Kobo has launched their subscription reading service Kobo Plus in Canada, three and a half years after starting with subscriptions in Holland and Belgium. The company notes, “Rakuten Kobo recognizes books as the next frontier for subscriptions in Canada. Further, Kobo has seen demand for this service in global markets.” It is priced at $9.99 a month (CA). They say that in Holland, the program brought new readers and customers to digital (or at least to their service): “60 per cent of the country’s Kobo Plus subscribers had never before purchased an a-la-carte eBook from Kobo.” They say it has […]
Archives for July 2020
People, Etc.: Lucas to Run Pantheon and Schocken
Executive Director of the National Book Foundation Lisa Lucas will take over Pantheon and Schocken Books as svp, publisher — though not until “completing her work with the NBF at the end of 2020.” She will report to Reagan Arthur, who says in the announcement, “When I thought about Pantheon’s rich legacy and imagined ways to build on that for the future, the first name that came to mind was Lisa’s. I’m delighted to know that Pantheon will continue to thrive and evolve under her leadership, in concert with our incredible team of editors, marketers, and publicists.” On the broader […]
Briefs
NetGalley launched a mobile app for Apple and Android for the first time. At the same time, they formally added audiobooks to their service as well. The Readium-based app allows for DRM for ebooks, but DRM is currently not available for audiobook files. The app serves as a reader for downloaded ebooks and plays the newly-available audiobooks. The app also “adds further support for various types of content (including highly illustrated books).” NetGalley continues to support its previous methods of downloading and reading ebooks as well. Colson Whitehead has won the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, the youngest […]
Barnes & Noble Education Reports Continuing Decline, Sharpened by COVID
Barnes & Noble Education announced fourth quarter earnings, with sales of $256.9 million, down from $334.4 last period, a decline of 23.2 percent. Retail, by far BNED’s largest segment, was heavily hit as COVID shut down campuses nationwide, while sales in the much smaller wholesale and digital student solutions increased. Net loss was $(40.3) million, compared to a net loss of $(46.2) million in the prior year period. Both the quarter and year were a week longer than the comp year. For the fiscal year, sales were $1.85 billion, down from $2.04 billion, or 9 percent. Net loss was $(38.3) […]
New Books Publishing July 14
Besides the court-released Mary Trump, this week brings new books by David Mitchell, Colin Jost, and many others. As in previous weeks, our sample Bookshop and Aerbook store carousels provide easy displays of books publishing today in need of attention and support, featuring: 22 new works of fiction https://bookshop.org/lists/new-fiction-publishing-july-14 9 new nonfiction titles https://bookshop.org/lists/new-nonfiction-publishing-july-14 More new children’s and YA titles https://bookshop.org/lists/new-children-s-titles-publishing-in-july We consult a number of sources in compiling our weekly lists and PM members can see our lists for the coming three months through this reference page. But if you want to make sure your key titles are on our radar, now you can […]
Judge Lifts Gag on Mary Trump’s Book, Raises Major Doubts on Suit’s Merits
New York Judge Hal Greenwald had no trouble lifting the gag order on Mary Trump’s book TOO MUCH AND NEVER ENOUGH on Monday: “In the vernacular of First year law students, ‘Con. Law trumps Contracts.'” The keeps alive the streak of attorney Charles Harder on behalf of Donald Trump as a total loser. In polite, thorough, legal language, Judge Greenwald makes clear the absurdity of the request for an injunction, and the move to block Mary Trump. The suit is clearly designed to protect Donald Trump, hiding behind his brother Robert, but as the Judge reminds us, “Remember the Plaintiff […]