As part of the unwinding of Britain’s Chorion, Washington, DC-based Acorn Media Group has purchased Chorion’s 64 percent interest in Agatha Christie Limited, calling it “the most important deal in the company’s history.” The Christie estate includes over 80 novels and stories, 19 plays, almost 40 TV movies, “and many more TV and feature films […]
Archives for February 2012
Comedy Central Sets Up Imprint At Running Press
The Perseus Books Group has added to their portfolio of media relationships with the likes of Weinstein Books and The Daily Beast with a new Comedy Central Books imprint, housed with Running Press. The show South Park has published a number of books directly with Running Press in the past. The first title, set for […]
eNews:Skoobe eBook Subscription Service in Germany; Penguin and The Economist Join Forces for Digital Shorts;
In Germany, von Holtzbrinck and Verlagsgruppe Random House are backing a new ebook subscription venture, Skoobe, where customers pay 9.99 euros a month to borrow 2 ebooks in that 30-day period (with unlimited access to all content only between now and March 1, 2013.) Publishers supplying content so far include Droemer, DVA, Fischer, Goldmann, Heyne, […]
Like Others, Harlequin Sees Sales Soften and Margins Hold Up
Canada’s Torstar reported fourth-quarter and fiscal year results Wednesday, and the performance of Harlequin fits the general pattern of other publicly-reported trade publishers: sales were down a little, and operating earnings rose. This is what the digital transition looks like. For the full year, digital comprised 15.5 of revenues of $459 million CA (down 2 […]
Bloomsbury Exits Germany, Selling Berlin Verlag to Bonnier
With no more JK Rowling books to issue in German, Bloomsbury is relinquishing their division in that country, announcing an agreement to sell Berlin Verlag to Bonnier’s German subsidiary, which owns Piper Verlag. In classic Bloomsbury fashion, the deal structure has multiple parts. Bloomsbury will receive a total of 4.4 million euros in cash–but only […]
People: Orion to Restructure
As part of a restructure, Orion will replace its trade and paperback divisions with Orion Fiction (housing more than half of its frontlist titles, and nearly all of its crime fiction) and Orion General (for Weidenfeld & Nicolson, Phoenix, Gollancz, and Orion Children’s.) Current trade managing director Lisa Milton will run the General division, while […]