As last week’s AAP statistics confirmed, children’s and YA publishing continues to be the driver of growth in publishing. For three years we have packed ballrooms for the biggest trade conference on children’s publishing, and on January 13, 2015 Publishers Launch Kids returns, once again kicking off three days of the Digital Book World Conference and Expo. We’ll look at the booming world of young adult fandom; examine the growing, kids-specific subscription models for home and school use that are different from the better-publicized adult book subscription players; and update on the increasingly successful efforts at personalizing children’s stories. Pete […]
Archives for September 2014
People, Etc.
Jim Childs will become publisher of Rowman & Littlefield’s trade publishing group on October 13, 2014. He is currently president of Time Home Entertainment and publisher of Oxmoor House, where he has been employed since 2007. Childs will oversee the growing portfolio which includes the Globe Pequot Press units acquired earlier in the year, working in their offices in Guildford, CT and New York. R&L ceo Jed Lyons says in the announcement, “He’s one of the savviest and most creative people in our industry. We are delighted Jim has decided to take on the challenge of running what is now the largest regional publisher of […]
Trade Stays Flat As Children’s Sales Remain Strong
The AAP released monthly sales statistics for both April and May, confirming a trend of flat overall trade sales propped up by a few children’s/YA market hits. Total trade sales for $491 million in April (up $4 million from a year ago) and $525 million in May (up $2 million). In March sales were down $1 million, after a strong January and February. Of slight additional concern is that sales were flat even with the influx of millions of dollars in use-it-or-lose-it credits from the publisher ebook legal settlements. Those credits landed in customer accounts at the end of March, […]
People
Eleanor Chang will retire at the end of this year after serving for 25 years as chief financial officer for the ABA. A search is underway for a replacement. CEO Oren Teicher says, “My predecessors and I have relied on Ellie to do so many things, and we are forever in her debt. She and I have worked together for 24 years, and not only has she been a valued and trusted colleague, she has also become my good friend. I will miss her. So will ABA.” At NYU Press, Eric Zinner has been promoted to associate director in addition […]
Bookselling: New Contract for Book Culture Employees; RiverRun Closes Maine Location; and More
Employees at Book Culture in Morningside Heights signed a three-year contract Wednesday night after a protracted summer-long fight over attempts to unionize that led to the dismissal of several employees, subsequently reversed. The NY Daily News reports the new deal includes higher wages, fixed raises and affordable health care. “Now everyone is super happy,” Cameron Addicott, one of five employees fired for casting pro-unionization votes (after which four were rehired) told the paper. “We’re able to get back to what we do best. There isn’t any worry in the work place. There’s that knowledge that you have that support.” The […]
ABA Names Indies Introduce Titles For Winter/Spring 2015
The ABA has chosen the ABA’s Winter/Spring 2015 Indies Introduce titles for debut adult fiction & nonfiction, YA, and children’s: Adult fiction: Black River by S.M. Hulse (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, January 20) Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper (Simon & Schuster, January 20) Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekback (Weinstein Books, January 27) Young Skins by Colin Barrett (Grove Atlantic, March 3, paperback) Soil by Jamie Kornegay (Simon & Schuster, March 10) The Valley by John Renehan (Dutton, March 10) Church of Marvels by Leslie Parry (Ecco, May 12) The Travels of Daniel Ascher by Deborah Levy-Bertherat […]