In a disclosure form required under Alaska law covering her final months in office, from January through July 26, 2009, former governor Sarah Palin listed as income $1.25 million received from HarperCollins as a “retainer for book.” You can do your own math as to which portion of the contractual guarantee that might cover. Palin’s deal with Harper was announced in May.Alaska Politics Blog
Archives for October 2009
Steve Rubin to Lead Holt
Former Doubleday Broadway publisher and then publisher-at-large for Random House Inc. Steve Rubin will take over as president and publisher of Henry Holt on November 2, reporting to Macmillan ceo John Sargent. Dan Farley, who has run Holt since early 2008, will focus exclusively on his other job as president and publisher of the recently-formed Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, also still reporting to Sargent. Sargent says in the announcement: “I have long admired Steve and what he has accomplished at Doubleday. He is a rare publishing talent. With Holt’s long and prestigious history and Steve’s remarkable taste and track record […]
Harper Launches Vaynerchuk Vook–More Features, At 60% of Hardcover Price
Vook has partnered with Harper Studio and author Gary Vaynerchuk on their latest production, a version of the recently-published CRUSH IT! that may be the most natural pairing of book material and short videos. While the price point is higher than the inaugural Vooks released by Atria recently, at $11.99 the Vaynerchuk Vook offers the complete text of the book along with 17 videos for much less than the $19.99 book. And video is Vaynerchuk’s natural medium, from the Wine Library videos that built his reputation to his obscenity-sprinkled motivational presentations of his rise to success. Harper Studio associate publisher […]
People and Distribution News
At the Simon & Schuster imprint, both Kerri Kolen and Sarah Hochman have been promoted to senior editor. Both started at S&S as editorial assistants, Kolen in 2002 and Hochman in 2004. As publisher David Rosenthal notes, “That each has risen through the ranks here is a tribute to the strength of this imprint, and its collegiality. It is also, of course, a recognition of the diligence and creativity of Kerri and Sarah – I am very proud of their growth as editors and publishers, their contributions to our list.” At Adams Media, Chelsea King is moving over to become […]
Fans Compete to Help Launch Gathering Storm
In a further twist on viral marketing, the folks at Tor have just launched THE GATHERING STORM, the much-anticipated first installment of the posthumous completion of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books, with the help of an army of ardent fans. Through the official Jordan web site Dragonmount, a call went out for “Storm Leaders” across the country to lead community outreach and fan gatherings in the 26 tour cities. Over 500 people submitted applications for about 100 positions. As publicist Dot Lin explains, “Before the event, they do online and ground outreach (Facebook, fliers, etc.) and during the event, […]
Indigo Comp Sales Slide Modestly
Second quarter sales at Canada’s Indigo rose by $1.7 million to $207 million (Canadian), driven by the opening of four new stores, as same-store superstore sales fell by 0.9 percent. Online sales continued to decline, down over 5 percent at $20 million, and net earnings fell by $1 million, to $2.2 million. CEO Heather Reisman said that their “operating investment” in the Shortcovers initiative has been a drag on earnings–and it’s not clear from their reported results that it is generating any meaningful revenue. Reisman added, “We are satisfied with our results through what has proven to be a very […]