The Guardian has entered the digital books space with Guardian Shorts, which will provide “detailed guides to topical news stories, public policy, sports and cultural events” through ebooks ranging from between 5,000 and 30,000 words. Pricing will range from £1.99 to £3.99 “depending on subject area, length and how much new content they contain.” They launch the program with PHONE HACKING: How the Guardian Broke the Story, which packages the paper’s extensive coverage of the scandal with a new final chapter by Guardian editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger. The ebook is priced at £2.29/$2.99 and available on Kindle now and on iTunes […]
Archives for August 2011
Bookselling: Online Store Avid Bookshop Opens Physical Space; New Stores
Online bookseller Avid Bookshop will open a physical store in Athens, GA. The original opening date was set for late 2010, but owner Janet Geddis just recently signed a lease for the space. “We’ve been scheming and dreaming for years,” she told the Athens Banner-Herald, “but even before I wanted a shop, I thought, ‘This spot should be a bookstore. It’s perfect.'” BookSmart, based in Morgan Hill, CA, will open a new branch in Salinas, CA this October in the city’s Steinbeck Center. Monterey County Weekly Rapid City, IA’s new Fifth and Main development project will include a bookstore located […]
Borders CEO Edwards and CFO Henry ‘Terminated’ As Liquidation Continues
Borders’ 399 stores won’t finish the liquidation process until September, but ceo and president Mike Edwards and cfo Scott Henry won’t be around to see the chain through till the end. The two executives’ employment with the company was “terminated” on July 29, according to a Thursday filing with the SEC. Current svp restructuring Holly Felder Etlin, also a managing director of AlixPartners, has been promoted to president, and chief accounting officer and controller Glen Tomaszewski was appointed treasurer. In the same filing, Borders reported they have also paid off in full their obligations to DIP lenders under the amended […]
Briefs: Sony Has “No Clue” Why Apple Still Rejects iOS Reader Apps; New Bookstores; and More
Apple rejected Sony’s iOS Reader app back in January, and there’s still no sign of it now even though competitors have complied with Apple’s rules prohibiting buy buttons. CNET checked in with Sony reps who claimed they, too, complied with Apple’s rules, but reported the app was still being rejected. “We have no idea why,” the rep said. “It’s an ongoing saga. Stay tuned.” CNET Books-a-Million will also replace Borders in Concord, NC with a tentative opening date of August 25, one week after the chain opens a new store in Erie, PA. Release Changing Hands owner Gayle Shanks told […]
Next Barnes & Noble Leak Spins Towards Liberty Deal Getting Done
Yesterday’s unsourced New York Post story claiming potential trouble in takeover talks between Liberty Media and Barnes & Noble took the bookseller’s stock down over 5 percent at the opening bell. But another wave of news took the stock up in the early afternoon Wednesday and it settled up slightly for the day. (The stock price remained steady in early morning trading.) The WSJ found their own “people familiar with the matter” who assured them that Liberty has completed its due diligence and is “finalizing its offer for the company.” These people say that completion of negotiations could lead to […]
People
Jackie Harvey has joined the Lerner Publishing Group as national sales director. Previously she was a product and marketing manager in the K-12 school division of Pearson. Casey Francis has been named director of corporate communications for Thomas Nelson. Previously she was public relations and communications officer for Commonwealth Brands. Bella Pagan will join Tor UK as a senior commissioning editor on September 1. Previously she was an editor at Orbit UK. William Sleator, 66, the author of more than thirty books for young adults and children, died on August 2 in Thailand. Among his acclaimed novels were THE INTERSTELLAR […]