The Booker Prize shortlist was announced today, and the best-known author among the candidates is Julian Barnes and his book THE SENSE OF AN ENDING. Barnes has made the shortlist three times before without winning, and is joined by only one other prior nominee, Carol Birch for JAMRACH’S MENAGERIE. Two debut novelists are included, Stephen Kelman and A.D. Miller, and Random House UK is the only of the country’s publishing giants represented. US rights to all but one title are already spoken for, and four of the five are already on the market in the US. Canadian Esi Edugyan’s HALF […]
Archives for September 2011
Constellation Pairs With Faber Factory In UK Joint Venture
The UK’s Faber and Faber has joined with the Perseus Books Group’s Constellation to form a UK joint venture focused on digital distribution for independent publishers. The new entity combines Faber’s e-distribution initiative Faber Factory–with 70 client publishers–with Constellation’s platform, to form Faber Factory Powered By Constellation. Faber ceo Stephen Page says in the announcement, “Faber Factory was conceived as an ambitious response to the enormous and liberating opportunity for independent publishers in the digital age. The power of Faber partnering with Perseus makes this ambition immediately achievable, globally and long term as together we can offer market-leading tools, service […]
Gail Kump Sues Eric Kampmann, Charging “Self-Dealing” And Seeking Dissolution of Midpoint Trade Books
Midpoint Trade Books co-founder Gail Kump filed suit on Wednesday against Midpoint ceo Eric Kampmann and Midpoint director and minority shareholder Christopher Bell in New York Supreme Court, alleging breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and other corporation law violations. Kump’s corporation Lily K. Inc. owns 24 percent of Midpoint’s shares, as does Bell. Kampmann & Co., also named in the suit, own 52 percent of the company. The suit charges that Kampmann “has engaged in a pattern of self-dealing, impropriety and malfeasance during the last six years that has damaged Midpoint.” It charges the Kampmann “stopped signing new […]
Bookselling: Atlantic Books To Close Seven More Stores; New Stores In LA and Danville; and More
Conshocken, PA- based Atlantic Books will close seven stores in shore towns in New Jersey and Delaware. Co-owner Mark Simon tells the Press of Atlantic City, “They’re no longer profitable, and have not been for the last year or so,” adding that “it becomes more and more difficult to afford the rent.” In New Jersey they are closing shops in Beach Haven, Cape May, Stone Harbor, and two in Ocean City (plus their Somers Point store closed earlier this summer), and in Delaware stores in Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island will close permanently this fall. That will leave the chain with only […]
Borders Sues Vendor For Allegedly Steering Borders Rewards Customers To Separate Website
As Borders prepares to auction off what it hopes will prove to be valuable intellectual property, including its Borders Rewards customer data, the company has gone to court to protect those assets from infringement by a former Borders vendor. The complaint filed in New York bankruptcy court charges that Next Jump, the company hired in 2007 to operate Bordersrewardperks.com–a website to provide rewards from third-party vendors to Borders customers–has used its access to the book chain’s customer list to steer half a million people or more to a separate website, OO.com, owned by Next Jump. Significantly given the upcoming auction, Borders says […]
Hillary Jordan’s When She Woke Tops October Indie Next List
Here are the ABA’s October picks: When She Woke: A Novel, by Hillary Jordan The Orchard: A Memoir, by Theresa Weir The Dovekeepers: A Novel, by Alice Hoffman Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, by Susan Orlean A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown, by Julia Scheeres Reamde: A Novel, by Neal Stephenson What It Is Like to Go to War, by Karl Marlantes Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship, by Tom Ryan I Married You for Happiness: A Novel, by Lily Tuck The Cat’s Table: […]