Wiley reversed three straight quarters of overall declines (and five consecutive quarters of declines in their professional/trade segment) as sales rose 4 percent to $448 million and operating profit (before a one-time charge) rose 7 percent, to $75.3 million. A small one percent drop in their big STM division, at $251 million, was more than made up for by a 14 percent gain in higher ed, at $77 million, and in the the professional/trade line, which rose 9 percent to $120 million. Trade “sales growth was strongest in the US, UK, Germany, and Australia” and major accounts are ordering again […]
Archives for December 2009
Harper Will Hold Back eBooks on Five to 10 Titles A Month; Macmillan and Penguin May Delay from Time to Time
The Harper position comes from spokesperson Erin Crum, first cited by the AP. In a longer statement to the NYT, Crum says that in addition to withholding some releases, the house will experiment with other price and feature options for ebooks: “We are planning to introduce some of these titles, simultaneous with the hardcover, as enhanced e-books to be priced more in line with the hardcover. In addition, we will be testing very low-price and free e-books to gauge consumer appetite for a variety of digital price points and formats.” Separately, Harper ceo Brian Murray told the WSJ, “We’re going […]
Rappaport Agency to Close
Owner Jenny Rappaport writes: “It is with a great deal of sadness that I announce that The Rappaport Agency will be closing for business at the end of the year, due to economic reasons. I have been privileged to get the chance to work with amazing people over the last four and a half years, many of who I am proud to call my friends. In the coming weeks, I will be wrapping up outstanding submissions and putting things in order.”
Remembering Bookseller Joel Turner
Bookseller and former ABA officer and board member Joel Turner, 58, died this past weekend. He cofounded Under Cover Books in Shaker Heights, OH in 1978 with his siblings Philip and Pamela Turner. In the 90s he turned the focus to serving served businesses, corporate libraries, schools, and public institutions as Undercover Book Service and developed a sideline in antiquarian and used books. Philip and Pamela write: “Plans for memorializing Joel are being considered. For those wishing to mark Joel’s life with a charitable donation we urge you to make contributions to the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression or […]
Now We Have Best of the Decade Lists, Starting with EW's Unusual Mix
Entertainment Weekly’s list of 10 best books of the decade includes 3 Oprah picks and a book from this year that has not made any of the nearly 20 “best of” lists we’ve been aggregating: 1. The Road, Cormac McCarthy (2006) 2. Say You’re One of Them, Uwem Akpan (2008) 3. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)4. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005) 5. Zeitoun, Dave Eggers (2009) 6. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001) 7. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006) 8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000) 9. Case Histories: A Novel, Kate […]
Big Publishers Move to Broad Delay of eBook Releases
With delayed publication dates the only real weapon in publishers’ arsenals in fighting back against the $9.99 price point for high-profile new releases in ebook form, experimentation is getting ready to turn into policy in the year ahead. The WSJ reports that Simon & Schuster will delay ebook releases for about 35 “leading titles” early next year, and Hachette “has similar plans in the works.” Meanwhile, we’re aware of at least one other big six publisher contemplating the same kind of policy for the first quarter of next year. S&S ceo Carolyn Reidy tells the Journal: “The right place for […]