Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult is the top selection of ABA booksellers for October. Their list also includes A Deadly Wandering by Matt Richtel, included in our Publishers Lunch Fall/Winter Buzz Books. You can download our free sampler from any ebookstore (or from the Buzz home page) to read substantial excerpts from Richtel’s book and all other included authors right now. The full Indie Next list is: #1: Leaving Time: A Novel, by Jodi Picoult The Paying Guests, by Sarah Waters Nora Webster: A Novel, by Colm Tóibín On Immunity: An Inoculation, by Eula Biss Good Grief: Life in a […]
Archives for September 2014
Creative Homeowner Sold to Fox Chapel
After years of declining sales and operating losses, Courier Corporation has finally sold “certain of its Creative Homeowner publishing assets” to Fox Chapel Publishing, including “more than 100 active titles in home design, home improvement, landscaping and gardening.” The sale price was not disclosed for now (though likely will be in Courier’s next quarterly report). Creative Homeowner has suffered recently as their “largest distribution customer” went out of business earlier this year, resulting in an $825,000 write-off and reduced sales. And CH has suffered for years due to the economy, and loss of business at other key outlets from Borders to Home Depot. Courier […]
Amazon Adds KDP For Kids
Amazon has officially launched a KDP Kids initiative that provides authors access to a Kindle Kids’ Book Creator to help create files for illustrated children’s books “that take advantage of Kindle features like text pop-ups.” The new software is offered as a download for both Mac and PC that Kindle svp Russ Grandinetti says in the release their new tool “makes it easy. In addition to helping authors craft their books, we’re helping customers find them with things like age and grade range filters.” A little more description is posted here.
People: Layoffs At USA Today Claim Longtime Book Reporter/Reviewer
Layoffs at USA Today on Wednesday eliminated approximately 25 editorial jobs, including that of longtime Books section reporter and reviewer Bob Minzesheimer. He can be reached at bookbobminz@yahoo.com. He has written about books and authors since 1997. In other news, Natasha Alexis and Lana Popovic have joined Chalberg & Sussman as agents. Both were previously at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth, where Alexis supported business affairs and Popovic managed international rights. Former vp, publisher of Oxford University Press’s trade division Ellen Chodosh has been named publisher of NYU Press, effective September 15. She succeeds Steve Maikowski, who retired in May after 13 […]
Sony Hires Doherty As Literary Development Executive
Sony Pictures has hired Ballantine Bantam Dell senior editor Ryan Doherty for the newly-created position of vp, literary development, based in Sony’s New York headquarters. Doherty will pursue “book-to-film-and-television opportunities for all content divisions across Sony Entertainment” and the hire is designed to “deepen and expand the studio’s efforts in these areas.” President of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group Doug Belgrad says in the announcement, “By bringing Ryan in to this new executive position in New York, we are strengthening our commitment to finding the highest quality and most commercial source material for each of our divisions. Ryan is a […]
McIntosh to Lead Penguin Adult Publishing As Kennedy Exits Later This Year; Malaviya and Updike Promoted
Penguin Random House US president and coo Madeline McIntosh will take over responsibility for all adult publishing at the Penguin Group as president of a newly-created, consolidated Penguin Publishing Group. The previous division between the Penguin and Berkley/NAL groups will go away as the two are united “under a single guiding vision and leadership structure,” Penguin Random House ceo Markus Dohle writes. He says, “the time is right to create a one-leader management structure for the entire Penguin adult business, while also maintaining the identity of each of its individual publishing imprints.” With McIntosh’s appointment, Penguin Group president Susan Petersen Kennedy […]