Nielsen Bookscan issued final sales data for 2016, counting print book (and physical audio) sales of 674 million units through the outlets they track — compared to approximately 653 million units sold in 2015. But that comparison comes with an asterisk, since the service added tracking for Family Christian’s 259 stores at the beginning of 2016, without backfilling any historical data. On a gross level, the unit sales count was higher by 20.5 million, or 3.1 percent, but that includes the unspecified millions of units added by Family Christian. As noted last week, what is clear is that all of the increases and […]
Archives for January 2017
Bookselling: Another Amazon Store Planned for Paramus, NJ; BookMarc in Bangor, ME To Close
Following on the news that Amazon will open a physical bookstore in Manhattan’s Shops at Columbus Circle later this spring — in the same place where Borders had a store from 2003 through 2011 — the company announced plans to open its eighth store, in Paramus, NJ. BookMarc‘s in Bangor, ME will close on January 31 after 28 years in business. Owner Marc Berlin told the Bangor Daily News: “I’m ready to retire. You suddenly realize there are a lot of things you’d like to do. I’ve been putting it off for a couple of years. It’s been a very […]
People, Etc.
Dean Koontz, who has been without representation in his primary markets for years now, selected new literary agents a couple of months ago — now announced via Deadline: Richard Pine and Kim Witherspoon at Inkwell Management will serve as his primary agents, with Jon Liebman and Missy Malkin at Brillstein Entertainment representing his books for film and television. Koontz continues his longtime relationship with attorney Richard Heller at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz. In the UK, Diana Beaumont is leaving UTA and will join Marjacq Scripts, which completes the emptying out of UTA’s London office. The agency tells the Bookseller it is “pivoting its strategy in […]
Barnes & Noble Lays Another Holiday Egg
We are accustomed to mediocre holiday sales reports from Barnes & Noble, since the last time the bookseller recorded an actual gain in core, same-store holiday book sales was the 2011 season. But even by that low bar, BN outdid themselves in holiday disappointment this time around: Same-store sales for the nine-week holiday period decreased 9.1 percent — as online sales gained “approximately 2 percent.” The company didn’t try to pretend this was ok: “We were not pleased with our results,” ceo Len Riggio says in the release, and he really can’t blame this on the fired Ron Boire. Riggio […]
Mastai Tops February Indie Next List
For the second month in a row, a debut novel (and a title featured in our Buzz Books Fall/Winter edition) — All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai — tops the Indie Next list. The full February list includes: Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, by Kathleen Rooney The Girl Before, by J.P. Delaney The Impossible Fortress, by Jason Rekulak A Separation, by Katie Kitamura Behind Her Eyes, by Sarah Pinborough Perfect Little World, by Kevin Wilson Swimming Lessons, by Claire Fuller 4 3 2 1, by Paul Auster […]
People
Libby McGuire has joined The Gernert Company as an agent. Most recently she was publisher at Ballantine Bantam Dell, which she left a year ago. David Gernert said in the announcement: “Having worked with Libby for years I have no doubt that she will be a terrific, and terrifically successful, agent. And her vast experience in publishing will be helpful to us in a variety of ways.” McGuire added: “I have long admired the talent and strategy of The Gernert Company, so when I made the decision to become an agent, they were my first choice. I am thrilled to […]