With Books-a-Million stock languishing since last summer, trading for around $1.70 a share, on Thursday evening the controlling Anderson family offered again to buy out the other shareholders and take the company private. The non-binding proposal from executive chairman Clyde Anderson on behalf of the family offers $2.75 a share for the shares. In April […]
Archives for January 2015
Simon & Schuster’s North Star Way Division Promises Expanded Suite of Services
Simon & Schuster has launched North Star Way, a new publishing unit focused on practical nonfiction that the company says “will offer authors an expanded suite of profile-building, ancillary services that extend beyond the boundaries of traditional publishing.” Bringing books to market starting in spring 2016, it is lead by vp, publisher Michele Martin. She reports to Scribner […]
People, Etc.
Random House’s ambassador to independent booksellers Ruth Liebmann “will expand her role to provide the same critical support to the Penguin Publishing Group with our independent booksellers as she does currently for the Random House divisions.” She takes on the broader title of vp, account marketing, Penguin Random House (and she maintains her oversight of the […]
Amazon Has Slow Media Growth, But Slight Earnings Improvement Drives Stock
The sometimes inexplicable world of Amazon performance metrics continues. The company reported fourth quarter sales on Thursday after the close of the market, with relatively modest growth — up 15 percent to $29.33 billion, below analysts’ expectations of $29.7 billion. But their meager net income of seven-tenths of one percent — $214 million, or 45 […]
Caldwell’s The Fifth Gospel, A PL Buzz Book, Tops March Indie Next List
The preview version of the March Indie Next List has The Fifth Gospel by Ian Caldwell as indie booksellers’ No. 1 selection for the month. An exclusive pre-publication excerpt is available to read right now in our just-released Buzz Books 2015: Spring/Summer, if you have not downloaded your copy yet. The rest of the list […]
People, Etc.
Derek Stordahl is promoted to evp, Bloomsbury USA with responsibility for Bloomsbury’s performance across their academic and trade businesses; he was previously head of sales. Cristina Gilbert is promoted to vp, sales and marketing for Bloomsbury’s US adult and children’s divisions. Alex Glass has formally announced his new literary agency, Glass Literary Management, formed late […]