Archives for June 2005

Soapbox Redux, Now with Extra Bubbles Thanks for the positive feedback to yesterday’s humble suggestion about tipping readers to editors’ lists (and yes, we did mistype “authors” where we meant “editors”). Today’s grist comes from a posting at author Neil Gaiman’s site that’s quickly being passed around the Internet. The jist (come on, how often can you get “grist” and “jist” in the same paragraph?): “Hello Neil, I’ve got more of a complaint that question. But oh well. My problem is that Harpercollins is being really stingy with the Anansi Boys proofs. I’m the manager of a small independent bookstore […]

The Jackson Race is On Unfortunately, agents are already reported to be in contact with the families of many jurors in the Michael Jackson trial, as deliberations remain underway. The Times of London reports: “One Los Angeles literary agent said the families of at least four others had been offered a combined book, audio tape and TV movie deal.” Under California law, jurors need to remain silent only 90 days after a verdict is rendered. Times Audio Rises in UK With the coming local launch of Audible.com, “the UK publishing industry is about to be hit by the same revolution […]

Executive Promotions at Rodale and Scholastic Rodale Books editor-in-chief Tami Booth Corwin is taking on the additional, newly created job of president of the unit. Reporting to Rodale CEO Steve Murphy, she has “responsibility for all of Rodale’s book activities, including how its sales, marketing and operations divisions publish each book.” At Scholastic, Ellie Berger has been promoted to svp, trade publishing, “expanding her role to include managing the division’s sales and marketing departments as well as maintaining responsibility for licensed publishing, trade operations, production, and Chicken House.” In the agency world, Anne Reid Garrett has joined the James Fitzgerald […]

After All That, Karp Leaves Random House As we posted to our home page around 2 yesterday afternoon, now covered in many a venue: Editor-in-chief for the Random House imprints Jonathan Karp is leaving the company, having told publisher Gina Centrello “he wants the chance to take on bigger and broader book publishing challenges, outside the RH publishing group.” His position will not be filled; instead, editors at Random House and Villard who had reported to Karp now once again report straight to group executive editor-in-chief Daniel Menaker. Kate Medina, Bob Loomis, Jane von Mehren and Linda Marrow continue to […]

Shriver’s Orange Triumph Lionel Shriver gets press all over for winning the 10th Orange Prize for fiction by a woman, for her novel WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. She comments: “On some kind of sneaky, subterranean level, I thought I was going to win. I have been very ambitious from the start on this prize. I wanted it. I wanted it badly.” The selection is touted as a victory for smaller publishers; Serpent’s Tail is her UK publisher, and Perseus’s Counterpoint published the book in the US. BBC Runaway Book Proposal Lloyd Grove says: “Fresh from copping a plea […]

Audible in Satellite Radio Deal In the fast-moving digital audio landscape, Audible has announced an agreement with satellite radio provider XM. The radio company will broadcast a new Audible audiobook program comprising “features, interviews, and news” about audiobooks, and Audible will offer XM programs for download through its service. In 2006, they’ll launch portable, handheld satellite radio devices that can also download and play Audible’s content. Release Serial Puts Klein’s Clinton Back in News The July Vanity Fair also has an excerpt from Ed Klein’s forthcoming book about Hillary Clinton, though the Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz finds it “less than […]