Armed with the biggest purse in town, Penguin Random House announced late Tuesday that the company has acquired world rights to two forthcoming books, one by former president Barack Obama and one by former first lady Michelle Obama. The announcement was made under the name of ceo Markus Dohle, who according to PRH employees stayed in New York to finalize negotiations and was not at the company’s sales conference in Florida. (Update: We misunderstood; Mr. Dohle has indeed been at sales conference. People were indicating he might have missed out on some meetings during the negotiations, but a spokesperson attested to his “engagement…at […]
Archives for February 2017
Auction for The Obamas’ Books Said to Pass $60 Million
By Tuesday afternoon bidding for world rights to a package of two books, one by Barack Obama and one by Michelle Obama, had reached over $60 million, according to multiple sources talking to the FT. Penguin Random House has always been considered the leading contender — and has the biggest pocket on the block. The FT says Simon & Schuster and Macmillan have paired to make a joint bid (and one rumor has Oprah Winfrey’s imprint as the Macmillan part of the offer), with Harper bidding as well. They don’t list HBG as a known active bidder. By their account […]
People, Etc.
Margaux Weisman has joined Vintage/Anchor as editor. Previously she was an associate editor at William Morrow. At Sourcebooks, Tiana Marzette has been promoted to inside sales representative. Brad Sharp has been promoted to director of manufacturing at Bookmasters. Jennifer Schaper has joined Duke University Press as sales manager. Previously she was senior manager for international rights at Perseus Books Group. When Douglas Brinkley‘s book THE UNRAVELED TALES OF BOB DYLAN was first announced in 2012 it was one of two books signed for Johnny Depp’s “imprint” at HarperCollins Infinitum Nihil — expected for publication in 2015. Brinkley is finally working on the […]
Riggio’s MBS Sold to Barnes & Noble Education for $174 Million
The privately-held MBS Textbook Exchange, majority owned by Len Riggio and other Riggio family members, has been sold to Barnes & Noble Education — which also used to be privately owned by the Riggio family, and where the Riggios currently hold about 16 percent of shares — for $174.2 million in cash. For the fiscal year ending August 31, 2016, MBS had sales of $500 million and EBITDA of approximately $54.7 million. BNED management expects the purchase to be accretive to earnings in fiscal 2018 and “deliver operational synergies over time.” A used textbook wholesaler, which also sells new and used […]
Reliability of “Pill City” Author Questioned Further With NYT Unable to Corroborate Reporting
Questions continue to mount about the veracity of the reporting in Kevin Deutsch’s PILL CITY, published earlier this month, after the New York Times writes that it was unable to corroborate claims and locate sources in a separate story Deutsch published in the paper last December. That story, on how fentanyl is outpacing heroin use on Long Island, was confirmed for the “main facts and thrust” in an editors’ note over the weekend, but the NYT could not “locate or confirm the existence of the two people who were named and quoted.” Deutsch insisted his reporting was accurate, as were […]
Bookselling: Amazon Opens In Dedham, Waterstones Criticized for Modest Stores “Posing” As Indies
Amazon’s previously-announced 5,800-square-foot bookstore at Legacy Place in Dedham, MA will open on Tuesday, after holding a preview on Saturday. As previously announced, this is Amazon’s first bookstore to open on the East Coast (and fourth to open so far), with at least three more “coming soon” in Lynnfield, MA; Paramus, NJ; and Manhattan’s Columbus Circle. Waterstones is receiving criticism in British media for small-town bookstores they have opened over the past 3 years, charged with “posing as independent bookshops to avoid the backlash against the homogenization of Britain’s high streets,” the Guardian writes. The stores, which are in Rye, Southwold and Harpenden, notify customers of their corporate affiliation with […]