Simon & Schuster announced that its entire ebook backlist, comprising over 10,000 titles, is available now through two of the leading ebook subscription services, Scribd and Oyster. The publisher’s participation “is global and will include backlist ebooks from Simon & Schuster companies worldwide, with ebooks made available to consumers in all countries where Simon & Schuster holds ebook rights, and where Oyster and Scribd offer their subscription services to consumers.” Books for S&S are customarily considered backlist one year after initial publication, and up to six months later if there is a second print publication. CEO Carolyn Reidy says in the announcement, “Consumers have […]
Archives for May 2014
Smashwords Pairs with OverDrive, txtr
Smashwords announced two deals this week: 200,000 of their titles will be available for sale to libraries worldwide through OverDrive. To make things easier for librarians, the two are also “creating curated lists of Smashwords bestsellers and popular genres,” offering for sale collections of the top 100, 500 or 1,000 bestselling Smashwords authors. Separately, 250,000 Smashwords ebooks will become part of txtr’s international ebook catalog.
Coming Soon: Jane Fonda’s Debut Novel
After two bestselling memoirs, most recently Prime Time in 2011, Jane Fonda has been writing her debut novel, AMANDA’S SECRETS. She mentioned the book inadvertently in a recent Hollywood Reporter interview at the Cannes Film Festival. Bob Levine at Levine, Plotknin & Menin tells us he plans to submit the project to publishers next month. “About 60 percent of the manuscript is done,” Levine says, along with an outline for the balance of the novel. Fonda told THR, “Writing a novel scares me,” adding, “I’ve never done it, so I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to do it.'” They are not describing the […]
The Class of 14
The best way to actually “buzz” about books at BEA is by sampling the work itself, and that’s the original reason we created our successful, now year-round Publishers Lunch Buzz Books program two years ago. While we can’t tell you for certain which of the latest group of titles are this year’s The Yellow Birds, The Light Between Oceans, The Orchardist, The Rosie Project, Burial Rites, or The Woman Who Lost Her Soul our track record is clear: Many of the titles excerpted exclusively in Buzz Books 2014: Fall/Winter are going to populate lists of the best books of the […]
Sales Rise At Bloomsbury, As Profit Softens
Bloomsbury reported results for their fiscal year ending February 28, with sales rising 11 percent of £109.5 million, but profit after tax of £9.5 million was down slightly (from £9.8 million the year before). All three major publishing divisions — adult trade; children’s and educational; and academic & professional — showed gains during the year, which “mitigated a fall in higher-margin rights and services revenues.” Those sales fell 26 percent to £8.5 million, with “fewer [copyright licensing] deals completed and at lower amounts.” Digital sales overall rose by 21 percent to £12.2 million, and now comprise 12.1 percent of revenues […]
People, Etc.
Jennifer Gonzalez will take on the responsibilities of the open role of vp, adult merchandise sales at Macmillan formerly held by Steve Kleckner. At the same time, Gonzalez will retain her current role as vp, children’s sales — taking the new title of vp, merchandise and children’s sales. President of the sales division Alison Lazarus says, “Jenn has done a phenomenal job with our children’s books for MCPG, Tor and our distribution clients and has already been overseeing sales of those titles into the merchandise channel. Adding our adult books to her role is a natural fit and allows us to have one point of sales management […]