Cecily Kaiser will join Abrams on July 6 in the new role of publishing director for children’s books for kids five-years-old and younger. Kaiser will be responsible for “conceptualizing, launching, and managing all aspects of this new initiative.” She has been at Scholastic for the last 10 years, most recently as editorial director in the trade division for Cartwheel and Little Scholastic. Megan Wilson has been promoted to senior publicity manager at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. She has worked in department for nine years. At Algonquin, Michael Taeckens will be promoted in October to director of online and paperback marketing. Kelly […]
Archives for June 2010
eNews: Nook Drops Price, Adds Inexpensive Model; Report Says Amazon Is Using Up Kindle Inventory
With Father’s Day buying finished, Barnes & Noble is dropping the list price on the original model of their nook ereader to $199 and has launched a model that connects via wifi instead of 3G priced at $149. They have released another software update as well (version 1.4) and nook owners now have access to free wifi on AT&T’s “entire nationwide network.” The company says online orders for the new model “will begin shipping this week” and they “expect [it] will be in-stock in select Barnes & Noble and Best Buy stores for immediate purchase later this month and rolling […]
Controversial Books: Anne Frank Novel; Supposed Diary of Former Chinese Premier
London’s Sunday Times reported on YA writer Sharon Dogar’s forthcoming ANNEXED, set for publication in September by Andersen Press in the UK (part of Random UK) and October from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in the US. A novelized version of the story of Peter van Pels, whose family hid in the same building in Amsterdam as Anne Frank and her family during WWII, the catalog copy says it explores “What was it like to be forced into hiding with Anne Frank, first to hate her and then to find yourself falling in love with her?” The Times article says it includes […]
People, Awards, Etc.
LAT book editor David Ulin is shifting roles and will serve as a book critic for the paper. Nothing was said about who will take over Ulin’s post.LAT Borders Group chief financial officer Mark Bierley will spend his extra time in the additional role of chief operating officer for Borders Inc., now overseeing finance, IT, merchandising planning and supply chain, as well as real estate and strategic planning. Rosalind (Roz) Thompson has been appointedsvp, human resources, starting July 6. Most recently she was a principal at Orange Hill Associates, an HR consultancy she established in 2007. Catherine Onder has joined […]
Wiley Finishes Strong; Signs with Apple
Wiley reported fourth quarter sales of $436 million, up 8 percent from a year ago, and full-year sales of $1.699 billion, up five percent. Professional/trade sales rose 18 percent in the period, at $115 million, with growth “particularly in the US.” For the full year, the segment had sales of $430 million, up 7 percent. Trade ebook sales comprised $7 million (less than 2 percent of overall trade), and the company says that it now has an “ebook agreement signed with Apple.” The company took a small $800,000 restructuring charge in the fourth quarter “related to offshoring and outsourcing certain […]
More Details on Thomas Nelson Sale
Dow Jones says that regulatory filings from when Thomas Nelson was first taken private in 2006 indicate that InterMedia Partners borrowed up to $292 million from Credit Suisse to finance the $473 million purchase. The wire service says that InterMedia has retained a minority interest in the publisher after selling a majority stake to Kohlberg & Co. Thomas Nelson spokesperson Lindsey Nobles “said the deal would make Thomas Nelson a more aggressive acquirer of other companies.”