At Penguin Random House, Sashia Sadikot is promoted to director, national accounts, Target adult sales, and Jessica Ko also moves up to director, national accounts, including overseeing the Walmart adult sales team. Both report to Tom Cox. As part of a realignment of PRH’s international sales team, which includes naming three new vice presidents, regional sales director for Asia Akiko Iwamoto and senior director, international marketing and imprint sales Tony Lutkus will leave the company later this month. Laurel Christensen Day will take over as president of Deseret Book Co., replacing Jeff Simpson, who leaves in June to serve a three-year […]
Archives for April 2021
Simon & Schuster Decides Not to Distribute Book By Police Officer Who Shot Breonna Taylor
On Thursday evening, following building public pressure online — including objections from house authors including Kiese Laymon and Jennifer Weiner — Simon & Schuster declared it would not distribute a forthcoming book by Louisville Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly, one of the officers who shot Breonna Taylor. The company said in their statement: “Like much of the American public, earlier today Simon & Schuster learned of plans by distribution client Post Hill Press to publish a book by Jonathan Mattingly. We have subsequently decided to not be involved in the distribution of this book.” Earlier on Thursday, S&S had taken their standard […]
Looking At Interest In Books Post-Pandemic
Ingram Content Group held a webinar on Wednesday reviewing some key learnings and trends for the book publishing industry from 2020, and how those developments are carrying over to 2021. Among the topics covered, the company’s digital sales are even stronger so far in 2021 than they were in 2020, with overall sales up 30 percent — driven by academic digital sales, which are up by more than 120 percent. Looking at consumer behavior around books, Pete McCarthy noted, “We saw in 2020 about a 50 percent rise in book-related searches on Google and Amazon…which is a huge shift.” He […]
London Book Fair Officially Cancels Live Event for 2021
The London Book Fair has belatedly confirmed the conclusion already reached by its constituency: The live event, first rescheduled from early March to June 29 – July 1, will not be possible. Fair director Andy Ventris says in the announcement, “With the continued uncertainty around international travel and vaccination rollouts, it has become apparent that an in-person fair for 2021 would not be able to offer the full value to participants that we want to deliver.” At the same time, he says, “We want to do whatever we can to support the international publishing trade as we transition to a […]
May Library Reads
Emily Henry’s People We Meet On Vacation tops May’s Library Reads list. The rest of the picks: Arsenic and Adobo, by Mia P. Manansala The Bookshop of Second Chances, by Jackie Fraser The Guncle, by Steven Rowley The Invisible Husband of Frick Island, by Colleen Oakley Mary Jane, by Jessica Anya Blau The Newcomer, by Mary Kay Andrews Talk Bookish to Me, by Kate Bromley While Justice Sleeps, by Stacey Abrams The Woman with the Blue Star, by Pam Jenoff
People, Etc.
Doubleday is adding titles on wellness and self-help, with a new initiative led by Todd Doughty, senior vice president and deputy publisher, and Kristine Puopolo, vice president, editorial director, nonfiction. Publisher and editor-in-chief Bill Thomas writes in the announcement, “By building bestselling authors and launching landmark publications over the years, we have developed a powerhouse nonfiction platform and are now ready to expand into the wellness and self-help sphere.” Thomas notes that all Doubleday editors are invited to contribute titles, and they expect to start publishing in 2021. “For all readers looking for guidance on change from a prominent expert, […]