I'm not sure there's news about any industry that's really good these days. Recent articles in USA Today and the New York Times look at how the weak economy is affecting book sales and publishers.  Carolyn Reidy, president and CEO of Simon & Schuster gives a more detailed look at what's coming down the road and what publishers need to do (via PW).  And Random House is hoping to compensate with a huge "Books = Gifts" campaign this holiday.

Generally, in times of economic hardship, mass-market books fare the best of the industry--usually because they're the cheapest and genre fiction tends to provide that escape from everyday life that can be such a relief during crunch times.  Everyone's still publishing the same number of books.  But where we're starting to feel the squeeze is with smaller print runs going forward and higher returns in the meantime.  More in this previous post.

Ok, let's get away from the depressing stuff.  Feel good by donating some books or other items to those serving overseas.  Check out Any Soldier for a listing of servicemen and -women and what their needs are.