After years of development, three ceos, eight figures of funding and the challenges of operating a start-up joint venture after the founding partners negotiated settlements with the Department of Justice over alleged collusion, Bookish.com officially launched to the public on Monday evening. (As HBG ceo David Young told the AP, “We received clearance for Bookish, but every time any of us talk about something we have to conform to the DOJ rules.”) The three founding partners–Hachette Book Group, Penguin and Simon & Schuster–are joined by 16 other publishers (including the other three largest publishers, as well as Harlequin, HMH, Norton. […]
Archives for February 2013
In Forthcoming Book, Google Execs Warn on China
The Wall Street Journal went first on Friday with excerpts from Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen’s THE NEW DIGITAL AGE, which publishes April 23. They conclude “Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt is brutally clear: China is the most dangerous superpower on Earth.” On the heels of revelations of Chinese efforts to hack US news organizations, Schmidt and Cohen write in their book, “It’s fair to say we’re already living in an age of state-led cyber war, even if most of us aren’t aware of it.” The WSJ adds, “other parts of the book are a much darker take on how […]
BN Award Nominees Announced
Barnes & Noble announced the finalists for their 2012 Discover Great New Writers awards, honoring the best works featured in their promotional program during the year. In this case, most of the nominees have already been well-discovered. The winners will be named March 6. Fiction Nonfiction
People: Jordan to Retire from Columbia U. Press
James Jordan will retire as president and director of Columbia University Press in September after more than nine years. During his tenure CUP launched the Columbia Business School Publishing imprint, developed a new book series with the Columbia Journalism Review, and reinvested in life science publishing, economics, recent American history, and international affairs publishing. “Jim has been a very effective steward at the Press during the last nine years,” said Columbia provost John Coatsworth in the announcement. “We are truly indebted to him for the professionalism and vigor that he brought to the table, both as an editor and as […]
People
Editor-at-large and former editor of the New York Times Book Review Charles McGrath is leaving the NYT after taking a buyout, Poynter reports, though he will continue to write occasional pieces for the paper. At Kensington, Vida Engstrand has been promoted to assistant director of publicity, while Peter Senftleben moves up to associate editor. Julia O’Halloran has joined DK Publishing as publicist. Previously she was a publicist at William Morrow. Suzy Lucas has been hired as prize administrator for the UK’s new Literature Prize. She was literature consultant to the BFI’s Film Fund. Lucas began her career at Bloomsbury and went […]
Canada’s Greystone Books Bought of Bankruptcy By Heritage House; Templar Buys Piccadilly Publishing
Canada’s bankrupt D&M Publishers has sold the assets of the Greystone Books imprint, including all forthcoming books under contract, to Heritage House Publishing. The new owners are bringing back Greystone founder Rob Sanders to lead the imprint again, and Nancy Flight returns as associate publisher. Sanders will also be “a significant shareholder” in the new entity Greystone Books Ltd. Heritage House’s announcement says that their president Rodger Touchie “initiated” the purchase and was “assisted by longtime Greystone business partners, including the Perseus Books Group from New York.” PGW will continue to distribute Greystone in the US and will expand their […]