Archives for December 2021
Best Of: Target’s Book of the Year, WSJ
Target announced its Book of the Year.
HBG Still Not Ready for Full Return to Offices
Hachette Book Group updated their office plans due to the Omicron variant, telling employees the company still “has not set a date” for a full return to their offices, ceo Michael Pietsch announced in a letter on Wednesday. As has been the case since August, employees who work in the offices will be required to be fully vaccinated, now amended with the note, “where permitted by law.” “We intend to return as soon in 2022 as we feel confident that we can bring people back to all of our offices safely, and we will provide at least four weeks’ notice […]
December Book Picks
Amazon announces its December book picks.
Acquisitions for RBMedia, and Hachette UK
RBmedia has acquired Toronto-based Author’s Republic, a distribution platform for self-published audiobooks. The deal includes the company’s Novel Audio audiobook publishing imprint as well. (Novel Audio was originally Audiobooks.com Publishing, and changed its name after the Audiobooks.com retail site was sold to RBmedia’s predecessor. And RBmedia just sold Audiobooks.com to Storytel.) RBmedia says in the announcement that the two will “also provide audiobook creation tools, a narrator marketplace, and other functionality to enable self-published authors to produce and distribute their audiobooks to as many listeners as possible.” Separately, Hachette UK’s Hodder Education Group has acquired John Catt Educational.
BN Launches New eReader
Barnes & Noble will launch a GlowLight 4 ereader on December 8. CEO James Daunt insists in the announcement, “Barnes & Noble is now investing significantly in our Nook line of products. The GlowLight 4 is the second Nook device to launch this year as we set about to bring a new family of devices to our customers and to reinvigorate Nook in the coming months and years.” He added, “The team is working steadfastly to develop new NOOK products, and we are delighted to see such a strong pipeline of innovation into 2022.”