Last week the NYT ran a cheerful story on Indigo’s “ascendance” as a store that sells general merchandise to readers, and the opening of the first of a number of hoped-for US stores in New Jersey last year. CEO Heather Reisman is “already scouting locations for a second store near New York” and tells the paper, “We’ve been carving out our own approach to attracting readers.” She added, “We are the new guy,” then added, “Or new woman.” The profile is well deserved and any bookstore chain showing resilience is to be celebrated — but the touting of Indigo’s success […]
Archives for May 2019
AAP’s Young to Publishing Group to Resume After “Reset”
Questions emerged on social media last week over the status of the Association of American Publishers’ Young to Publishing group, which provides services and community for entry-level and junior industry employees, and appeared to have gone inactive. The committee’s website and Twitter have been dormant since December 2018, and on May 1, an admittedly “rogue” ex-committee member tweeted from the YPG account that, “We were all sad when AAP asked us to cease programming and communications at the end of 2018 for a ‘reset.'” The committee member added, “It’s unclear what AAP has planned for the future of this group, […]
People, Etc.
Independent Publishers Group announced a number of promotions: Alex Granato was promoted to editorial & subrights associate; Kristen Noon to senior A/R associate; Sam Ofman to senior publicist; Emily Parenti to content marketing coordinator; Stefani Szenda to marketing associate; Anna Torres to publisher development coordinator; Ethan Walles to A/P manager; Josh Williams to senior AQ editor; Clarissa Young to AQ Coordinator; and Jen Young to special sales rep. At their distribution center, Oskar Nogueda was promoted to print center supervisor and Mario Montenegro to replenishment coordinator. Gary Thompson has been promoted to director at Dead Reckoning. London’s Sunday Times had reported that poet […]
People, Etc.
Susan Graham has been promoted to agent at Einstein Literary Management, handling children’s and YA properties as well as adult sci-fi/fantasy. Jenny Lee will join Basic Books on May 6 as publicist. Most recently, she was a publicist at Crown. Michael Ploetz has joined DK as associate marketing manager, children’s. He was previously marketing & publicity Coordinator at Little Bee Books. Bookselling NYC’s Shakespeare & Co. will open a new location, its fourth, in Brookfield Place at 230 Vesey Street in lower Manhattan. The modest 2,300 square feet will still include an event space and a cafe.
Acquisitions: PRH Buys Salamandra, Scholastic’s Film Investment, and More
Already the world’s largest Spanish-language publisher, Penguin Random House continues to build on that position with another acquisition, agreeing to acquire Barcelona-based Ediciones Salamandra from Sigrid Kraus and Pedro del Carril. The company has over 500 authors on their list. Kraus will remain as publishing manager, “working closely” with PRH Grupo Editorial ceo Núria Cabutí. PRH ceo Markus Dohle underscores in the announcement, “Penguin Random House strongly believes in the global growth potential of the Spanish-language market, and we very much look forward to bringing Ediciones Salamandra’s authors to an even wider readership.” Pedro del Carril adds: “Of all the […]
Simon & Schuster Reports Sales and Profit Growth in Q1
CBS reported first quarter results on Thursday afternoon, with Simon & Schuster recording sales of $164 million, up $4 million from the prior year period, attributed to “higher print book sales.” Operating income continued the long-term trend of steady improvement, up $1 million to $17 million. This marks the company’s seventeenth consecutive quarter of growth in profits. Counted outside of operating income was a $5 million charge as part of a CBS-wide voluntary restructuring plan. Similar to Penguin Random House’s voluntary separation offer last year, the initiative was “a one-time offer” of a voluntary buyout “based on a formula having […]