Direct Brands’ Canadian unit DB Media has filed for bankruptcy and the administrator told employees yesterday that the unit is ceasing operations immediately and all jobs are terminated, putting about 100 people out of work. The Canadian book club operated as Doubleday Canada, and the other major unit used the Columbia House name. In an e-mail to the Toronto Sun, Direct Brands ceo Deborah Fine referred to it as a “strategic decision to close the Canadian operation.” To avoid any confusion, the Random House Canada underscored in a brief statement that their line “is very much in active business and […]
Archives for December 2010
Amazon Says WikiLeaks Book Does Not Contain Cables
Shortly after yesterday’s Lunch went out, an Amazon spokesperson responded to our query about the Kindle ebook titled “WikiLeaks documents expose US foreign policy conspiracies: All cables with tags from 1- 5000.” The company says “this book contains commentary and analysis regarding recent WikiLeaks disclosures, not the original material disclosed via the WikiLeaks website.” That note was then appended to the Amazon UK listing for the book, and now Amazon has also appended to the book’s title, in all caps, [DOES NOT CONTAIN TEXT OF CABLES]. The spokesperson did not respond to our questions about why the book had been […]
Social eBook Offerings Try to Get the Party Started
As ebook adoption grows the form itself is going to evolve, and static text is going to be wrapped with additional features and connectivity. That much we take as a given, even as it remains an unanswered question which features will resonate at scale with readers (and certainly some readers will happily ignore all such options and stay immersed in the text itself). In recent months, a number of bets have been placed on making ebooks more “social.” Amazon went first in a limited way in April, letting Kindle readers highlight and share favorite passages (and tracking those highlights). Then […]
Still Charting: The Best of the Best of 2010 In Formation
The field is continuing to clarify itself in our authoritative compilation of “Best of 2010” lists from all over. Jonathan Franzen has all but a lock on the overall top pick, though ROOM has risen sharply, while the top of the nonfiction list continues to be a tight three-way race. Here’s where they stand for now: Fiction Freedom, by Jonathan Franzen (12) Room, Emma Donoghue (10) A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan (6) Super Sad True Love Story, Gary Shteyngart (6) Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, by Helen Simonson (4) Faithful Place, Tana French (4) The Passage, Justin […]
Moving to 2011 Lists, the January Indie Next List
#1 Pick: Left Neglected: A Novel, by Lisa GenovaA Lonely Death: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery, by Charles ToddThe Poison Tree: A Novel, by Erin KellyThe Lake of Dreams: A Novel, by Kim EdwardsClara and Mr. Tiffany: A Novel, by Susan VreelandBattle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy ChuaBird Cloud: A Memoir, by Annie ProulxThe Radleys: A Novel, by Matt HaigUnless It Moves the Human Heart: The Craft and Art of Writing, by Roger RosenblattThe Year of the Hare: A Novel, by Arto PaasilinnaGideon’s War: A Novel, by Howard GordonToward the Setting Sun: John Ross, the Cherokees and the […]
After Another Terrible Quarter, Borders Warns of New Liquidity Threat
Borders reported third-quarter results after the close of the market on Thursday, and their report card is as dreadful as many feared. They are losing even more money than before and sales continue to fall at alarming rates. As part of the report, they also warn of another looming liquidity threat. The company is forced again to look for “replacement financing,” following the continuing losses and a low third-party “estimated liquidation value of our inventory” (which is their primary asset, and affects how much they can borrow.) If they can’t find a solution, they warn they could be in violation […]