In line with previous reports, the Bookseller reports — based on an ad submitted to the publication — that UK wholesaler Bertrams (and its subsidiaries Dawson Books and Education Umbrella) has been put up for sale. It’s being offered by Middleton Barton Valuation (MBV), a restructuring firm. Earlier in the month, the Sunday Times had reported that parent company Aurelius was preparing to appoint bankruptcy administrators for the wholesaler.
Archives for May 2020
For Corporate Subscribers
If you receive our publications through a company site license (and use an authorized, shared PM account) then we have important news about your email subscriptions. This new form now lets you customize among all three of our three email newsletters — Publishers Lunch Deluxe; Lunch Deluxe Weekly; and Daily Deals — and it will soon replace any previous method of enrolling for Daily Deals in particular. If you want to change your subscription preferences at a later time, please use the same form. It will overwrite and update your previous record. For individual PM members, we will have updated […]
Great Editors (and Fun): A PL Online Panel Presents Six Breakout Books
In conjunction with the new edition of our “convention in an ebook,” the Buzz Books 2020: Fall/Winter sampler of 30 great excerpts from forthcoming books, we are excited to invite you to our own version of the annual editors panel highlighting six breakout books and the editors who discovered them. Register now for the Publishers Lunch Buzz Books Presents (#LunchBuzz) Zoom panel and save the date for Wednesday, May 20 at 7 pm EDT. We’ve curated a mix of important debut fiction, potential breakouts from authors on the rise, and provocative nonfiction — and you can start reading all of the […]
Great Excerpts: The New Buzz Books 2020 Fall/Winter Samplers
With the season’s book events cancelled and digital promotion taking on a more important role than ever, today we launch two installments in the most successful sampler program in publishing: Buzz Books 2020 Fall/Winter and Buzz Books 2020: Romance. The Fall/Winter sampler presents excerpts from 30 highly anticipated fall titles, bringing together debut voices, beloved authors, breakout books, provocative nonfiction, and a selection of new YA titles as well. Plus, the anthology begins with a comprehensive preview from Publishers Lunch of hundreds of noteworthy Fall/Winter books to have on your radar. It’s all the fun and discovery of galley grabbing […]
People, Etc.
At Macmillan, Jackie Waggner has been promoted to director, national specialty retail; Joseph O’Leary to senior manager, sales operations; Anthony Jimenez to senior sales analyst; Leigh George to senior ebook account manager, US and international sales; Gretchen Fredericksen to assistant manager, publisher liaison; and Kathleen McCutcheon to sales coordinator for the adult merch team. Events The American Booksellers Association‘s town hall session and annual meeting — usually held in conjunction with Book Expo — will convene online on Thursday, June 11, starting at 2:00 PM. Sales News NPD Bookscan reported print sales for the week ending May 9, showing a strong […]
WH Smith High Street Profit and Sales Fell in Fiscal First Half — Then April Sales Dropped 74 Percent
WH Smith reported earnings for the six months ended February 29, 2020, with High Street sales of £315 million, down from £331 million — continuing their long, steady decline, this time down 5 percent overall, and 4 percent lower on a same-store basis. High Street profit was £44m in the period, compared to £48 million in 2019. “There was very little impact of COVID-19 on our first-half results, however, inevitably the performance in the second half will be very different,” said ceo Carl Cowling. In late March the chain closed about 60 percent of its High Street stores, along with […]