Barnes & Noble Education reported second quarter sales on Tuesday morning, with persistent same-store sales weakness carrying over from the first quarter. The company blamed the “lower textbook and general merchandise sales” on “lower enrollments and a softer retail environment.” As a result, full-year expectations for EBITDA growth have been reduced to “mid-single digits” (from a prediction of a 12 percent increase a quarter ago) and same-store sales are now expected to decline 2 percent to 3 percent (previously put at flat to down 2 percent). After rising with the broader market since early November, BNED shares were down over 16 percent […]
Archives for December 2016
Abrams Withdraws Bad Little Children’s Book At Author’s Request
Recent articles in Book Riot (It’s Not Funny, It’s Racist) and the Huffington Post (…Isn’t Just Offensive, It’s Bad Comedy) that were amplified on social media led publisher Abrams to the withdraw the book under fire, Bad Little Children’s Books — “respecting the author’s request” to do. Initially, Abrams had responded online two days to support the book, saying: “It was never our intention as publisher, nor the author’s, to spread or support hateful messaging. Some reviewers and commenters on social media have taken elements of the book at face value, which, we believe, misses the point of the book […]
People, Etc.
Crawford Doyle Booksellers will close its Upper East Side store on January 10 after more than 21 years in business. In an email to customers, owners Judy Crawford, John Doyle, and Thomas Talbot explained the store exceeded expectations — “our hope was to operate the store for ten years.” The operation is “not going out of business” entirely, as Doyle will “continue to sell first editions of Modern American and British Literature and other unique volumes” at his library on 21 E. 90 Street. Awards PEN America is releasing its award longlists daily over the course of this week, beginning Monday with […]
More 2016 Picks
From year to year it’s always hard to tell how Barnes & Noble will name their top books of the year, but for now, the BN Review editors have highlighted 10 “books we think represent this year with particular significance — whether for their urgent attention to the moment we share, their fresh and illuminating point of view, or their achievement in breaking through the cacaphony with a singular voice.” (Separately, the BN Teen blog has picked 25 top YA books.) Blackass, by A. Igoni Barrett Here Comes the Sun, by Nicole Dennis-Benn Imagine Me Gone, by Adam Haslett Mercury, by Margot […]
Sharing
Thanks for all of the kind anniversary notes and wishes, which mean a lot to us. In case there’s anyone you would like to share PublishersMarketplace.com with, for the first 15 days of December we’re offering a promotional code that provides the first month of service for $15 (get it?): Friends and colleagues just need to use the code 1515 on the registration page to qualify.
EU Takes One More Step Towards Maybe Allowing Reduced Tax on eBooks Some Day
The European Union’s achingly slow battle over whether to allow ebooks the same potential for preferential sales tax treatment that print books are given has taken another expected steps towards potential resolution…some time in 2017. Or not. Following on a plan announced this spring, the European Commission has presented a formal proposal for a variety of tax rule revisions. Included in those extensive proposals is one on ebooks that “allow – but not oblige – Member States” to give ebooks (and digital newspapers, magazines, etc.) the same lower or nonexistent VAT status that they give currently to print books. But […]