Here’s one way Barnes & Noble plans to invest some of the cash flow freed up by suspending its dividend: AdAge reports the company has hired Interpublic’s Mullen to “refresh its brand with an effort that includes an estimated $40 million investment in marketing and a new look for stores.” That amount is expected to double BN’s previous marketing spend. Mullen replaces Omnicom Group’s Merkley & Partners.AdAge Following yesterday’s pre-market announcements, Barnes & Noble’s shares fell more than 14 percent in full-day trading, declining 2.67 to finish at $15.94. The stock is falling further today, down another 4.5 percent so […]
Archives for February 2011
Briefs: Author Sues Former Agent Over Bacon Cookbook; Spring Design Phasing Out Alex E-Reader And More
Brooklyn author Lisa Skye is suing her former agent, Jayne Rockmill, for puportedly stealing the idea that became the cookbook “I Love Bacon”, published by Andrews McMeel in 2009. According to the lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court, Skye said she and Rockmill jointly put together a proposal for the book after meeting at a launch party in 2007 for an earlier, self-published cookbook. Skye claims she fired Rockmill in early 2009 after she “became disenchanted with Rockmill’s aggressive style”, and was “stunned” to find a copy of the book with Rockmill’s name on it in a San Francisco bookstore […]
People, Etc.
In Italy, former publisher of Mondadori Massimo Turchetta will take over as publisher of the trade book division at RCS Libri (comprising the imprints Rizzoli, BUR, Bompiani, Fabbri, and Etas) on March 1, reporting directly to ceo Alessandro Bompieri. Iris Blasi has joined Hilsinger-Mendelson East as coordinator of digital media. Previously she was an associate editor at Union Square Press. David Kass has been promoted to associate director of publicity. Caroline Sun will join Harper Children’s as publicity manager on February 28. She was a senior publicist at Penguin Children’s. The AAP Annual Meeting convenes March 9 in New York, […]
Sheedy Sues Sterling Lord, Seeking Her Accounting Records and Payment Due from 2009
Last week the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency filed suit in New York State Supreme Court against Sterling Lord Literistic, which Sheedy’s agency had been affiliated with since 1995. The complaint charges SLL with multiple breaches of a contract between the two agencies from 2009, which was terminated on February 15, 2011. Among the most serious allegations are that SLL had agreed in that 2009 contract to pay Sheedy $128,000 and has “refused and failed to pay the entire sum” and “purported to grant itself numerous set-offs…in order to reduce the amount shown to be owed.” Sheedy also claims that SLL […]
Random House Offers Early Retirement Option
Random House announced internally today that they are briefly making available a voluntary early retirement program as an option for eligible US-based staff interested in making a major transition in their personal and professional lives, and in response to our employees’ interests and long-term goals.” The program is open to employees 50 and over who have at least five years of continuous service, and is valid through April 14, for implementation some time before the end of this year.
Author of Historical Novel Featuring JRR Tolkien Files Pre-Emptive Complaint To Counter Estate Objections
The JRR Tolkien Estate’s perennial objections to the use and licensing of the author’s work and characters were back inn the spotlight last week after Stephen Hilliard, the Texas-based author of “Mirkwood, A Novel About J.R.R. Tolkien”, an historical novel featuring Tolkien as a character, filed a lawsuit in Texas District Court in an attempt to release the book, published through BookSurge. Hilliard told the Hollywood Reporter that on the eve of the novel’s release, the Tolkien Estate filed a cease-and-desist letter alleging “it had a property right to commercially exploit the name and likeness of J.R.R. Tolkien” and that […]