News for Authors

Robert Jones, Jr., is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Prophets, which won the 2022 Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction, was a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction, and was named one of the best books of 2021 by Time, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post, among others. His writings have been featured in The New York Times, Essence, and The Paris Review, as well as in the critically acclaimed anthologies Four Hundred Souls and The 1619 Project. He has also been a guest panelist for PRH’s online seminar for authors, Author University. This interview was originally conducted in June 2022 for Igloo, Penguin Random House’s internal news hub.

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According to Eboni Rafus-Brenning, Manager for Diversity Recruitment at PRH, a diverse, equitable and inclusive publishing company is a major keystone for creating a receptive and productive environment for authors and their readers alike. New hires recruited from outside of publishing, like VP of Growth Marketing Anne Bono, can offer insights from other industries to help propel authors forward. Read on to learn more about why diversity matters at your publishing house—Eboni will take it from here!

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It’s no secret that manga and graphic novels have been growing in popularity year over year, and that growth doesn’t show any signs of stopping. Every week, fans visit their local comic shop to pick up the latest comics, learn the latest news, and engage with passionate retailers and fellow fans alike. In March 2021, Penguin Random House launched a dedicated sales team to service this dynamic market and work with these incredible retailers.

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My colleagues and I have been anxiously awaiting the holiday season, since it’s the perfect time to slow down and reflect on the year past. Now that the holidays are upon us, I contacted multicultural marketing experts Anthony Key, director of multicultural marketing for Penguin Random House, and Christine Hung, executive director of audience development for Knopf Doubleday, to chat about the future of multicultural marketing. Here are some insights from our conversation.

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Calling all creators! Penguin Random House and CreativeLive, an online education platform with a creative community of experts, are proud to present a free series starting August 10, modeled on the successful 30 Days of Genius series. CreativeLive worked with authors from John Grisham to Margaret Atwood, who reveal what storytelling means to them and describe the stories that inspired their work. Read more

A survey released last month by the Audio Publishers Association (APA) shows that the audiobook category grew disproportionately, in both titles published and unit sales, compared to the overall book industry in 2014. The APA’s annual sales survey revealed that sales in the audiobook category totaled more than $1.47 billion in 2014, up 13.5 percent from 2013, and the category also saw a significant increase in the number of titles published. The survey attributed that growth to the growing popularity of digital downloads and increased awareness of the audiobook format. Read more

When we think about how authors can promote their books, we often think about their websites and social media reach. But did you know that some of your biggest assets may be closer to home: your friends, family, acquaintances, and other connections? We caught up with Christina Foxley, senior marketing manager for Harmony Books, to find out what advice she typically offers to help authors build their networks and create ambassadors for their books. Read more

Recent reports suggest that eBook growth has plateaued and millennials haven’t been adopting digital reading at the same rate as their parents. Are eBooks still the future?

We sat down with Liisa McCloy-Kelley, Vice President, Director, eBook Development and Innovation, to learn more about the eBook landscape and how the format is developing.

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Some books require an extra step in the publishing process: the legal vet or legal read. For many authors, news that their manuscript has been sent to the legal department can be intimidating, so we sat down with Executive Vice President and General Counsel Katherine Trager to find out more about the process and what it really means. Keep reading to learn what kind of manuscripts go to the legal department, and what issues the team looks for.

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Building on the success of the existing Hudson Street video studio, Penguin Random House recently opened the door to a second state-of-the-art facility at 1745 Broadway in New York.

To accompany the new facility, Penguin Random House has significantly expanded the video production and services team. We caught up with John Clinton, director of digital video, to find out more about the new facility and how video teams at both locations can support our authors. Read more