Another two major headliners have joined the already-booked keynotes for our biggest-ever Digital Book World conference, set for January 13 through January 15, 2015 in New York (back at the lovely space in the New York Hilton). Amazon executive overseeing Kindle and other publishing-related ventures Russ Grandinetti will engage in a first-of-its-kind open on-stage conversation with Mike Shatzkin and Michael Cader. And bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, marketing guru and provocateur Seth Godin will provide a keynote speech, looking at “what’s possible and what’s important” for a variety of publishing players. Godin, who has been a traditionally-published and self-published author; a book […]
Archives for June 2014
Shareholders’ Suit Won’t Block Hastings Sale
At the end of last week, a Texas District Court judge rejected shareholders’ request for a preliminary injunction blocking the proposed buyout of Hastings by National Entertainment Collectibles. The court did not find “a substantial likelihood of success on the merits” for the plaintiffs, though this ruling does not block the shareholders’ lawsuit from going forward. It simply denies any expedited discovery, and means the suit will not prevent the merger from going forward. The court recognizes that “a judgment for money damages is a potential post-merger appraisal remedy.” Ruling
AAP and BISG to Drop Joint BookStats Project
The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) “voted not to renew” its agreement with the AAP to partner on the annual BookStats project going forward. The two will be releasing the 2013 statistics later this week, and today’s announcement does not affect that already collected data. The 2013 data will be the fourth and final installment. The AAP says in a statement that “as the agreement’s expiration approached, our organizations have had a series of conversations to discuss options and their decision does not come as a surprise.” BISG executive director Len Vlahos said in a separate statement, “As happens with all […]
People, Etc.
Jon Klassen‘s This is Not My Hat has won the UK’s Kate Greenaway medal, and Kevin Brooks’ The Bunker Diary was awarded the Carnegie medal. (The latter is not available in the US, which may present an opportunity — though it took a decade to publish this book about a kidnapped boy held hostage in a bunker, which the Telegraph calls an “unremittingly bleak account.”) Pat Strachan is no longer an editor at Little, Brown, where she worked since 2002, following the layoffs earlier this month. She can be reached at phstrachan@gmail.com. Kelly Rudolph has joined Harper as a publicity director, reporting to […]
Osprey Actively Seeking A Sale, Closes Exhibit A and Strange Chemistry Imprints
The Osprey Publishing Group, as part of a financial restructuring and “strategic review” of its holdings, is moving away from publishing fiction and actively seeking a sale of its non-core components — and may consider an outright sale of the whole company. The publisher will close its Exhibit A Books mystery thriller/imprint and Strange Chemistry young adult imprint immediately, “due mainly to market saturation,” according to a statement posted online. They said that those lines have “unfortunately been unable to carve out their own niches with as much success.” No further titles will be published by Exhibit A or Strange Chemistry, […]
People
Deputy publisher of Little, Brown Heather Fain has been appointed to the additional new position of svp, director of marketing strategy, a central marketing function within HBG. She will report to ceo Michael Pietsch for the new role, and he said of the appointment, “The publisher’s role as marketer has never been more important. In Heather’s 13 years at Little, Brown she has demonstrated constant innovation in marketing and superb partnership with editors, publicists, agents, and authors….. This new approach will allow us to raise our marketing to even greater heights.” The NYT speaks with literary agent Carmen Balcells and comes away with […]