In a masterpiece of confusion and contradiction from FT chief business commentator John Gapper, Andrew “The Jackalope” Wylie commentates: “Publishers have overpaid for the front-list to increase revenues without an eye to margins and profits. If they get it wrong again, they will only increase the book industry’s malady.” But “despite his Odyssey deal,” Wylie assures Gapper “he does not want…e-book rights to be split from print rights by authors and agents.” Also from our Can You Believe He Said That Department, Amazon executive Steve Kessel tells The Bookseller, “We are not out there contacting agents. [Except for the ones […]
Archives for July 2010
Robust Release for Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth
Abrams announced the previously undisclosed title of Jeff Kinney’s fifth Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, which publishes on November 9, and The Ugly Truth will get a first printing of 5 million copies. Abrams says 35 million copies of Wimpy Kid books are in print already in the US. Last fall’s DOG DAYS had an announced four-million-copy first printing and the publisher went back to press for another 500,000 right after the release, with an estimated first-week sale in excess of 750,000 units. Kinney says in the announcement, “To me, the fifth book is the linchpin of the series. […]
People
Adam Friedstein has joined Anderson Literary Management as an agent primarily representing debut literary fiction, literary thrillers and suspense, young adult fiction, and narrative and serious nonfiction. He was previously at Trident Media Group.” At Perseus, vp, business operations Clare Peeters has had her role expanded to vp, corporate strategy and business development. She has “played a critical role in both the creation and the ongoing activities of our joint ventures with both The Daily Beast and The Weinstein Company,” as well as the expansion of Constellation.Ruth Esehak-Gillespie has joined Macmillan’s International Sales Division as sales and promotions coordinator, based […]
New Kindle Slims Are Everything iPad Isn’t
Last night Amazon announced two new models of their Kindle ereader available for pre-order for delivery starting August 27, and with a new wi-fi only model to sell for a low, low $139 they are continuing to press the price competition as well. Still able to attract high-profile press from all over, Amazon ceo Jeff Bezos trumpets the less expensive model as a “mass market device,” even as it follows the $149 wi-fi Nook and Borders/Kobo $149 plus $20 gift card reader. Amazon’s new wireless model will still sell for $189.) With the current model out of stock and not […]
…And the UK Gets a Native Kindle and eBookstore
At the same time that Amazon releases two new models of the Kindle ereader on August 27, the company will launch the machines in the UK, available for the first time for direct sale from Amazon UK in British sterling. Previously, UK customers could buy Kindles priced in dollars from Amazon’s US site, incurring shipping charges and other fees. That said, UK customers will still pay comparatively more for their devices based on current exchange rates, with the wireless Kindle priced at 149 pounds (roughly 230 dollars) and the new wi-fi only version selling for 109 pounds (or about 170 […]
Booker Longlist Announced
The Booker Prize longlist was announced yesterday. The list will be whittled to six on September 7, and the winner will be named on October 12. As helpfully sorted below, four of the titles are scheduled for US publication over the next three months, and three have no announced US publication date. In a Booker first, Damon Galgut’s novel does not have a US print release date yet, but is available now from Amazon Kindle. Peter Carey, Parrot and Olivier in AmericaAndrea Levy, The Long SongDavid Mitchell, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet Lisa Moore, February Christos Tsiolkas, The […]