High Road

Open Road Integrated Media CEO David Steinberger said the book discovery company saw “record growth” last year, largely thanks to its programs helping publishers market their backlist e-books. Two adult novels that reimagine iconic YA and children’s characters—Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf and teen sleuth Nancy Drew, respectively—were snagged by Grand Central and Crown. Anxiety over the Trump administration’s shifting tariff policies hung over last week’s Book Industry Study Group webinar, where a Macmillan Learning exec also called on publishers to prioritize accessibility in digital book services. And for our magazine spotlight on media tie-ins, we looked at the power of Netflix adaptations to sell backlist titles, the latest in licensed books, and indie film studios’ forays into publishing. Anthropic has donated $20 million to a group in favor of AI regulation ahead of the 2026 elections, reports CNBC. Meg Wolitzer’s 2013 novel The Interestings is getting a musical adaptation, with a score by Sara Bareilles, reports Playbill. The Atlantic examines the Mellon Foundation’s outsized power over American literature and art. The New York Times looks at how Avid Reader approached publishing Rachel Novack’s Murder Bimbo when the novel became unexpectedly topical. And Lily King and John U. Bacon once again topped this week’s Independent Press Top 40 bestseller lists.