Israeli literary agent Ilana Pikarski, 62, passed away suddenly on Friday in Tel Aviv. She led the Pikarski Literary Agency from 1982 and built it into Israel’s largest literary agency. Ziv Lewis writes: “A familiar face at international book fairs, Ilana will be remembered for her strong leadership and character, her passion for literature and for helping to shape the modern Israeli publishing industry to be the vibrant, competitive and high quality market it is today.” At Random UK, the CHA group–comprising Hutchinson, Heinemann, Century, Random House, Arrow and Windmill–will now be called Cornerstone Publishing. According to the announcement, the […]
Archives for September 2008
Lunch Weekly for Monday, September 29
Deal Reports Just e-mail to deals@PublishersMarketplace if you aren’t using the online form linked below. Report a deal using the online form The Key As usual, the handy key to our Lunch deal categories. While all reports are always welcome, those that include a category will generally receive a higher listing when it comes time to put them all together. “nice deal” $1 – $49,000 “very nice deal” $50,000 – $99,000 “good deal” $100,000 – $250,000 “significant deal” $251,000 – $499,000 “major deal” $500,000 and up FICTION Debut Gaynor Arnold’s Booker Prize longlisted GIRL IN A BLUE DRESS, based […]
Karp on McCain
Twelve publisher and longtime editor of John McCain the author Jonathan Karp writes in Newsweek on “what he’s learned from poring over a decade’s worth of the senator’s manuscripts.” Critics of McCain dismiss these works as an exercise in self-mythology and career advancement; they see in them certain ideals–about rabble-rousing and honor, for example–that they say McCain the candidate has abandoned. But I see them differently–as books in which McCain, as narrator and an occasional character, shows us the way to a nobler purpose. I know from personal experience that John McCain is honorable, kind and wise. (He’s the only […]
Borders Warrants Come Due
The WSJ reminds readers that the next phase of Borders’ loan-shark deal with Pershing Square Capital Management kicks in October 1. If the bookseller does not have a deal to sell the company–which is increasingly unlikely given the state of capital markets–then Pershing Square acquires warrants to buy another 5.15 million shares (or almost 8 percent of the company). For now those warrants are nearly worthless, since they are exercised at $7 a share, which is about the highest Borders stock has traded ever since their disclosure of liquidity pressures earlier this year. Pershing Square is already the company’s biggest […]
Trial Date for Tolkien Heirs' Suit
The lawsuit brought by HarperCollins and the Tolkien estate against New Line Cinema seeking unpaid royalties from the Lord of the Rings films, alleging breach of contract and fraud, has been scheduled for trial in Los Angeles in October 2009. LA Superior Court Judge Ann Jones found that there is a legal basis for the fraud claim, though she disallowed any claim of punitive damages. (The suit asks for over $150 in compensatory damages.) The suit also asks the court to terminate New Line’s rights to make movies based on the Hobbit–ironically slated to be directed by just-announced HarperCollins author […]
Editorial Skills for Digital Days
Pan Macmillan’s Nicholas Blake posts a presentation made at the Society of Young Publishers this week on the company’s Digitalist blog about, in which he looked at the role of the editor in a world adapting to digital processes and markets. “I argued that although editors in our part of the archipelago needed new knowledge and understanding, as they always have, they didn’t need new skills, and I outlined ten key islands of knowledge, five collaborative and five individual.” Those islands: 1. Get the rights. Penguin got 700 titles up for the Waterstone’s launch – then had to take 120 down […]