Just a day after Bloomberg reported that Amazon had expressed interest in acquiring communication tool Slack at a valuation of $9 billion or more, the etailer itself has announced a larger and more profound actual acquisition: They are buying Whole Foods Market, for cash, in a transaction valued at approximately $13.7 billion agreement, paying $42 per share. The deal is expected to close in the second half of the year. (Amazon is reported have over $21.5 billion in cash on their balance sheet as of earlier this year. There were rumors last year that the etailer was looking at buying WFM.) […]
Archives for June 2017
Soft December Leaves Trade Sales Slightly Down for 2016
The AAP released sales statistics for December and full-year 2016 (and yes, they are almost two months behind last year’s reporting schedule). The year finished with a decline in December, with low trade sales as well as higher revised sales data for December 2015. Sales registered $546 million — compared to a revised total of $602 million for December 2015 (which was originally reported a year ago at $585.5 million or just below flat compared to 2014). That put the final month of the year down 9.3 percent. Adult books saw declines in trade paperbacks, mass market, and ebooks; as […]
People, Etc.
Agency News Writers House is closing its London office, and managing director of Writers House UK Angharad Kowal has left the company as a consequence. Peggy Boulos Smith joined Writers House in New York as UK rights director, representing adult clients, and director of children’s subsidiary rights Cecilia de la Campa is handling the UK children’s business. Smith was previously global rights director at the Jane Rotrosen Agency. Meredith Miller has joined United Talent Agency as an agent and will direct their foreign rights department. Previously, she was associate director of foreign rights at Trident Media Group, where she worked for 6 […]
Bookselling: New Stores, Financial and Legal Updates
After closing last fall, Guide to Kulchur will reopen in Cleveland, OH this month as a bookstore with a “black box space” next door. Founder RA Washington told Cleveland Scene that, with the support of local foundation, he hopes to make the new enterprise a non-profit organization. In addition to bookselling, his goals for the non-profit include “providing books to prisoners; operating GTK Press, a small press for insurgent literature and marginalized voices; and curating speakers and performers in the black box space.” Neighborhood Reads is holding a grand opening in downtown Washington, MS today. And earlier this month, Brick & Mortar […]
People, Etc.
Tracy K. Smith was named Poet Laureate for 2017-2018, starting her role in September. Smith is the author three collections, including Life on Mars, which won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. The first laureate appointed by new Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, Smith is interested in using the position to reach a broad audience. Hayden said: “The fact that Tracy wants to go into rural areas and talk about poetry is such a great idea and something that really excited me because I think that’s the kind of thing we should be doing as an institution.” Smith succeeds Juan Felipe Herrera. […]
People, Etc.
At Abrams, Alexandra Calamela has joined as publicist for adult trade (previously she was publishing coordinator for Macmillan Audio). Hallie Patterson has joined as associate director of publicity for children trade (previously she was publicity and marketing manager for Hachette Book Group). Nicole Schaefer has been promoted to children’s marketing associate, while Gretta Hehre moves up to sales coordinator and will handle Scholastic Book Club accounts. Rachel Brooks has joined Book Ends Literary as agent, moving her client list with her. Previously she was at the L. Perkins Agency. At this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, Margaret Atwood will receive the German Book […]