Up
Mohit Mitra
View Showcase ›
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New Release
The Missing Piece of the Healthy Workplace Puzzle: Understanding and Effectively Managing Bullying and Incivility in Healthcare
Dr. Phyllis S. Quinlan
View Showcase ›
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Winner, 2026 NYC Big Book Award (Women’s Health)
Life Storms Finding Your Clear Sky: Practices to Overcome Negative Thinking, Build Connection, & Find Fulfillment
Tracy Doyle
View Showcase ›
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#1 New Release in Atheism (October 2026)
Disbelief: An Honest Inquiry into Belief, Reason, and the Human Condition
Damian Fozard
View Showcase ›
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Industry Updates
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Anthropic Copyright Settlement Payments to Authors Begin Week of November 23
According to a new court filing, initial payments to claimants in the historic Bartz v. Anthropic settlement will go out during the week of November 23, covering roughly 500,000 eligible titles at about $3,000 per work. The Authors Guild noted that Macmillan has offered to make authors whole for awards lost due to the publisher's failure to register copyright.
ACX Ends Legacy Audiobook Royalty Model as KDP Caps New Titles
ACX is retiring its legacy royalty model at the end of 2026, quoting 50% for exclusive distribution to Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books (up from 40%) and 30% for non-exclusive (up from 25%). Separately, since September 21, 2026, KDP limits authors to creating two new titles per format per week.
Audible-Commissioned NielsenIQ Survey Links Audiobooks to Multi-Format Sales
An Audible-commissioned survey of 18,000 listeners across global markets found that 63% buy an ebook or print copy after listening to an audiobook, while 69% have listened to an audiobook after first reading it in another format. The study also found considerable openness to AI narration, though the Audio Publishers Association reported AI-narrated titles made up just 0.03% of audiobook sales revenue in 2025.
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Upcoming Events
Author Nation
📍 Las Vegas, NV, USA · In Person
Held November 10 to 13, 2026 at Horseshoe Las Vegas, Author Nation is billed as the world's largest indie author conference, emphasizing author-publisher collaboration and connecting writers with high-profile independent authors.
Miami Book Fair
📍 Miami, FL, USA · Hybrid
Running November 15 to 22, 2026 at the Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade College, the fair features eight days of author conversations, book browsing, and family programming, with virtual events also offered for readers joining from home.
Guadalajara International Book Fair
📍 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico · In Person
One of the world's largest Spanish-language publishing events, the Guadalajara International Book Fair runs November 28 to December 6, 2026, bringing together publishers, authors, and readers.
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✦ Supported By
The Partners Who Make This Possible
Book World Update is produced by Scribando and supported by a curated network of trusted publishing services. Every partner listed here is one we personally recommend.
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