The Australian government has overturned the efforts by the previous Labor government to throw out the country’s parallel importation restrictions on books that protect local publishers. They write: “In the circumstances of intense competition from online books and e-books, the Government judged that changing the regulations governing book imports is unlikely to have any material effect on the availability of books in Australia. If books cannot be made available in a timely fashion and at a competitive price, customers will opt for online sales and e-books.” In concert with the policy change, the government also made it clear it will […]
Archives for November 2009
Awards
Journalist Linden MacIntyre was the surprise winner of Canada’s Giller Prize last night for his novel THE BISHOP’S MAN–the second in a planned trilogy–about corruption in the Catholic Church. Random House Canada controls world rights, and as best we could determine this morning US rights have not been sold yet (though that will likely change soon). Ron Eckel is still handling rights through Random House Canada (in advance of their announced rights sales outsourcing deal). MacIntyre’s primary agents are Don Sedgwick and Shaun Bradley at Transatlantic Literary Agency. The Asian American Literary Award in fiction has gone to Jhumpa Lahiri […]
eAnnouncements
B&H Publishing Group will launch a downloadable five dollar Xbox 360 application called Bible Navigator X in December featuring the complete Holman Christian Standard Bible. They say it is “thought to be the first complete Bible available on a video game console.” It includes search and bookmarking tools that are “designed for everyone, but particularly with youth ministers in mind.”More info Hachette Book Group has hired Tata Consultancy Services to take over day-to-day technology needs including application development and support and off-hours service. The larger point is to free HBG’s own IT staff to focus on innovation and expansion of […]
People
Gene Brissie is re-joining James Peter Associates, a literary agency founded in 1971, as president. Gene was most recently Associate Publisher of The Lyons Press. JPA represents authors in nearly all nonfiction categories, including business, finance, reference, health, sports, self-help, history, biography, current events, public policy, and more. Sophia Seidner has left Wiley after three years as an international rights manager. She will continue as a satellite literary agent with Judith Ehrlich Literary Management. She is looking for literary fiction and nonfiction including self-help, narrative nonfiction and memoir with special interest in current events, business and health and science-related topics. […]
Sales Still Down at Bertelsmann
In a short (and general) third-quarter trading update, Bertelsmann says that its “strict cost discipline is producing positive fiscal developments.” Sales fell 4.5 percent of 3.6 billion euros, as net income improved to 87 million euros (up from just 15 million euros a year ago). For the the first nine months of their fiscal year, sales are down 6.6 percent and operating EBIT has declined almost 19 percent. No divisional figures were provided.Statement
Erik Engstrom Takes Over at Reed Elsevier After CEO Ian Smith Quits
Ian Smith has unexpectedly left his post as ceo of Reed Elsevier after just eight months on the job, leaving “by mutual agreement” according to a company statement. Chairman Anthony Habgood says “Ian has had the difficult task of leading Reed Elsevier during unprecedentedly turbulent economic times.” Elsevier’s top executive for the past five years Erik Engstrom, 46, takes over immediately as ceo. In a separate release, the company moved up its six-month trading update to today: “The major professional markets, accounting for the majority of Reed Elsevier’s business, are proving more resilient than most but not immune from late […]