With Bertelsmann’s half-year report from this morning, we now have all of the major public reporting for trade publishing companies for the first six months of the year (even though the AAP has not gotten past February so far). Below is a summary view, though for nearly every company we could append a number of special notes. The overall trend shows modest declines in revenues, as rising print sales in the US — up 5.7 percent in units, or 16.4 million books, in outlets measured by Nielsen Bookscan — could not make up for declining ebook sales. Currency exchange and M&A […]
Archives for August 2016
People
At INScribe Digital, Larry Norton has been promoted to evp, general manager, running the business for the new owner, IPG. He succeeds Anne Kubek, who as previously reported is leaving the company as part of the planned transition. Maris Kreizman has joined the Book-of-the-Month Club as editorial director. Most recently she was publishing outreach lead at Kickstarter. Bloomsbury’s head of visual arts publishing and academic, USA Kathryn Earle will take on the new position of managing director of the Digital Resources Division. Head of digital Matt Kibble will report to her, and she will report to managing director of Bloomsbury academic and professional Jonathan Glasspool. Kristin […]
Sales and Profit Down More Than 10 Percent At Penguin Random House
Bertelsmann reported results for the first half of 2016 on Wednesday morning, with book publisher Penguin Random House recording sales of €1.516 billion (down €181 million, or 10.7 percent, from a year ago), including the wholly-owned RH Germany. EBITDA fell in line with sales, down 10.6 percent to €185 million (or €22 million lower than the same period a year ago.) Those declines came despite persistent strength in the US dollar, which drove the division’s big topline gains in 2015. The average US dollar exchange rate for the first half was 1.1161, compared to 1.1152 a year ago. The British pound did slide […]
People, Etc.
At Chronicle Books, Deanne Katz has been promoted to assistant editor, food and lifestyle. At Soho Press, Abby Koski has been promoted to senior publicist, while Rudy Martinez moves up to senior marketing manager. Stephany Daniel has joined Sourcebooks as publicist. Previously she was she was publicity and marketing coordinator at Shambhala Publications. In addition, Sabrina Hill joins as project editor. Previously she worked as a project manager at Corporate Translations, Inc. Awards The winners of this year’s Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Awards are Lina María Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas and Danielle Geller (nonfiction), Jamey Hatley, Ladee Hubbard, and Asako Serizawa (fiction) […]
Penguin Random House Provides Free Digital Reads to NYC Subway Riders
For the next eight weeks, New York City subway riders can download free short stories and 175 book excerpts offered by Penguin Random House. It’s part of PRH’s “Subway Reads” promotion, in partnership with the MTA, “celebrating the installation of free wireless connectivity in more than 175 underground subway stations.” The NYT notes that, “Transit officials approached Penguin Random House…because it had run a similar e-book promotion in the London Underground last year, celebrating Penguin’s 80th anniversary. Transit officials said they were open to other platforms from publishers, and platforms for more than books — anything to draw passengers to the Wi-Fi […]
People, Etc.
At Mira, Margot Mallinson has been promoted to editorial coordinator. At Random House Children’s, Hanna Lee has joined the digital marketing team as content producer after working for the company as a freelancer, and Julianne Conlon has joined the same team as associate manager. She was a social media specialist at Dealer.com. Awards Bookseller A.S. Patric won Australia’s Miles Franklin Award for his debut novel, Black Rock White City. The September Pennie’s Pick at Costco is Louise Penny‘s A Great Reckoning.