Following Scholastic’s million-book donation announcement Monday morning, Simon & Schuster ceo Carolyn Reidy informed her employees of S&S’s relief efforts in a memo. They are offering “any public or school library damaged by Hurricane Sandy a donation of 500 ‘best of’ titles in order to help in the restoration of their collections.” So far they are working on concert with the Teachers College Reading, Writing Project’s Literacy Lifeboats initiative, and the New Jersey Library Association to reach libraries in need. The company is working with other relief organizations to provide free books to both children and adults displaced by the […]
Archives for November 2012
Results Plunge at Cengage
Cengage has a new ceo, Michael Hansen (Ron Dunn is now executive chairman), who had the unpleasant task of announcing “very disappointing” results for the quarter ending September 30 last Friday: Sales fell 22 percent to $538 million, down from $692 million a year, and operating income declined 49 percent, to $122.7 million, less than debt service for the quarter of $131 million. Among the problems cited, “a significant reduction in the level of purchases by one channel partner contributed to the decline in revenues.” Net debt stood at $5.47 billion at the end of the quarter, and all of […]
People, Etc.
Ben George has joined Penguin as an editor, starting today. He was co-founder and editorial director of Lookout Books of Wilmington, NC and editor for the last four years of the literary magazine Ecotone. Kristen Fritz has been named senior director, content marketing, digital marketplace development at Random House, Inc. Clay Smith has joined Kirkus Media as features editor, reporting to chief operating officer Meg Kuehn. Most recently he was literary director of the Texas Book Festival. In the UK, Ella Diamond Kahn and Bryony Woods have launched a literary agency, Diamond Kahn and Woods. Diamond Kahn was an assistant […]
Author News: Roth Is Finished; Wiesel Book Claim Is Denied
Philip Roth has suggested in the past that he was finished writing new novels even though he published four works between 2006 and 2010, but last Friday a spokesperson for publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt confirmed to the New York Times a remark Roth originally made to a French publication: “To tell you the truth, I’m done,” Roth had said. “‘Nemesis’ will be my last book.” HMH’s Lori Glazer told the Times, “I spoke to Philip today and he confirmed that Nemesis is his last book.” But another story making the rounds last week can be debunked. In early November Israel’s […]
CIA Director Petraeus Resigns After Affair With Biographer Broadwell Disclosed
As you may have already noted, publishing has been featured in the fallout from CIA director David Petraeus’ resignation Friday afternoon,when he disclosed an extramarital affair with a woman later revealed to be Paula Broadwell, author (with Vernon Loeb) of the authorized biography ALL IN: The Education of General David Petraeus. Published by Penguin Press in January with modest results (it was No. 13 on the NYT nonfiction bestseller list for a week in February and fell off the list two weeks later), book sales rose online over the weekend, and the paperback is due for release next month. Penguin […]
Two Short Bradbury Pieces, and Book On Man Freed After 38 Years for Murders He Denies Committing
As the AP reports, two short works from Ray Bradbury will be published posthumously this fall: A three-page intro to The Best American Nonrequired Reading called “The Book and the Butterfly,” and a piece called “Dear Santa,” in the holiday issue of Strand Magazine. Bill Macumber was released from jail earlier this week after serving 38 years in prison for two murders he maintains he did not commit, and Holt is moving up publication of a related book to January 2013. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Barry Siegel‘s MAINFEST INJUSTICE: The True Story of a Convicted Murderer and the Lawyers Who Fought […]