Following his roundup to staff, Hachette Book Group ceo Michael Pietsch wrote to authors and agents as well and said the company is “heading into 2022 with optimism and excitement.” He notes, “While 2021 had many challenges, it was a better year for our industry than 2020, as virtually all bookstores and other retailers were open all year, and we saw a resurgence of sales at chain and independent booksellers and gift stores.” Still, supply chain challenges meant “like all publishers we had periods when we were unable to reprint and restock books with our accustomed speed.” The company has […]
Archives for January 2022
For the Record: The Very Best of the Best Books of 2021
Per our earlier counts, it came down to the wire in tabulating the consensus very best books of 2021 and fittingly, works of nonfiction and fiction tied for Book(s) of the Year: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers and Empire of Pain, by Patrick Radden Keefe shared the top honor. And books by Kazuo Ishiguro, Colson Whitehead, and Michelle Zauner all followed so closely (just two votes behind) that you can consider them almost equally lauded. As usual, here are out top 10s for the year — based on 63 “votes” from a variety of […]
Bernardini Released on Bail
Accused manuscript thief Filippo Bernardini is at large in New York after pleading not guilty to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Magistrate Judge Robert Lehrburger set bail for $300,000 — which was secured by the London home of Bernardini’s partner, who was at the hearing. Represented by Hannah McCrea at the nonprofit Federal Defenders of New York, Bernardini surrendered his passport and will stay with a friend in the West Village. McCrea said, “This is a very humbling experience. He intends to take it seriously.” Assistant US Attorney Daniel Nessim said Bernardini was an “overwhelming” flight risk, […]
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Juliana Barbassa will become deputy editor for news and features on the Books desk, succeeding Andrew LaVallee. She was previously led coverage of Latin America for the International desk.
Company Security Group Helped Catch Manuscript Thief, Simon & Schuster CEO Writes
Simon & Schuster president and ceo Jonathan Karp wrote an email to staff on Thursday explaining the “true nature of our relationship” to the “shocking news” of the FBI’s arrest of S&S UK employee Filippo Bernardini. Bernardini was charged on Wednesday with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to a years-long manuscript phishing scam. According to Karp, the company’s ViacomCBS Information Security Group “investigated and reported their findings to the FBI.” He notes, “It is our understanding that the information provided by the VCBS team to the FBI proved crucial in facilitating the FBI’s investigation and arrest.” “Like others […]
2022’s First Discuss Guest: Literary Agent Heather Jackson
Join this year’s first Discuss guest, literary agent Heather Jackson, online at this Publishers Marketplace link Wednesday, January 12 at noon Eastern for your chance to get the inside scoop on publishing from an agent’s point of view, how she works with editors and authors, how she evaluates manuscripts, and more. As a trade editor for Crown, St. Martin’s, Rodale, and other houses for 20+ years, she acted as the creative midwife to multiple dozens of New York Times bestselling authors and titles, including: Tim Ferriss, Jillian Michaels, Suzanne Somers, Tara Stiles, Joy Bauer, Rick Hanson, Dr. Robert C. Atkins, […]