Every year we check in on deal volume and pricing a couple of times ahead of the Frankfurt Book Fair. This season is a little unusual in that the Fair is a week later than usual this year, and Labor Day was late — perhaps delaying the beginning of the fall selling period. But for the month of September, which has been our consistent “first measure” for years, US deal volume lagged measurably. Last year we recorded 603 US deals in September, compared to 593 deals in 2013 — but this year, we posted only 506 deals during the month. US […]
Archives for October 2015
Shapiro Leads November Indie Next List
The ABA’s Indie Next list makes author of The Art Forger B.A. Shapiro’s follow-up effort The Muralist their No. 1 pick for November. Welcome to Night Vale, by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor Slade House, by David Mitchell An Old-Fashioned Christmas, by Ellen Stimson Dear Mr. You, by Mary-Louise Parker The Mare, by Mary Gaitskill The Improbability of Love, by Hannah Rothschild Carrying Albert Home, by Homer Hickam Home Is Burning, by Dan Marshall After Alice, by Gregory Maguire The Japanese Lover, by Isabel Allende Along the Infinite Sea, by Beatriz Williams Avenue of Mysteries, by John Irving The Lake House, by […]
Knopf Celebrates 100, Live and In Print
Yes, Knopf threw itself a grand party “in honor of its authors” — with over 200 of them in attendance — as well as a celebration of 100 years of publishing at the New York Public Library on Thursday night. The event was complete with a rented klieg light truck, six real borzoi dogs greeting guests at the door, a musical number from author of M Train Patti Smith, and even an exclusive after-party. But they are also celebrating with a hardcover book, provided to last night’s one thousand or more guests, that “offer[s] the simple facts of our century […]
People
Agent Linda Loewenthal is launching a new venture, The Loewenthal Company, effective October 12. Her new company is “dedicated to representing and offering authors personalized support and tools to develop their editorial visions, as well as their profiles and platforms.” She was an agent at the David Black Agency for 12 years, after 15 years as a publishing executive and editor. At Open Road, Philip Rappaport has been promoted to vice president, director of publishing partnerships. Former Oyster editorial director Kevin Nguyen confirmed on Twitter that he is now editorial director at Google Play Books. As planned since last December, Wiley chairman […]
People
Ann Ralph will retire from Simon & Schuster on October 30 after more than 45 years with the company, most recently as director of paper purchasing and inventory management. She began her career in the accounts payable department at Macmillan (acquired by S&S in 1994) and rose to her current position in 1988. Succeeding Ralph is Christian Grzancic, currently senior manager of paper purchasing and inventory management, and reporting to Joe Bulger. Bulger said of Ralph’s retirement: “Highly regarded among her peers in the industry, Ann has built an impressive network of relationships including vendors, paper brokers and mill personnel […]
October Bookseller Picks
Amazon’s spotlight pick for October is Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nutt and their featured debut is Mrs. Engels by Gavin McCrea, from the newly-launched publisher Catapult. The rest of their best books of October are: Pretty Girls, Karin Slaughter City on Fire, Garth Risk Hallberg Find a Way, Diana Nyad Six of Crows, Leigh Bardugo Thirteen Ways of Looking, Colum McCann The Last of the President’s Men, Bob Woodward The Devil’s Chessboard, David Talbot Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, Sarah Vowell My Kitchen Year, Ruth Reichl This month, there is almost no overlap between Amazon’s picks and the […]