A group of investors led by Denver residents Kwame Spearman and David Back of Bended Page LLC have purchased Colorado bookstore chain Tattered Cover from co-owners Len Vlahos and Kristen Gilligan, who will remain with the business until the end of June to help with the transition. The sale includes four locations in and around Denver and a fifth planned for Westminster, Colorado. Under the new ownership, it will be the biggest Black-owned bookstore in the US. Spearman, who is ceo and major shareholder of Bended Page, said, “The Tattered Cover, and all it embodies for us as Denver natives […]
Archives for December 2020
Small Press Distribution Anonymously Accused of Illegal Payroll Practices, Hostility and Abuse
An anonymous person (aka Damaged Book worker) who says they are a former employee of Small Press Distribution accused the company of illegal payroll practices that led to employees being underpaid, as well as anti-worker hostility and abuse resulting in the employee resigning in early 2020. The allegations were made in a December 2 Medium post, which links to a redacted severance agreement the former employee says offered $2,500 “in exchange for my complete confidentiality and a promise not to prosecute.” The employee, who started as a warehouse worker before moving to the front office, did not sign. On December […]
People, Etc.
John Freeman will join Knopf as an executive editor, starting March 15 and reporting to Reagan Arthur. He was most recently executive editor of Lit Hub and is the founder of the literary journal Freeman’s. As part of the Frankfurt Book Fair‘s announced on-going restructuring, they will close their New York office at the end of 2020: “This step has become necessary as a result of the pandemic’s impact on the business of the Frankfurter Buchmesse this year.” Longtime FBF executive Thomas Minkus will leave the company as a result, as will Michelle Claussen, Raquel Plitt and Riky Stock. Publishing […]
People, Etc.
Colin Dickerman will join Grand Central as vp, editorial director/nonfiction, on January 19, 2021. He was most recently executive editor at Farrar, Straus. Emma Bal will join the Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency as a nonfiction agent on February 1. She was previously head of publicity for nonfiction at Bloomsbury UK. At UNC Press, publicity director Gina Mahalek is retiring after 20 years. Peter L. Perez will join in January in the newly created position of director of public relations and communications. He was most recently public relations and communications director at University of California Press. Sonya Bonczek […]
Corporate: Wiley’s Earnings Gain and Guidance is Reinstated, Barnes & Noble Education Still Suffering
Wiley reported second quarter sales for the period ended October 31, with sales of $491 million, compared to $466.2 million last year’s period, an increase of 5 percent. Excluding acquisitions and currency impact, however, revenue was flat. Adjusted EBITDA was $120.3 million, increased from $110 million, or 7 percent. Significantly, the company reinstated guidance for fiscal year 2021 (after suspending it due to the pandemic), now forecasting low-single digit growth overall for the year, with a mid-single digit decline in Academic & Professional Learning. The return of guidance and expectations of growth along with outperforming analysts for the quarter led […]
New Books Publishing December 8
It’s a relatively small week in volume, but the books are big. In nonfiction, notables include Rachel Maddow and Michael Yarvitz’s Trump takedown, and James Patterson’s take on “the greatest true-crime story in music history,” the murder of John Lennon. In fiction, you’ll find a courtroom thriller (Kia Abdullah’s Take It Back), Swedish sleuthing (Helen Tursten’s Snow Drift), a space opera (Kristyn Merbeth’s Memoria), and more. Eight new works of fiction https://bookshop.org/lists/new-fiction-publishing-december-8 Ten new nonfiction titles https://bookshop.org/lists/new-nonfiction-publishing-december-8