Credit Suisse is the latest analyst group to throw out some unsubstantiated guesses about the ebook market, eliciting coverage today. The news in the report is their contention that “Google is also reportedly working with HTC (maker of Google’s Nexus One phone) on a tablet device. While few details on this device are public, images of the Chrome OS on a new tablet device appeared on Google’s Chromium website, sparking the speculation that the Google tablet is closer to launch than most expect.” Statistically, their big forecast is that within five years Amazon’s ebook market share will decline as they […]
Archives for February 2010
BN to Burkle: No
In the least surprising news of the month, the Barnes & Noble board hasunanimously agreed with itself and told investor Ron Burkle they willnot abandon the poison pill that was created specifically to blockBurkle from accumulating too much of the company’s stock. They also write: “The Board also would like to correct a misstatementcontained in your letter regarding the total stock holdings of theRiggio family and other Company insiders. Please be advised that,excluding options that are not votable, Barnes & Noble’s directors,management and other executive officers currently hold approximately 31%of the Company’s outstanding stock.” The real question is whether Burkle […]
People, and More
Disney Book Group publisher Jonathan Yaged is leaving the company for the plum job of chief operating officer of HouseParty.com, a company that organizes modern-day Tupperware parties, PW reports. Aly Mostel has joined Rodale Books as associate director of communications. She was publicity manager at Time magazine for the past two years. Houghon Mifflin Harcourt’s 2010 Best American writing series will feature guest editors including Richard Russo (short stories), Neil Gaiman (comics); Lee Child (mystery stories); and Bill Buford (travel writing).EW Simon & Schuster is working with GetGlue to offer their authors an easy-to-create widget that display’s their entire backlist […]
A Miscellaneous Day: Isaacson and Jobs?; A James Cameron Novel?; Patterson Comics; and More
The NYT says Walter Isaacson is working on an authorized biography of Steve Jobs, based on “two people briefed on the project.” Producer Jon Landau told MTV News that James Cameron wants to write an Avatar prequel. “Jim wants to write a novel that is a big epic that fills in a lot of things…. It would be something that would lead up to telling the story of the movie, but it would go into much more depth about all the stories that we didn’t have time to deal with.” We’ll see. USA Today says that James Patterson has a […]
People and Announcements
At Yale University Press, Chris Rogers has been named editorial director, effective immediately. He joined Yale University Press in 2005 as executive editor for history and current affairs, after serving as publisher of the higher education group at Oxford University Press. At HarperCollins, Kyran Cassidy has been promoted to vp, associate general counsel, reporting to Chris Goff. He has been with the company for 10 years, and “continues to play an essential role assisting in the implementation of the company’s digital publishing strategies.” Reported over the weekend, author Dick Francis died at his home on Grand Cayman at 89. “Buckingham […]
Burien Books for Sale
This Seattle bookstore is on the market, following the recent death of owner Virginia Pearce, who ran the store for over 50 years. Her nephew Joe Wisen says, “We are actively trying to sell it and if it doesn’t sell quickly we will have to close it down.” Highline Times