Macmillan has realigned Picador, making it a unit of Farrar, Straus & Giroux. The imprint will no longer publish trade paperback originals as of April 2019, and in connection with the changes publisher Stephen Morrison is leaving the company on July 31. Executive director of publicity for Picador James Meader will run the line going forward as associate publisher, reporting to incoming FSG publisher Mitzi Angel in September. Meader will also have a dotted line to Holt publisher Steve Rubin (and Meader has also served as a publicist-at-large for Holt since 2012). Morrison had reported to both Jonathan Galassi and […]
Archives for July 2018
Scholastic Has Stable Finish to Soft Year
Scholastic reported results for the fiscal fourth quarter and full year ending May 31, with a stable finish to a year that suffered from comparison to the “prior year’s outstanding success of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” as well as some significant one-time charges. Fourth quarter sales of $496.2 million were down $3.4 million, but operating income of $73.9 million gained $9.6 million versus a year ago. Consolidated trade sales were $45.8 million, up $2.5 million (or 6 percent) for the quarter. Operating income in the larger children’s book publishing and distribution segment — which includes book clubs and book fairs […]
Briefs: Skyhorse Distribution Moves to S&S
Simon & Schuster will distribute Skyhorse in the US and most markets around the world starting January 1, 2019. Previously, it was distributed by Two Rivers Distribution/Ingram Publishers Services. Skyhorse will continue to be distributed in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son and in South Africa by Peter Hyde & Associates. Skyhorse president and publisher Tony Lyons said in the announcement: “With our increasingly commercial list, we think this new association with Simon & Schuster is a perfect fit for Skyhorse. Their commitment to and expertise in delivering first-rate distribution services will provide a critical framework for further growth.” He also […]
Briefs: Bloomsbury In Line with Expectations, Atavist Was Sold
Bloomsbury issued a brief trading update on the first four months of their fiscal year, through June 30, still “in line with its expectations” for the year. Sales were up 3.7 percent with the recently-acquired IB Tauris — and 2.1 percent without two months of Tauris’s sales. The company said they had “a particularly strong result in the adult division.” Catching up on some news from June, we note that Atavist was acquired by Automattic (the owner of WordPress.com owner). The deal included Atavist’s proprietary content management system, along with digital Atavist Magazine. Automattic had acquired digital publisher Longreads in 2014. […]
People, Etc.
The situation at Bonnier Publishing in the UK remains tumultuous, as managing director of the Kings Road Publishing line Ben Dunn has resigned, the Bookseller reports, with the company saying it is not replacing him “at the moment.” The turnover began in February when group ceo Richard Johnson stepped down after 9 years following a year of “lagging” sales and “write-offs.” In March they closed their Australian children’s publishing arm and laid off 35 people. Chief operating officer Sharon Parker announced at the beginning of June she would leave in October after 20 years with the company and earlier this week […]
People, Etc.
Lauren Lauzon has been promoted to marketing associate at William Morrow. At Coffee House Press, Nica Carrillo has been promoted to marketing and sales manager. Mandy Medley has been promoted to publicity director. In Italy, Francesco Anzelmo has been promoted to publishing director of the Mondadori flagship imprint. Awards John Irving has won the 2018 Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, honoring “writers whose works use the power of literature to foster peace, social justice, and global understanding.” The award will be presented at Dayton Literary Peace Prize gala on October 28. Imprints Joel Fotinos‘s new line will be called […]