Children’s book publisher Margaret K. McElderry, founder and editor-at-large of her self-named imprint, has died at the age of 98. She began her publishing career in 1945 with Harcourt Brace, moving to Atheneum in 1971 to become director of Margaret K. McElderry Books. Both the company and imprint became part of Macmillan and later, Simon & Schuster. She was the first editor to have books win the Newbery and Caldecott awards in the same year, when Ginger Pye by Will Lipkind and Finders’ Keepers by Eleanor Estes won, respectively, in 1952. Longtime children’s book publisher Janet Schulman, 77, died Friday […]
Archives for February 2011
Lunch Weekly for Monday, February 14
Deal Reports Just e-mail to deals@PublishersMarketplace if you aren’t using the online form linked below. Report a deal using the online form The Key As usual, the handy key to our Lunch deal categories. While all reports are always welcome, those that include a category will generally receive a higher listing when it comes time to put them all together. “nice deal” $1 – $49,000 “very nice deal” $50,000 – $99,000 “good deal” $100,000 – $250,000 “significant deal” $251,000 – $499,000 “major deal” $500,000 and up FICTION Debut Screenwriter Brian McGreevy’s HEMLOCK GROVE, with writing partner Lee Shipman, a […]
BN “Welcomes” Spurned Amazon Affiliates; Texas Governor Supports Amazon In Tax Battle
Barnes & Noble has issued an open letter (e.g. clever press release) to Amazon affiliates whose business may be affected by the online retailer’s tax issues with certain states. They want spurned affiliates “to know that you are welcome to join the Barnes & Noble affiliate family. If Amazon doesn’t want you, we do! And, we will take care of collecting and remitting all sales taxes due on BN.com sales to its customers so you and our customers don’t have to worry about being hassled or prosecuted by state tax auditors.” BN has nexus in all states because of its […]
Briefs: O’Hagan To Ghostwrite Assange Memoir; British Bookshops Releases Creditor List; and More
Scottish literary novelist Andrew O’Hagan is reportedly ghost-writing Julian Assange‘s memoir, which will be published in April.The Guardian British Bookshops and Stationers owes £6.3m to its unsecured creditors on £2.2m in assets, according to a company filing. Hachette’s Bookpoint and Littlehampton Book Services distribution companies are owed £440,053 and £644,747 respectively, while Random House’s distribution company The Book Service is owed £443,317 and both Macmillan Distribution and HarperCollins are due around £500,000.The Bookseller Buffalo Street Books in Ithaca, NY will close at the end of March after more than 35 years in business.The Ithaca Journal Sourcebooks’ Fiske College Guide is […]
In Second Week, Self-Published Novel Sneaks Onto NYT eBook Bestseller List
Though the stated policy for the New York Times new ebook bestseller lists indicates they will not count self-published books, in the second week of the new charts a self-published author has slipped through. Nancy Johnson’s HER LAST LETTER, a 99-cent ebook, appears at position No. 31 on the “also selling” roster for fiction ebooks. The title was issued by Johnson’s own Penwyck Publishing, and is the company’s only title. As Johnson writes at Amazon: “After I wrote my first novel, I was able to find a great New York literary agent, and I was thrilled. At the time, I […]
When Will Borders File For Bankruptcy? As Early As Today, Or Later This Week
The WSJ reported Friday afternoon that Borders “could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as soon as Monday or Tuesday,” but also cautioned “the filing could be delayed a few days.” Whenever the bankruptcy filing takes place, it will trigger the imminent liquidation and closure on a significant portion of their store base–now predicted to cover 200 of the company’s superstores (with an option to close 50 more) and all of its smaller mall-based outlets, among other restructuring efforts. If it comes before the end of this month, vendors who received checks at the end of November may have to […]