In advance of the June 1 publication of her still untitled new memoir, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton provided a slightly delayed closing keynote address at the AAP annual meeting on Wednesday. As Secretary Clinton made clear (and Carolyn Reidy confirmed), she writes her books herself — in longhand — and has already written many versions, but not the final one, of her June book. (Before closing her address Clinton suggested that S&S “is going to get very nervous about whether I can meet my next deadline” if she spoke too long; Reidy said she has “now read several […]
Archives for March 2014
AAP Chair Reidy Calls for “Concerted Effort” to Speak Out On Publishing’s Value
The Association of American Publishers (AAP) annual meeting began with an address from outgoing AAP board chair, Simon & Schuster ceo Carolyn Reidy. With the day’s program focused on the theme of “The Next Chapter in Protecting IP,” Reidy took note of the hearings underway in the House Judiciary Committee as part of a comprehensive review of US copyright law. While acknowledging that “passage of a new copyright act may not occur for years,” Reidy told her colleagues, “We must act now and sustain our commitment for the long haul if we want to assure that our interests, and those of […]
Forthcoming: Tolkien’s Beowulf, 88 Years Later; Grove/Atlantic Picks up @GSElevator
HarperCollins UK and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will release JRR Tolkien‘s translation of BEOWULF on May 22. The manuscript, long available in the archives of the Bodleian Library but never published, was first finished in 1926 “before he became professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford” according to his son Christopher, who edited the 2,000-page work for publication. “[JRR Tolkien] returned to it only for hasty and cursory correction in later years, yet much light would be shed on this translation in his University lectures that were expressly devoted to the text, and from them a commentary has been devised for this book,” […]
Some Hints on UK eBook and Self-Published Sales
In London, Nielsen presented 2013 data about the UK market from their Books & Consumers surveys at their annual conference. (They survey approximately 3,000 book buyers per month. Surveys are different from Nielsen Bookscan’s direct point-of-sale data, so bear that in mind when reading about these results.) They estimate based on their respondents that UK book sales totaled £2.2 billion in 2013, with ebooks comprising 25 percent of unit sales but only 13.5 percent of revenues, at £300 million. In their view, ebook sales rose 20 percent during the year. We had noted recently that consumer surveys are one tool […]
People, Etc.
Publishing Technology will promote chief operating officer of their online division Michael Cairns, who joined the company a year ago, to CEO, as of April 1. George Lossius had announced recently that he would step down as chief executive as the business “focuses more on business development and implementation.” Publishing Technology chairman Martyn Rose says in the announcement, “His market knowledge and expertise in digital publishing are unquestionable and his appointment gives the business continuity and a leader who will drive the business to deliver the next phase of our strategy.” The Robbins Office has appointed Aitken Alexander Associates in London as […]
Hastings Merger Would Pay Top Execs to Leave
A series of documents filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed buyout of retailer Hastings indicate that current ceo John Marmaduke and cfo Dan Crowe will “voluntarily retire from the company in exchange for” cash payments once the merger goes through. The agreements call for Marmaduke to receive $1.5 million after taxes (so closer to $2.6 million gross), and for Crowe to receive $750,000 after taxes. Both men agree to waive the current change in control clauses in their existing employment agreements. Chief operating officer Alan Van Ongevalle has agreed to stay on after the deal closes. The payout […]