Co-founder and coo of distributor CDS (later bought by Perseus) Steve Black has joined SImon & Schuster in the new position of vp, client publisher services. He will have responsibility for distribution client relationships, including new business development, reporting to Dennis Eulau. EVP of sales and marketing Michael Selleck says in the announcement, “We areeager to take on the challenge of helping new and existing clients grow their positions in the marketplace, and look forward to joining forces with Steve to accomplish that.” At Chronicle Children’s, Naomi Kirsten was promoted to associate editor. Norman Mailer’s widow and novelist and memoir […]
Archives for November 2010
Skyhorse Buys Allworth
Skyhorse Publishing announced on Friday that they have acquired New York-based Allworth Press, which publishes business and self-help books for artists, photographers, graphic designers, and interior designers as well as for filmmakers, performing artists, and authors. Founder Tad Crawford will continue as publisher of Allworth, which has a backlist of over 300 books and publishes 18 to 20 new titles a year. They say in the announcement that Allworth had sales of $1.4 million in 2009. Skyhorse president Tony Lyons says in the release, “I have admired Allworth Press for two decades. Skyhorse is always looking for quality lists and […]
Harper Gets Temporary Restraining Order Blocking Gawker Excerpts
Federal District Court Judge Thomas Griesa convened a hearing Saturday afternoon on HarperCollins’ filing against Gawker. The judge issued a temporary restraining order under which Gawker is “restrained and enjoined from continuing to distribute, publish or otherwise transmit pages” of Sarah Palin’s forthcoming book. A hearing has been set for November 30. In compliance with the order, Gawker is no longer displaying the 21 pages of the book that they had posted on their site. Since Palin’s book will be published on Tuesday, the real question now is whether Gawker will be assessed damages for copyright infringement. In an earlier […]
Harper Sues Gawker for Infringement Over Palin Excerpts
As we suggested was in the works in this morning’s Publishers Lunch, HarperCollins filed suit against Gawker late Friday in the US District Court in Manhattan, claiming that the web site’s publication of images of 21 pages from Sarah Palin’s new 304-page book ahead of its release is copyright infringement. Harper asked to have the pages removed and is seeking financial damages, and also sought the return of the copy of the book itself, the AP writes.. Gawker did not respond to a request for comment from the wire service, which says that the site “refused to take down [the […]
Barnes & Noble Bidding Update
Following ratification by shareholders of the bookseller’s poison pill plan, the WSJ updated the status of Barnes & Noble’s evaluation of potential bids. “About eight or ten” bidders, both private-equity firms and strategic acquirers, “remain interested” in an acquisition according to “people familiar with the matter.” That’s winnowed from approximately 20 bidders originally said to have been interested in reviewing the company’s financials. The second round of bids is said to be “due in a few weeks,” with no certainty on how many of those interested parties will present revised offers. Chairman Len Riggio said Wednesday he hopes they will […]
Borders Store Closings Update
A number of local reports cover Borders outlets across the country that are scheduled to close on or about January 7), with liquidation sales underway in many of the covered locations. Spokesperson Mary Davis confirms to us that “approximately 17” stores will close, though she says the company is not making available a list of affected stores. From local press accounts we have accounted for 10 of those locations: Four stores are closing in California–in Los Angeles’s Westwood, downtown Santa Barbara, Thousand Oaks, and Carlsbad; two in New Jersey, in Nassau Park near Princeton and Marlton in South Jersey; plus […]