The total number of books published in the U.S. in 2025 with ISBN numbers jumped 32.5% over 2024, to more than four million books, according to statistics compiled by Bowker. The increase was led by self-published works, for which the number of print and e-books (including those without BISAC codes) soared 38.7% to more than 3.5 million from 2.5 million in 2024.

AI agents can analyze huge amounts of consumer data such as browsing history, purchase behavior, and social-media activity. The potential, especially for privacy concerns, could solve many of the challenges of online advertising. Google and Microsoft are working on their own individual AI agents, but there is no word on how the technology might support advertisers, brands and agencies. It is mostly speculation at this time. The technology would provide the ability to support real-time ad bidding, personalize messages and budget allocations while monitoring in real-time privacy settings based on state or country in which the ad targets the consumer.

Starbucks has poached a senior manager from E.l.f. Cosmetics as part of its ongoing quest to re-energize the Starbucks brand through cultural collaborations. Neiv Toledano has joined Starbucks as its senior marketing manager of fashion and beauty. While Starbucks has always had employees who have worked on collaborations, including in the fashion and beauty spaces, this is a first-of-its-kind dedicated role and a signal that Starbucks is placing a bigger premium on these types of partnerships. At E.l.f., Toledano worked on collaborations with buzzy brands like Stanley and Liquid Death. In a LinkedIn post, Toledano said she’ll be “combining my greatest passions to drive culture, fandom, and buzzworthy moments” for the Starbucks brand.