We are calling the voting final a little early this year for our comprehensive aggregation of the very best books of the year since so many of the “best of 2015” lists have already run (with an asterisk for USA Today, which is still holding out for the very end of the year; post updated later to include USA Today’s top 10). Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates is the clear winner of “book of the year” honors, taking more votes than any book since we started these compilations many years ago (surpassing Katherine Boo’s record of 29 picks), […]
Archives for December 2015
Trade Sales Fell Back In August
After strong reports for June and July, AAP-reported book sales fell sharply in August, on a comparable basis. Total sales of $544.4 million were about even with July’s shipments, but they were well below sales of $604.2 million for the same month in 2014, down 10 percent. (August is traditionally the kickoff month for shipping in fall books.) The current report is more in line with August sales from 2013 (at $549 million), and we note that the comparison is exaggerated since the AAP has revised upwards the historical August 2014 sales — which were reported as $585 million initially […]
Seasons Executive Greetings
In keeping with tradition, publishing ceos are thanking employees and celebrating the year’s accomplishments through year-end letters. Simon & Schuster ceo Carolyn Reidy writes that, “despite today’s challenging retail environment, with two weeks remaining in December we are well positioned to surpass last year’s financial performance, a tribute to the passion and effort put forth by all of you across the company and throughout the year.” Among 2015’s triumphs at the company, “We have created and perfected-in short order and at multiple imprints within the company-a successful business publishing digitally savvy YouTube personalities and entrepreneurs…. With each successive book throughout the […]
People, Etc.
At the Random House Publishing Group, Sanyu Dillon, Theresa Zoro, Susan Kamil, and Scott Shannon have all been promoted to executive vice president — comprising the executive leadership team, along with existing evps Bill Takes and Kara Welsh (whose announcement as publisher Ballantine Bantam Dell was noted Thursday) . RHPG president and publisher Gina Centrello said in the announcement: “Through our many organizational evolutions and publishing expansions, these exceptional people have helped me create an unparalleled publishing strategy for the division, while expertly managing their respective departments. Individually and collectively, they are the best of the best in the business, and I […]
2015: The Year in Lawsuits
For years now the future of publishing has been driven by litigation as much as innovation. While 2015 leaves a couple of key cases right near the edge of resolution — the biggest question is whether the Supreme Court will agree to hear Apple’s appeal of the ebook antitrust ruling (the odds of the Court taking any case are very low, though legal experts guess that if the justices take the case, they are likely to find for Apple) — we may be coming to the end of the “digital dispute decade,” at least in the US. But in time-warped Europe, market concentration […]
People, Etc.: Welsh to BBD As Publisher, and More
Kara Welsh will join Ballantine Bantam Dell as executive vice president, publisher on January 19, reporting to Gina Centrello. Previously Welsh was svp, publisher at the Berkley Publishing Group, after joining NAL as publisher in 2001. Reporting to Welsh are svp, associate publisher and editor-in-chief Jennifer Hershey, and svp, deputy publisher Kim Hovey. Centrello said in the announcement: “Kara and I both began our publishing careers at Pocket Books, where she rose to vice president, deputy publisher. I loved working with her. Each day, she demonstrated her can-do, solutions-centric publishing sensibility, her open, collaborative, calm work ethic, and her advocacy […]