Book Marks: Paperbacked, Etc.

Sales of young adult paperbacks, in decline? Jessica Kara at Publishers Weekly seems to think so, and points to one possible reason: YA books are being priced out of the spending range of their target group because publishers are making titles more visually appealing. "I wonder if we are discarding the fun and cheap paperback as a unique and enjoyable way to experience books as a teen reader," she muses.

Historically, the paperback came about to offer more affordable and portable versions of works originally published in clunkier and pricier hardbacks. The format got people reading more because they were cheaper and travelled well. And publishers could release a wider variety of genres on paperbacks because they were cheap to produce and they could make sales by volume. But paperbacks were being read more.

The shift from books as a medium to works of art may apply to certain productions such as coffee-table books on nature and cultural heritage, but not for stories that may have had their origins in fan fiction. I loathe to use the term "throwaway" because pulp novels can be good enough to last and find new homes, but as Kara noted, paperbacks are more suited for the rough-and-tumble lifestyle of not just teenagers but travelling adults, from businesspeople to backpackers. Perhaps the industry as a whole should reconsider the "books as luxury" mindset and ask themselves why they're publishing books. Just don't use AI to design book covers.


Okay, what else is brewing in books?

• An exhibition titled "Malaysia Children's Picture Books 1930s to 2000s" is happening at the Museum of Picture Book Art in Gamuda Mall Bukit Bintang (GMBB), Kuala Lumpur, and will run until 30 September. The museum is open from 10.30am to 8pm daily. Free Malaysia Today reports that visitors can expect works from Jaafar Taib's 'Sang Kancil' series to books illustrated by Emila Yusof and Nor Azhar Ishak.
• "Once considered a frivolous endeavor undertaken by sex-obsessed amateurs, fan fiction is now fully in fashion, enabling romance writers — and their publishers — to celebrate (and capitalize on) their Archive of Our Own roots." So EL James isn't the only one who repurposed their fanfic into bestelling romances? This is good to know. I've seen some good fanfic that belongs on bookshelves and this avenue towards getting published is viable. But ... "sex-obsessed amateurs"? C'mon now. Be nice.
• Michael Chabon has joined a growing list of authors taking OpenAI and Meta to court over alleged use of their works to train AI models, including copies hosted on pirate sites. While the rest of us watch whether the lawsuits will deliver their intended outcomes, proving copyright infringement in this sphere may be a long shot. "Even if the author suits get past the threshold issues associated with the alleged copying at issue and how AI training actually works—which is no sure thing—lawyers say there is ample case law to suggest fair use," Publishers Weekly reports.
• The banning of books over "obscene" content in the United States isn't new, of course. America has the Comstock Laws and James Joyce's Ulysses had to be defended from them by lawyers Morris Leopold Ernst and Alexander Lindey. Who knew that these laws would make a comeback in 2023, a development that Brett Gary, associate professor of media, culture and communication at New York University, calls "chilling".
• Speaking of book bans, China has begun banning books on Mongolian history and culture from being taught in schools in Inner Mongolia. Enghebatu Togochog, director of the New York-based Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC), told Voice of America, "We have learned that recently Mongolian books and publications are being removed from shelves in libraries in colleges and universities, and in some cases, Mongolian textbooks are burned in schools in the regional capital Hohhot."
• "The online space should be a starting point for any discussion of contemporary African writing. For example, some of Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's earlier works were first published online. Kenyan writer Billy Kahora's non-fiction ibook The True Story of David Munyakei grew out of a piece published online on Mwangi's now defunct blog, the Diary of a Mad Kenyan Woman." An interview with Shola Adenekan, associate professor of African studies, former journalist, and author of African Literature in the Digital Age: Class and Sexual Politics in New Writing from Kenya and Nigeria.
• "The self-taught artist and writer James Norbury was living below the poverty line and volunteering with a cat charity when his self-published book was snapped up by a leading publisher in 2021." After an illustrated book with messages inspired by Zen Buddhism landed Norbury a six-figure deal, he has promised to create a sanctuary for animals – and people. An incredible story that pretty Zen as Norbury had volunteered at charities, so one can say that his helping others has helped himself. And he seems to be paying it forward again with his next book, The Cat Who Taught Zen.
• In the Internet Archive lawsuit, a question arises: Should publishers be allowed to charge each time an e-book is read, loaned out, or distributed? This article argues "no", especially for e-books loaned out by libraries. This was what the Internet Archive was doing in the early days of the pandemic, and the writer fears that if things go the publishers' way, they can make it so that their cash registers go KA-CHING every time library e-books are borrowed. Thing is, the Archive didn't buy the books it scanned and distributed, so on the surface, it is pirating books. So the concern is that the publishers can use a favourable outcome to their advantage – and more profit.
• "Have you ever galley bragged? Or been a bit jealous of someone reading a book you’re super excited about well in advance of its publication date? There are definitely fun perks to being a book reviewer ... But there are a few not great elements of reading an early review copy." Here are some of those "not great elements".
• Self-publishers must now declare whether their stuff sold on Amazon is AI-generated. "Amazon also added a new section to its content guidelines focused on AI, which now includes definitions of 'AI-generated' and 'AI-assisted' content and states that sellers are not required to disclose when content is AI-assisted," reports the Guardian.
• My, the sort of things the ancients did to secure their books. Curses, really? Literally, curses. Like those said to have protected tombs from pillagers. Nice to know that people in those days took their books seriously. Some a bit too seriously, perhaps, like scribes who also cursed anyone who criticised their work. Good thing curses don't work ... right?
• The Venezuelan economy has been in dire straits for some time now, and the book sector has been hard hit. Still, this dispatch is depressing to read. "What little money people have goes to food," Julio Mazparrote, president of Venezuela's bookseller and publisher guild, told Reuters. "The crux is there is no money."
• Some points on the International Standard Book Number (ISBN). I'm bookmarking this anyway. Even though it doesn't have specific information on the history and components of an ISBN, it's a good enough primer for explaining the otherwise cryptic numbers that comprise the book's identification number.