The National Endowment for the Humanities has selected the first 36 recipients in their new Public Scholar program, which “supports well-researched books in the humanities conceived and written to reach a broad readership.” The initiative awards 6- and 12-month grants, paying writers $4,200 a month (resulting in grants worth $25,200 and $50,400). Among the recipients is Pulitzer winner Dianne McWhorter, for her long in-the-works book Moon of Alabama: The Space Race and Civil Rights in Post-WWII Huntsville. She tells the Washington Post, “How splendid that the NEH has decided to recognize hybrids like me — journalist-historians who combine the storytelling imperative of […]
Archives for July 2015
People, Etc.
At Tarcher, Joanna Ng has been promoted to associate editor. For Tarcher & Pergiee, Tyler Fields is being promoted to publicity and marketing coordinator. Amanda Roser has joined bluebottlebiz as marketing and communications manager, based in Boston. Awards The Romance Writers of America named the winners of their RITA and Golden Heart awards in 19 categories on Saturday night. Bookselling Barnes & Noble has agreed to open a new 18,000-square-foot store in 2017 as an anchor tenant in a new mall in Ashburn, VA, near Reston and part of the Washington, DC-metro area. Launched Former Elliott Bay Book Company bookseller and book critic at […]
Briefs: Another Pearson Sale, RCS to Meet on Mondadori Offer, and More
Following their big £844 million sale of the FT to Nikkei, Pearson acknowledged over the weekend that they are in talks with the co-owners of The Economist about selling their 50 percent stake in that organization as well. A Bloomberg source says that separate sale could yield another £400 million for Pearson. Separately, The Bookseller reports that Harper UK has negotiated a new sales agreement with Amazon, though they have no details. Italy’s RCS will discuss the buyout offer from Mondadori for their book publishing division at their July 30 board meeting to review the first-half 2015 results, La Republicca reported. […]
Currency Lifts Pearson
Following their big news Thursday on the sale of the FT Group to Nikkei, Pearson reported half-year 2015 results on Friday morning. (Bloomberg gets detailed background on the FT sale process, and says that Nikkei’s final bid — £100 million more than Axel Springer’s offer — topped Pearson’s own asking price of £800 million.) Pearson’s sales of £2.157 billion were up 5 percent versus $2.047 billion a year ago, and up a slimmer 1 percent on a currency neutral basis. The company stands by its earlier guidance for full-year results. Adjusted operating profit from continuing operations was down £1 million to […]
Amazon Customers Receive A Little Extra In eBook Settlement Credits
Although the original ebook settlement credits funded by the five settling publishers expired this spring, on Thursday many Amazon customers were notified of new, additional small credits issued to their accounts in connection with those same settlements. As the notices indicate, “This credit is in addition to the credit that you received from these settlements in March 2014.” Like the earlier credits, the new ones are provided on a use-it-or-lose-it basis, and any unused credits will expire in about a year, on July 31, 2016. These new credits come from a revision of the methodology that determined how much compensation […]
People, Etc.
Kaplan ceo Thomas Leppert has resigned, effective August 21, and will be replaced by Andrew Rosen, chairman of Kaplan and evp of its owner Graham Holdings Company. Lepper joined Kaplan in 2013 and “led the expansion of Kaplan’s highly successful international business and a turnaround at Kaplan Test Prep.” Chairman of the parent company Donald Graham said Leppert “has been a huge contributor to every aspect of Kaplan’s worldwide business. We are sorry to lose Tom, but understand why he wanted to leave; the pace of change at Kaplan will continue.” He adds, “No one knows Kaplan and its people better than Andy does.” Jeffrey […]