Scott’s Bookstore in Newnan, GA will close this month after more than 36 years in business as owner Earlene Scott, 76, retires. “I’m going to miss my customers and I’m going to miss my books,” she said. “Because I don’t know where I’m going to buy my books now.” She said the business has remained solid; “It was just age and time.” After a one-year trial, HugoBooks closed their Spirit of ’76 Squared bookstore in Swampscott, MA, according to a notice on the door. The store had filled about half of the space formerly filled by a Borders Express. The […]
Archives for March 2013
Cengage Hires Restructuring Advisers, Draws Down Credit Line
Confirming reports last month, heavily-indebted publisher Cengage has formally retained restructuring firm Alvarez & Marsal, along with restructuring attorneys at Kirkland & Ellis and restructuring bankers at Lazard, “as part of ongoing efforts to assess its capital structure.” The company has to reckon with approximately $5.3 billion in debt and weakening sales and profits. At the same time as the appointments, the company all but maxed out their revolving line of credit, drawing down another $430 million to make sure they can fill their working capital needs. Spokesman James McCusker told the WSJ, “We would prefer to have the money […]
Jane Goodall’s Book Is Postponed After Newspaper Finds Borrowed, Unattributed Passages
Following a March 19 story in the Washington Post that found primatologist Jane Goodall’s planned April 2 release SEEDS OF HOPE “contains at least a dozen passages borrowed without attribution, or footnotes, from a variety of Web sites” (including Wikipedia), publisher Grand Central announced that Goodall “decided to postpone the release… so that we may have the necessary time to correct any unintentional errors.” She added in her statement: “It is important to me that the proper sources are credited, and I will be working diligently with my team to address all areas of concern. My goal is to ensure […]
People, Awards, Etc.
Editor-at-large at Random House Children’s Books Jim Thomas will leave the company on April 5 to write full-time and spend more time with his family. Thomas will continue to work with RHCB and several authors on a freelance basis. At Knopf Books for Young Readers, Michele Burke has been promoted to senior editor and Allison Worchte moves up to editor. In addition, Loira Walsh has joined RHCB as a junior designer. Previously she was a design assistant at Sixth & Spring. McGraw-Hill Education hired media and information industry veteran Mark Dorman as president of McGraw-Hill Education International. Most recently, he […]
Corporate; Melville House Adds UK Branch; Wimpy Kid Stationery
Melville House is creating a UK-based operation. Zeljka Marosevic, formerly of Fourth Estate, will run Melville House UK. Dennis Johnson tells the Bookseller the unit “would at first concentrate on marketing its 60 frontlist titles, as well as selected backlist, distributed in Britain through Turnaround.” He hopes to hire an editorial director before the end of the year with the aim of “crafting a list distinct from that of the US company.” Abrams has partnered with Galison Publishing to launch a line of Wimpy Kid gift and stationery products. They will be made and marketed in coordination Galison’s Mudpuppy brand, […]
Google Said to End Print Versions of Frommer’s Guides
Former Frommers.com editor Jason Clampet reports that Google has discontinued issuing new Frommer’s travel guides in print. Starting with New York City with Kids guide that was scheduled for a February 19 publication, “the entire future list of Frommer’s titles will not see the light of day. Many of the authors attached to these 29 titles told Skift that they were informed by editors now working at Google that the books would not publish. Some authors were told that the books would merely be delayed before new contracts were signed. None of the authors contacted reported that their titles would […]