Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, 82, “one of Africa’s most widely read novelists and one of the continent’s towering men of letters,” died after a brief illness, according to agent Andrew Wylie. His THINGS FALL APART is said to have sold over 8 million copies and been published in more than 50 languages. HarperCollins svp, publishing transformation Carolyn Pittis is leaving the company on March 29 after more than two decades to work as a private change management consultant. In her time at Harper Pittis served a number of roles, from book production, managing editorial, business development, and sales to consumer forecasting and supply chain management, […]
Archives for March 2013
Scholastic Sales and Profits Fall Again As They Cut Full-Year Sales Projections
Scholastic reported results for the third quarter ending February 28 and as with the second quarter, overall sales fell 18.5 percent to $380.5 million, and profits declined further. The company reported a net loss of $20.1 million (or 63 cents a share) as compared to a loss of $10.3 million (or 32 cents a share) a year ago, largely because of “significantly lower sales” of the Hunger Games trilogy. Those sales continued to decline even faster than Scholastic was expecting. Scholastic also blamed the overall revenue and profit declines on “a planned increase in investments in digital initiatives” and pointed […]
People: St. Martin’s Reorganizes Marketing and Publicity Teams
St. Martin’s Press is reorganizing its marketing and publicity departments into four core groups as part of a move from “format-driven orientation to an audience-and-category-focused orientation.” The groups will be made up of SMP’s current marketers, publicists and digital marketers, each working on a specific set of genre groups. Anne Marie Tallberg has been named vp, marketing, communications & audience development leading a group focusing on women’s fiction/romance/young adult/parenting/self-help/health-fitness-diet/crafts. Dori Weintraub will serve in the same executive capacity, leading a group focusing on women’s fiction/literary fiction/biography-memoir. Lisa Senz will has been named vp, marketing and partnerships, and will continue as […]
Wiley, AAP Express Disappointment in Supreme Court Kirtsaeng Decision
A day after the Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision and sided with the defendant in John Wiley’s case against Supap Kirtsaeng, saying first sale doctrine does apply to overseas sales, the news has begun to sunk in, and reactions range from praise to criticism. Wiley ceo Stephen Smith expressed disappointment in the Supreme Court ruling against the company, calling it “a loss for the U.S. economy, and students and authors in the U.S. and around the world.” In its statement about the Kirtsaeng decision, the AAP also said it was disappointed the ruling “ignores broader issues critical to America’s […]
Trade Paperbacks Boost Adult Trade November AAP Numbers, With Overall eBook Sales at 18 Percent
The AAP released their monthly StatShot report for November 2012, showing flat trade sales overall but a small spike in the growth of ebooks–which comprised 18.1 percent of all trade revenues in the month. Adult trade sales of $434.5 million were up $9.6 million from a year ago. Adult hardcovers declined 21.5 percent, at $155.6 million, while trade paperbacks were up 20.6 percent at $116.9 million (though virtually flat compared to October numbers.) As in October, eBooks comprised the third-largest segment for adult books, at $94.8 million — but was just a 20.7 percent increase over $78.5 million a year […]
People, Etc.
Anthony Mattero has joined Foundry Literary + Media as an agent. Previously he worked with with Vigliano Associates and west-coast based literary and talent agency, Renaissance. Benjamin Alire Saenz has won the PEN/Faulkner Award for his short story collection EVERYTHING BEGINS AND ENDS AT THE KENTUCKY CLUB (Cinco Puntes Press). Saenz will receive the $15,000 prize at an awards ceremony in Washington DC on May 4. Books editor at the Kansas City Star from 2000-2009 John Mark Eberhart, 52, died March 19 after a long bout with cancer. Eberhart also published two volumes of poetry, NIGHT WATCH and BROKEN TIME. […]