Jennifer Schuster has joined NAL as senior editor. She was previously an editor at It Books. At Ecco, Libby Edelson has been promoted to editor. At Penguin Books, Tara Singh has been promoted to associate editor. The Writer, which was due to go on hiatus with the October 2012 issue after more than 125 years of continuous publication, has been acquired by Madavor Media, a privately held niche and enthusiast media company, from Kalmbach Publishing (which also sold off Birdwatching Magazine in the same deal.) Various government agencies, including the Pentagon and the CIA, are now reviewing manuscript copies of […]
Archives for August 2012
Nook’s First UK Partner Is Electronics Retailer, Plus Amazon and Apple Updates
Barnes & Noble announced that department store John Lewis will be its first UK retail partner as of October, selling Nook Simple Touch and GlowLight in 37 stores as well as on its own website. “John Lewis is where knowledgeable customers turn for trusted advice on the best products to purchase, and they are a perfect partner to help launch Nook in the UK,” said BN president of digital products Jamie Iannone in a statement. “We look forward to bringing more choice and convenience to discerning UK customers with our critically acclaimed line of reading devices and expansive selection of […]
Bertelsmann In Discussions to Buy Full Ownership of Gruner + Jahr
Following Bertelsmann’s corporate conversion last week to a new corporate structure that could allow the offering of stock to the public without divesting much control, Germany’s Manager Magazin ran a piece with a grab-bag of rumor and speculation. (Though partially owned by Bertelsmann’s Gruner + Jahr, the magazine has a spotty track-record in their reports on coming events at Bertelsmann.) One item that Bertelsmann has at least partially confirmed is a report that the company wants to acquire the Jahr family’s 25.1 percent stake in Gruner + Jahr, possibly by swapping them a smaller stake in Bertelsmann itself or one of […]
People, Etc.
Babette Ross has joined Hachette Book Group as associate director in the client services department. Previously she was director of marketing at Kaplan and a freelance consultant on the shaping and implementing of digital marketing strategies using analytics and social media. Kathryn Gordon has joined the William Morrow marketing department in the new position of director of brand develpment, reporting to Jennifer Hart. She is charged with “driving awareness for key William Morrow authors and helping to oversee and execute year-long marketing strategies, with special focus on brand messaging, fan and reader engagement, and social media strategies beyond the traditional […]
Bookselling: Indies Coming to Astoria, Queens; Titles, Inc. Owner Florence Shay, 90, Dies; And More
The Queens neighborhood of Astoria had been without a bookstore since December, when Seaburn Bookshop closed. But the impending arrival of Astoria Bookshop, owned by Lexi Beach, and the possible expansion of children’s bookstore The Story Nook, owned by Faye Skandalakis, from a section of a kids’ boutique to a freestanding store suggests the neighborhood, and the borough, will see more book shopping traffic, according to the NY Daily News. Beach, a 31-year-old account manager for eMusic.com (who formerly worked at Simon & Schuster), is still raising funds for the Astoria Bookshop, which she hopes to open next year, but […]
Pseudonymous SEAL Author of NO EASY DAY Identified
Just one day after Dutton announced the September 11 publication of NO EASY DAY, a firsthand account of the SEAL Team Six mission that killed Osama Bin Laden, and controversy swirled over whether the book had been properly vetted by government agencies, author “Mark Owen” was identified by a number of news outlets as Matt Bissonnette, 36, who retired from the SEALs last summer. A Dutton spokesperson did not confirm “Owen”‘s real identity, saying in a statement that “personal security is the sole reason the book is being published under a pseudonym. “We respectfully request that all news organizations and all […]