Archives for March 2006

UK Fallout: How Much Less Is Ottakar’s Worth Now? How much market value has been shaved from Ottakar’s since Waterstone’s first outbid management in their proposed takeover? Analysts are expecting a new bid from HMV to be worth anywhere from 15 percent to 30 percent less than the original proposal. Ottakar’s shares currently trade at about 350 pence per share, versus HMV’s previous bid of 440 pence per share. Times Reporters Sue Agent Over Deal for Book on Dirty Cops Newsday reporter Rocco Parascandola and former newspaper colleague Sean Gardiner have sued agent Frank Weimann at The Literary Group over […]

Scribner Drops Davies Book The NY Daily News quotes Scribner’s Suzanne Balaban as saying “we’ve dropped” UK journalist Emily Davies’ fashion memoir, HOW TO WEAR BLACK: Adventures on Fashion’s Front Line. WWD had accused the lengthy book proposal of plagiarism. Scribner bought the book in a major deal late last year. NYDN UK Merger Scene — Congratulations, Everyone Lost Now that UK publishers and authors have held up the proposed Waterstone’s-Ottakar’s merger long enough to weaken the market performance and share value of two of their most important retail partners, it looks as if the Competition Commission is coming to […]

It’s a quiet day and spring break is almost over. Briefly:   — New Zealand’s Margaret Mahy has won the Hans Christian Andersen Award, awarded biennially for making a major contribution to children’s literature.   — BEA has announced the editors on this year’s Buzz Panel (you know, the one where editors are supposed to shine a light on “important hidden titles of literary merit, or breakout potential, which might otherwise go unnoticed” but instead tell you about their galley giveaways or big fall books). This year features Bill Thomas from Doubleday, Eric Chinski from FSG, Jonathan Burnham from Harper, […]

Ottakar’s Confirms Bad Year, and Worse Start to New Year Bad news continues among UK chain booksellers, as Ottakar’s reported a loss of 4.6 million pounds, on slightly increased sales of 176.5 million pounds for fiscal 2005. The company blamed “unprecedented price competition,” “the slowdown in second half sales,” and “the distraction” of an attempted management buyout that in turn led to the stalled takeover by Waterstone’s. (“Exceptional costs” related to the bids drained 5.5 million pounds from the company.) It doesn’t help that same-store sales fell 2.8 percent. Though the results would indicate that the company’s model of a […]

Tokyopop Snatched by Harper, for Distribution and Co-PublishingA little over a month after being highlighted in the NY Times for renewing their distribution agreement with CDS, Tokyopop has switched gears. Now the company says they will move their North American distribution to HarperCollins — which had been looking for a client of scale ever since Perseus left their distribution services and acquired CDS. The new arrangement also features a co-publishing agreement to “create a progressive new line of co-branded manga titles” developed in conjunction with Harper authors and properties. Aiming for as many as 24 titles a year together, Tokyopop […]

Monday, March 27 Advertisement   Pace University’s Master of Science publishing program gives you the edge you need in today’s competitive publishing industry. This unique program covers all aspects of the publishing business-book, magazine, newspaper and electronic-as well as editing, finance, production, sales, marketing, circulation, acquisitions and subsidiary rights. The program offers well-known professors, cutting-edge technology and on-line courses.   Attend an information session on Wednesday, April 5th online at www.pace.edu. To learn more about the publishing program click here, or to apply for the program click here. Our Usual Reminder If for some reason this has reached you even […]