After all the minor stories about Hillary Clinton’s forthcoming book HARD CHOICES — including meta-stories about the management of the rollout and the willingness of the media to bite for each nibble offered — it’s Simon & Schuster’s corporate brethren at CBS News that “purchased a copy at a bookstore” and broke the June 10 embargo. Clinton addresses the earlier negotiations over the release of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, writing, “I acknowledged, as I had many times before, that opening the door to negotiations with the Taliban would be hard to swallow for many Americans after so many years of war.” […]
Archives for June 2014
Legal: Judge Cote Says Apple Faces State Civil Penalties, Expresses Sympathy For Separate Case from Small eBook Retailers
On Thursday Judge Denise Cote issued two separate opinions that solidified her stance against Apple and expressed her opinion that the company’s actions also harmed third-party ebook retailers, even as she stressed they may have difficulty proving their case. In a 45-page opinion, Cote ruled Apple should face state civil penalties in addition to the treble damages expected to be awarded after a trial in August 25. She reasoned “the ‘reprehensibility’ of Apple’s participation in the price fixing conspiracy is proportional to the penalties sought” and that “Apple has expressed no recognition that its conduct was wrongful, suggesting a lack […]
Hachette Book Group Announces Layoffs
Approximately 28 employees were let go by Hachette Book Group on Thursday (which termed the cutbacks as about 3 percent of total staff, without indicating an exact number), according to people familiar with internal announcement. Reductions were made throughout the company, rather than focused on any particular department, and they included some well-known longtime employees and people at the vice president level, plus at least three well-known, longstanding editors. (Per our informal policy, we’re inclined to only list names if people want their departures known.) While the job cuts will be viewed in the context of the current standoff with Amazon — and are likely […]
Nook Commits to 1 Million Samsung Tablets
Following the Thursday announcement that Nook will sell co-branded Samsung tablets through Barnes & Noble, the bookseller indicated in an SEC filing they have made a “minimum purchase commitment during the first twelve months…of 1 million devices.” If “certain sales thresholds” are not met by December 31, that term is extended to 15 months. Samsung has also “agreed to fund a marketing fund,” and the overall commercial agreement between the two parties last for two years. Barnes & Noble ceo Mike Huseby has a lengthy phone interview posted with Geekwire. “It’s important to understand these are co-branded devices,” he says. “They’re customized […]
Europe’s Anti-Trust Authorities “Looking Into” Hachette/Amazon Dispute
EU investigations are generally slow, even by government standards, but in the case of disputes between publishers and Amazon over terms, the Competition Commission is taking a rare lead, at least in terms of inquiry. Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told reporters in London in an aside that “we are trying to understand what’s going on there. We are looking into this and trying to understand.” The short Reuters piece focuses on Amazon and French-based Hachette/Lagardere, but if they are looking into steps taken by Amazon to influence terms negotiations, it’s logical that they might talk to Bonnier about their experiences in Germany […]
People, Etc.
Eimear McBride won the Women’s Prize for Fiction for her novel A GIRL IS A HALF-FORMED THING, published by Galley Beggar Press in the UK and by Coffee House Press in the US in September. Prize chair Helen Fraser called the novel “an amazing and ambitious first novel that impressed the judges with its inventiveness and energy. This is an extraordinary new voice – this novel will move and astonish the reader.” Carl Bromley will join The New Press as editorial director. Previously he was editorial director at Nation Books. In addition, Marc Favreau has been promoted to executive editor. […]