The rise of digital publishing and the coming of the agency sales model raise all kinds of urgent issues for publishers of all sizes. What applies to the biggest publishers may not be the same for smaller companies. Earlier this month Perseus surveyed its approximately 300 distribution clients (over 100 of whom use their digital distribution service Constellation) to learn more about their digital views. The approximately 70 responses provide an interesting glimpse of the “digital divide” between large and small publishers. One big, unanswered strategic question for the company is how to deal with the agency sales model. Will […]
Archives for March 2010
Sargent Blogs on Pricing
Macmillan ceo John Sargent has taken up the call to speak to readers directly about ebook pricing with a new posting on the company’s blog. He notes that the agency model will eliminate any delayed releases of new books in ebook editions: “Readers were clearly frustrated at the lack of availability of new titles, and the change to the agency model will solve this problem.” And he underscores, as we have mentioned before, that hardcover NYT bestsellers will cost $12.99 or less under the new model. He points out to readers that the company is providing “a tremendous discount” on […]
In the Case That Never Quits, Supreme Court Overturns Appellate Ruling on Tasini Case
In the neverending Tasini case (technically Reed Elsevier v. Muchnick) over electronic rights to articles written by freelancers, the Supreme Court has changed the game again. Today they overruled a Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that had rejected an $18 million settlement between writers and publishers. The appellate court had said it did not have jurisdiction to approve the agreement because nearly all of the copyrighted articles in question had not been registered with the Copyright office. (The link is brief since the verdict was just announced; expect more during the day.)Wire report
Indies Choice Award Finalists
The ABA announced the nominees for their annual book awards. Member booksellers can vote during most of the month of March, with the winners to be named in April. Adult FictionBorder Songs, by Jim Lynch (Knopf)Brooklyn, by Colm Toibin (Scribner)The Children’s Book, by A.S. Byatt (Knopf)Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese (Knopf)Generosity: An Enhancement, by Richard Powers (FSG)Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel (Holt) Adult NonfictionAnimals Make Us Human, by Temple Grandin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)Lit: A Memoir, by Mary Karr (HarperCollins)The Lost City of Z, by David Grann (Doubleday)Stitches: A Memoir, by David Small (W.W. Norton)Strength in What Remains, by Tracy […]
DeFiore Absorbs the Creative Culture
Following the recently-announced departure of co-founder Mary Ann Naples, the remaining staff of the literary agency The Creative Culture has become part of DeFiore and Company. Agents Debra Goldstein, Laura Nolan, Matthew Elblonk and Karen Gerwin are all joining DeFiore in the agency’s Flatiron offices, with company now comprising nine agents. In other personnel news, at the Random House publishing group marketing department, Matt Schwartz has been promoted to the new position of vp, director of digital marketing and strategy, reporting to director of marketing Sanyu Dillon. “In addition to overseeing our digital marketing initiatives, he will also partner in […]
Finding Further Problems, Holt to Pull Hiroshima Book
Holt announced yesterday afternoon “with deep regret” that they have discovered further problems with Charles Pellegrino’s THE LAST TRAIN FROM HIROSHIMA and will not print, correct or ship copies of the book. Both consumers and accounts can return the book for full credit. The publisher says they printed approximately 18,000 copies, and sales as tracked by Nielsen BookScan are approximately 7,000 copies. Holt says that “in the wake of the discovery” of the discredited source, additional “questions about other sources and the author’s credentials arose.” Two of those disputed sources are a priest quoted in the book, Rev. John MacQuitty, […]