Christina Loff is leaving her role at Chronicle Books as senior marketing and publicity director to launch her own digital marketing and publicity agency where she will work with creative companies, artists, authors and publishers.
George R.R. Martin has a new deal with HBO to develop additional programming for them over the next 5 years, THR reports, “worth mid-eight figures.”
Obituaries
Beverly Clearly, 104, author of the Ramona Quimby books, died on Thursday in Carmel, CA.
Larry McMurtry, 84, author of more than 30 books including Lonesome Dove and The Last Picture show, died on Thursday in Archer, Texas.
Unions
Duke University Press is unionizing. Workers write in a mission statement, “In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ensuing financial crisis, and increasing austerity, we as workers must guarantee that our health and safety are priorities for our organization and that our needs are met fairly.” They conclude, “We urge Duke University and Duke University Press management to recognize our union and enter a collective bargaining process. We look forward to working together to improve our working conditions, making DUP stronger, and continuing the work of publishing bold, vital scholarship.”
Separately, on the darker side of worker relations, a story from In These Times revealed that as of last October, McGraw Hill has charged freelancers and independent contractors a 2.2 percent fee for processing their invoices. An email told people, “The 2.2% Small Supplier fee included on your invoice supports labor market compliance, administrative tasks, and the Vendor Management System (VMS) associated with payment processes.” A company spokesperson claims the fee covers the cost of ensuring that by refusing to put contractors on staff they are not violating the law. “Since October 2020, contractors providing services to McGraw Hill have been charged a fee to cover the cost of third-party vendors that help us ensure that each contractor meets the requirements needed to be classified as an Independent Contractor under various state laws and IRS regulations.”
Controversies
A week ago, Scholastic halted distribution of The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, “with the full support” of author Dav Pilkey. The 2010 book was withdrawn following their recognition “that this book perpetuates passive racism. We are deeply sorry for this serious mistake.” Scholastic has stopped fulfilling orders and seeks “a return of all inventory.” They add, “We will take steps to inform schools and libraries who may still have this title in circulation of our decision to withdraw it from publication.”