Lakeside Book Company, the largest book printer in the US, has acquired Canadian book manufacturer Marquis Book Printing. The brand will remain as a division of Lakeside and Serge Loubier will stay on as president, while the division is led by Lakeside ceo Dave McCree. “Joining the two leading printing companies in North America allows us to better serve the needs of our customers and improve service for publishers of all sizes,” McCree said in a release. “Marquis’ business model is designed to better serve small to mid-sized publishers, complementing Lakeside’s unparalleled service to all publishers. With Lakeside’s full range […]
Authors Guild Adds AI Clauses To Model Contract
The Authors Guild has added four new recommended clauses to its model contract related to AI. The clauses require an author’s written consent “for their publisher to use AI-generated book translations, audiobook narration, or cover art.” Previously, they added a clause to prohibit the use of an author’s work for training AI without the author’s express permission. “The purpose of these demands is to prevent the use of AI to replace human creators,” writes the guild. “The Authors Guild strongly believes that human writing, narration, and translation are vastly superior to their AI mimics. Moreover, as an ethical matter, the […]
Imprints: Paw Prints Readers
Baker & Taylor’s Paw Prints Publishing will add a new imprint this fall called Paw Prints Readers. “Paw Prints Readers will publish works exploring diverse cultures and backgrounds,” the publisher says in a release. “Emerging readers will evolve through Paw Prints Readers’ four-leveled program aimed at ages four through seven and up.” The imprint will launch with two new series and seven titles in English and Spanish including: Liline & Pepper by Samanka Dumond; Jeet and Fudge by Amandeep Kochar; and Queens of STEAM by Mari Bolte.
WME Acquires Ross Yoon Agency
Consolidation continues among the big representation agencies, as WME announced Friday morning their acquisition of Washington, DC-based literary agency Ross Yoon Agency. Ross Yoon’s president Gail Ross and principal Howard Yoon will join WME as partners. The office becomes WME’s first physical location in the DC region. “Gail and Howard set the gold standard of nonfiction representation,” head of WME’s book department Jay Mandel said in the announcement. “They have impeccable taste, unparalleled editorial chops, and an admirable sense of purpose about the authors they represent. Ross Yoon is the perfect complement to our book business, with a brilliant client base […]
Bookselling: The Ripped Bodice Will Open A Store in Brooklyn
LA romance bookstore The Ripped Bodice will open a second location in Park Slope, Brooklyn on August 5. Co-owner Leah Koch will run the store, while her sister and co-owner Bea Koch will remain in the LA shop. Like its west coast counterpart, the new 1900 square foot space will sell a diverse selection of romance titles.
BNED’s Year Is Under Already Low Expectations
Barnes & Noble Education shared preliminary results for the year ended April 29, yet again underperforming their modest expectations. As recently as last quarter they were still expecting $20 to $30 million in adjusted EBITDA for the fiscal year. Alas, no; they now expect to show a loss of $(5) to $(10) million “due to lower than expected fourth quarter revenue and lower fourth quarter gross profits,” as consumers move away from buying physical textbooks in favor of digital materials. (Our standing reminder: The last time the company recorded a profit was fiscal 2017. They still have the same ceo.) […]