University of North Carolina Press director Kate Torrey will retire this summer after 23 years at the press. She first joined in 1989 as editor-in-chief and was promoted to director in 1992. A search committee has been formed as part of the selection process for the next director. Celeste Fine will join Sterling Lord Literistic on January 30 as an agent, focusing on health, science, food, business, and lifestyle topics. She will also manage foreign rights for the agency’s children’s and young adult list. Previously, Fine was svp, subsidiary rights director for Folio Literary Management. At Random House Children’s Books, […]
Archives for January 2012
DBW: Verso Survey Finds Less Price Resistance, More Piracy, and Shift to Tablets
As we reported in advance of DBW, Verso’s survey indicates a continuing rise in ereading resisters, with over half of respondents “not at all likely” to purchase a dedicated reading device. But part of that may be due to the rising attraction of tablets, which were a separate query item. Over 15 percent of people say they already own a tablet–about the same adoption as for ereaders–but here another 21 percent are somewhat to very likely to buy one in the next year (compared to about 15 percent likely ereader buyers). Verso’s Jack McKeown believes that the “picture of the […]
Amazon’s Grandinetti Says to Invent the Future
A year ago Amazon vp, Kindle content Russ Grandinetti told the audience at Digital Book World, “however fast you think this change is happening, its probably happening faster than you think.” On Wednesday morning, Grandinetti returned to an even larger DBW audience that has just experienced that year of rapid change (or catching up). “If you’re worried about the shape of the future, the best way to predict it is to invent it.” Grandinetti called on publishers to have “bravery” in these new times that can “feel scary to all of us in some ways” and “envision what you want […]
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Licenses Amazon NY’s Adult List for New Imprint
The deal that Amazon Publishing’s New York adult line has been mentioning to agents since it started acquiring has formally come to pass: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has executed a broad “print licensing agreement” and will issue the unit’s entire list in print form in North America, including through Amazon.com itself. HMH will publish the books under a distinct new imprint, called New Harvest. (There is some confusing wording in the press release, so you should be clear on two points: HMH is licensing rights and will be the print publisher, not just the distributor, and the HMH editions will be […]
Corporate: Apple Sold 15.4 million iPads in First Quarter; Meredith Buys AllRecipes.com
Apple reported record earnings for the first quarter of its fiscal year, ending December 31, and beat Wall Street expectations so handily the stock was halted after hours Tuesday, rising more than $30 a share. The company sold 15.4 million iPads and 37 million iPhones during the quarter on net income of $13.1 billion, and $43.4 billion in revenue. Profits more than doubled compared to the first quarter of 2011. Apple sold over 40 million iPads in 2011, and has moved more than 55 million units since launching in early 2010. Release Though Random House was among the four reported […]
BN Offers to Share Digital Reading Data and Work With Indies to Preserve Bookstores
Barnes & Noble vp of ebooks Jim Hilt told the Digital Book World audience Tuesday morning some things you aren’t accustomed to hearing from the industry’s largest chain of bookstores. Speaking to “the power of the independent bookstores,” Hilt said “the notion that we are competing with each other is, I believe, untrue.” He added, “as people move on to other forms of content, what we want to do is to be working together to get more books in front on more readers.” Without offering further specifics, Hilt suggested that BN would be willing to work with independents to help […]