A few details following yesterday’s press conference. Pace University has joined the five other universities in Amazon’s higher education pilot program for SuperKindle–and their provost underscored that about 50 students are involved. (That’s thought to be the comparable number at the five other schools.) But that’s almost $150,000 in sales right there. Pace expects to split the cost of the devices with the students. Meanwhile, Dallas Morning News ceo James Moroney explained why so few newspapers (just 37) are available on Kindle and why SuperKindle certainly won’t save them. “Amazon wanted 70 per cent of any subscription revenues his paper […]
Archives for May 2009
Little, Brown Children's Announce Fall Meyer Tie-Ins and Releases
On the one thing that’s still working for sure in the marketplace, the Stephenie Meyer franchise, Little Brown Children’s has announced plans for fall. The last book in the Twilight saga BREAKING DAWN will be released again in a “special edition” version that features an exclusive DVD of the Breaking Dawn Concert Series, a color poster, and other extras, in a “limited” one-time-only printing of one million copies. The trade paperback edition of ECLIPSE (the third in the series) will publish on August 4. The publisher also has a set of four Twilight Journals in a collectible tin for October […]
HBG's Canada Operation to Take On Hachette UK Titles
As of the beginning of 2010, Hachette Book Group will expand its Canadian sales and distribution, launched this year, to handle titles from Hachette UK in Canada. (Sales are actually handled out of New York, where a dedicated sales person will be added, and fulfilled through the company’s warehouse in Indiana.) Publicity and marketing for the UK titles will be handled by HBG Canada, with a new dedicated marketeer and publicist to be hired in Toronto. Most Hachette UK titles are currently represented to the Canadian trade and media by McArthur & Co., with distribution by Harper Canada, though Little […]
More People and Announcements
At Penguin, Emily Beth Rapoport has been promoted to associate editor for Berkley. Former head of Random House Children’s books, and founder of Lookybook Craig Virden, 56, died yesterday of a pulmonary embolism. Bill Hill, “the driving force behind ClearType” at Microsoft and an early member of their electronic books team under Dick Brass, is leaving the company–and may have been laid off. Hill writes on his blog, “I’ve become convinced over the past couple of years that no one company or browser will make the transition to reading on screen happen. I still believe in eBooks. Amazon has definitely […]
Another Steep Drop in Sales at HarperCollins; Borders Braces for Depressed Spending
Sales at HarperCollins dropped by nearly 20 percent in their fiscal third quarter through the end of March, falling by $59 million to $243 million for the period. The unit swung from adjusting operating income of $29 million a year ago to a $38 million loss this quarter, including a $30 million restructuring charge due to the layoffs earlier this year. The drop in sales is only modestly better than the 25 percent drop-off last quarter. The publisher is showing an operating loss for the three quarters of this fiscal year of $12 million (compared to profits of $132 million […]
More Changes at S&S Children's
Recently-appointed president and publisher of the Simon & Schuster Children’s division Jon Anderson announced “a number of transitions and consolidations,” reminding employees that “it is incumbent that we are structured in a way that maximizes our opportunities to publish vigorously and with our customary flair, while at the same time reflecting the realities of today’s marketplace.” Publisher of the Atheneum and Margaret K. McElderry imprints Emma Dryden will step down to an “advisory role” in which she will still edit authors including Ellen Hopkins, Karma Wilson and Alan Katz, while deputy publisher for Little Simon and Simon Spotlight Frank Totaro […]