Sally van Haitsma has formed her own agency, van Haitsma Literary, after six years at the Castiglia Literary Agency and, before that, the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. She represents commercial and literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, current affairs, pop culture and business. The PEN American Center reelected its officers to new one-year terms, including the reappointment of president Kwame Anthony Appiah. Bookforum editor Chris Lehmann has joined the new Yahoo News team, the Observer reports. Further to yesterday’s story on Grove/Atlantic’s upcoming release of the anticipated novel MATTERHORN, the publisher says that El Leon Arts never published their edition last April. […]
Archives for March 2010
Bookselling and More: Charging the Self-Published; A New Subscription Plan; Hosting Book Clubs
We noted short items in the past regarding how the Boulder Bookstore charges all the self-published authors who want to connect with the store rather than sending them away empty-handed, and now a Nieman Journalism Lab piece offers more details. The fee structure ranges from $25 to stock five copies and $75 to feature a book in the Recommended section, up to $255 for an in-store reading and book-signing (plus website and newsletter mention). Our first instinct was that they are charging too little for the more elaborate plans, knowing what third-parties are charging for marketing plans–and indeed, head buyer […]
Amazon Warns Connecticut, Adds Cookbooks
Amazon vp for global public policy Paul Misener told a Connecticut legislative committee in written testimony that if the state adopts a proposed law which “sets a nexus test of $2,000 in quarterly sales generated over four consecutive quarters by in-state affiliates,” Amazon would “would simply sever affiliate advertising relationships with Connecticut residents.” The etailer just took a similar step in Colorado. One association estimates that approximately 2,000 Connecticut small businesses are Amazon affiliates.Connecticut Mirror In a press release, Amazon says that they have been adding more cookbooks to their Kindle store, including the release today of books from Mark […]
eBook Releases from Grisham and Baldacci
Over a year after first announcing John Grisham’s intention to release his backlist in ebook editions, today Knopf Doubleday put on sale ebook versions of all twenty-three of Grisham’s titles. They are available in the US and Canada. The publisher also confirmed that Grisham’s new book, coming this October, will be another legal thriller. Separately, when David Baldacci’s new book DELIVER US FROM EVIL is released on April 20, Hachette Book Group’s editions will include an “enriched” electronic version they’re calling the Writer’s Cut eBook. In the release, HBG ceo David Young says, “For David Baldacci’s fans, this is a […]
Lulu IPO Moving Ahead for Next Month
Further to our early January report, Lulu.com has filed the preliminary prospectus for their planned April IPO in Canada, with Genuity Capital Markets and CIBC as lead underwriters. According to the filing, 2009 sales were $31.6 million, up only 4 percent over the prior year. The company says they lost $1.9 million last year (and $13.8 million the year before), though they say that become slightly profitable by the fourth quarter. Seeking to raise approximately $50 million, $15 million of the proceeds would pay back a loan from company founder Bob Young–who would still retain majority control of the shares […]
Wiley In Consultation Over Possible STM Job Reductions
The Bookseller reports that Wiley has “begun the consultation process” over a possible change in up to 30 UK-based jobs and another 12 positions elsewhere from their STM division. Spokesperson Susan Spilka says its another step in the integration of Blackwell’s. She emphasized that they will not necessarily eliminate all of the positions that are under discussion, and would try to “redeploy” those people elsewhere in the company. The jobs are within the central marketing services and exhibitions and conference departments, with those functions planned for relocation to the company’s publishing services operations in Singapore.Bookseller