Author of Which Witch?, Journey to the River Sea, The Secret of Platform 13 and many other children’s books Eva Ibbotson, 85, died at home on Wednesday.Guardian Harper UK is restructuring their sales divisions and group sales and marketing director (and former Borders UK executive) David Roche will leave at the end of the year. He says his agreement from the beginning was to stay for only two years, the Bookseller reports. His position will be eliminated, and Simon Johnson has been promoted to managing director of commercial, with responsibility for sales and rights, along with strategy, business development, and […]
Archives for October 2010
Amazon Boosts Sales But Margins Suffer, Worrying Wall Street, and Media Sales Slow
Amazon reported yesterday that third quarter sales rose 39 percent to $7.56 billion, with net income of $231 million and operating income of $268 million, up 7 percent. While they beat analysts’ expectations, somewhat moderated after coming up short in the second quarter, operating margin looks to have fallen considerably, from 4.6 percent down to 3.5 percent. With earnings lagging sales growth throughout this fiscal year, the company’s shares were down sharply last night in the after-market, but investors reconsidered this morning and the stock is rising again. The press release “highlights” are almost all Kindle, so you have to […]
Blog Gets Dorchester to Respond on Publishing eBooks Even After Reverting Rights
Yesterday the Smart Bitches blog reported on two former Dorchester authors, Jana DeLeon and Leslie Langrty–both represented by agent Kristin Nelson–who said that the publisher had reverted rights to their books but continued to sell ebook versions. Both authors and agent Nelson said they have contacted the house multiple times asking for the ebooks to be removed from sale with no effect, and they recently sent DMCA takedown notices to etailers including Amazon and BN.com, so far with no effect. (In Langtry’s case, not only does she say Dorchester was selling her ebook without rights, but they also offered it […]
Nook Goes to Wal-Mart
Barnes & Noble announced that Wal-Mart will carry the Nook reader in 2,500 stores starting as early as October 24 and online as well. Perhaps as important, the announcement notes that Nook “will be prominently featured as the premier eBook Reader in the consumer electronics area. Many Wal-mart stores will feature a Nook-branded eReading area where shoppers can see and touch a demonstration device.” The next coup–not indicated at all in the announcement of course–is when or if Nook partners with Wal-mart to sell ebooks on their web site, too. Wal-Mart is carrying iPads now as well.Announcement
People, Etc.
Nicole Dewey will join Little, Brown as executive director of publicity, starting November 15 and reporting to vp, marketing director Heather Fain. She has been executive director of publicity at Henry Holt. Director of the University of Texas Press since 1992 Joanna Hitchcock announced that she will retire at the end of February. She said, “I’ve been at the helm for almost a third of the Press’s 60-year existence and it is time for new leadership.” Erzsi Deà k is now scouting for both children’s imprints of La Martinière Groupe in France: Le Seuil Jeunesse and La Martinière Jeunesse. She works […]
Riggio Makes Pledges for “Fair and Transparent” Sale Process
With the first phase of Barnes & Noble’s search for a buyer expected to wrap-up roughly by the end of this month, chairman Len Riggio filed a letter with the SEC that contains a number of pledges to a fair and open process. Why now? Well you could see the letter as addressing some of Ron Burkle’s concerns that the Barnes & Noble board conduct a fair and above-board search for bidders that does not favor Riggio. Some may also infer that a bid with Riggio’s participation is imminent, but of course there’s nothing concrete to that effect in the […]