Here is the latest in the shifting landscape of ebook bestseller lists. We noticed on the most recent NYT fiction ebook list that two self-published books were counted again, for the second consecutive week: Nancy C. Johnson’s HER LAST LETTER (No. 13) and Victorine Lieske’s NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS (No. 23). Spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha said that “the appearance of those books on the ebook best seller list means that multiple channels reported those titles with sales numbers that were among their best sellers.” It all became clearer when we checked again today and saw that the newspaper’s own declaration […]
Archives for March 2011
NYSE Officially Delists Borders Stock; Seattle’s Best Complains Bankruptcy Will ‘Expose Trade Secrets’
The New York Stock Exchange somewhat obviously filed notice with the SEC that they will officially delist Borders stock on March 21, noting “the uncertainty as to the timing and outcome of the bankruptcy process, as well as the ultimate effect of this process on the Company’s common stockholders. Borders stock was suspended when they filed chapter 11, and even though the company had 10 days to appeal, they did not do so. SEC Filing Meanwhile, Starbucks subsidiary Seattle’s Best Coffee lodged an objection with the bankruptcy court on the grounds that Borders closing 200 stores could damage the company’s […]
Wiley Rises Even with Borders Charge; Trade eBooks Grow, Still at 4.4%
Sales rose 7 percent at Wiley in their fiscal third quarter, to $448 million, with operating income of $70 million, up 2 percent. The company’s previously-announced bad debt charge from Borders of $9 million was equal to 10 cents a share, and Wiley reiterated that it “does not anticipate any additional charge or bad debt expense with respect to this customer.” CEO William Pesce comments more broadly in the release: “Professional/Trade bounced back from a tough second quarter, led by business and cooking books. Sales of ebooks grew and had a positive effect on gross margin. In December, Wiley stopped […]
Profits Fall 17 Percent at Lagardere Publishing; eBook Keep Rising
In standard French fashion, Lagardere has reported profits for fiscal 2010, having already reported revenues. In the book publishing division, “a fall in profitability was expected after 2009’s spectacular results,” with recurring EBIT of 250 million euros, on sales of 2.165 million euros. Margin is down 51 million euros from a year ago, a 17 percent decline, and their net margin for the year was 11.6 percent, down from 13.2 percent in 2009 “due to a change in product mix (lower contribution from blockbusters in 2010) and investments in digital.” eBook sales continue to grow rapidly. As previously reported they […]
People, Etc.
Jordan Fenn has joined McClelland & Stewart as publisher of a joint Fenn/McClelland & Stewart imprint, which will focus on hockey books. The first title will be the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Championship book scheduled for this June, with additional new titles are scheduled for this fall and next year. For the past 15 years Fenn was publisher of Fenn Publishing Company, which shut down in the wake of its parent company HB Fenn’s bankruptcy earlier this year. Both the NYT and AP offer extensive obits on Owen Laster, who died yesterday of cancer. In a statement WME literary department head […]
Riggio Sees Expanding Market, For Digital, Stores and Publishers Alike
Barnes & Noble chairman Len Riggio was the keynote speaker at this morning’s annual meeting of the Association of American Publishers (AAP), his first appearance there in 11 years, when he was excited about the possibilities the Rocket eBook held for his company and the industry at large. “Think of all that could have happened had we all led tje digital age together instead of following it,” Riggio said. His primary message was that “too many of us see bookselling as a zero sum game–that there’s a limit to how many books people will buy and how many books people […]