News Summary: Baker & Taylor Closure Reshapes Library Supply; Frankfurt Fair Opens Ahead of SelfPubCon 25

October 16, 2025

The last story I ran last week broke right at the time of writing, meaning there was little time to include much detail. (Well, both did: the Nobel Prize announcement was made about two and a half minutes before I filed with Howard, but while I love its drama, it is not, sadly, indie-oriented enough to warrant a larger unpacking here.)

ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway

A few days on from the announcement that Baker & Taylor will be closing by early 2026, Publishers Weekly has offered valuable insight into what that might actually mean. Of particular interest to indie authors looking to get their books into libraries—the end users of Baker & Taylor’s distribution service—will be which companies are competing to fill the gap Baker & Taylor leaves.

Ingram and Bookazine are mentioned, with the former cited by librarians in the article as having already replaced Baker & Taylor as the company began to struggle to fulfill orders prior to the latest announcement. And it seems that, following a statement in June, Amazon is looking to enter the business of supplying libraries. It remains to be seen whether the new landscape makes it easier for indies to get their books into libraries, but it does at least seem as though things won’t become significantly harder.

Frankfurt Book Fair Opens

This week is, of course, the week of Frankfurt—the great book world event of the second half of the year. And that does give me a chance to make a passing mention of the Nobel, because this year’s winner, László Krasznahorkai, will be speaking at the event’s opening.

For a great insight into what to expect at this year’s Fair, this interview with CEO Jürgen Boos in Publishing Perspectives gives a solid overview.

Looking Ahead to SelfPubCon

And don’t forget that the week ends with ALLi’s SelfPubCon 25, with the theme “New Trends in Self-Publishing.” You can still sign up for SelfPubCon here.

Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?

If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and our own ALLi team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.

Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.

Author: Dan Holloway

Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, which has appeared at festivals and fringes from Manchester to Stoke Newington. In 2010 he was the winner of the 100th episode of the international spoken prose event Literary Death Match, and earlier this year he competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available for Kindle at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Transparency-Sutures-Dan-Holloway-ebook/dp/B01A6YAA40

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