The Romance Writers of America has rescinded its Vivian Award for AT LOVE’S COMMAND by Karen Witemeyer in the Romance with Religious and Spiritual Elements category. The book opens with a scene of a US Army captain at the Wounded Knee Massacre and has been criticized for racist depictions of Indigenous people and romanticizing a tragedy. In a statement, the RWA board of directors says they learned of the winner during the award ceremony on July 31 and held an emergency meeting to discuss the award. They continued, “RWA is in full support of First Amendment rights; however, as an […]
Archives for August 2021
Imprints: Rucci to Start Eponymous Line at Scribner
Simon & Schuster editor-in-chief Marysue Rucci will move over to Scribner on September 7, where she will lead a new Marysue Rucci Books imprint as vp, publisher and editor-in-chief. Her first books under the new imprint will be on the Summer 2022 list. Scribner publisher Nan Graham writes, “Her facility and flair as an editor of bestselling suspense, literary fiction, and memoir will complement and build upon areas of publishing in which Scribner has historically excelled. Marysue’s appointment also marks her return to the house where she worked as an editorial assistant and was crucial in Scribner’s acquisition of New […]
S&S Sales Were $219 Million
Following ViacomCBS’s release of their form 10-q for the second quarter, we can see that Simon & Schuster had sales of $219 million — rebounding from $200 million in 2020, and in line with the $218 million recorded in 2019. Operating income looks to have been $52 million, versus $35 million a year ago. Previously, the company reported OIBDA for the publisher, which was $38 million in 2020.
HMH Recovers Somewhat From the Pandemic Low
Thursday morning Houghton Mifflin Harcourt reported a “strong” second quarter, with sales of $309 million, rebounding from a terrible result a year ago due to the pandemic — up 43% compared to $216 million in 2020. But that’s still well (12 percent) below the $350 million recorded in 2019 for the same businesses, leaving aside the trade publishing division. The company reported income of $2 million, improved from a loss of ($32) million a year ago and another loss in 2019, so that represents some real improvement. Based on their “robust pipeline” the company excitedly raised their full-year guidance…but only […]
People 8/5
John Williams is promoted to assistant editor at the New York Times Books desk.
Simon & Schuster Sees Higher Sales, Earnings
ViacomCBS reported second quarter results on Thursday morning, with sales at Simon & Schuster rising off of last year’s pandemic decline, when sales fell $18 million, down to $200 million for the period. As a discontinued operation ahead of the DOJ’s review of the sale to Penguin Random House, actual results were not available when this report was first published, pending the filing of their full 10-q with the SEC. We’ll update after the filing. (For now, VIAC reported net earnings net of tax for all discontinued operations — of which S&S is just one component — of $41 million, […]