On Sunday afternoon, Simon & Schuster offered refunds to customers who purchased what had been promoted as “guaranteed to be personally hand-signed” copies of Bob Dylan’s The Philosophy of Modern Song, after it was revealed that the books had been signed with an autopen. The books cost $599, with 900 copies available, and contained a note from S&S president and ceo Jonathan Karp attesting their authenticity. “This letter is confirmation that the copy of the book you hold in your hand has been hand-signed by Bob Dylan,” it said. Over the weekend, fans online compared signatures, revealing an assortment of […]
Archives for November 2022
People 11/18
Amazon Announces Layoffs in Books, Devices
Amazon ceo Andy Jassy told employees on Thursday that the company would “eliminate a number of positions” in the Devices and Books divisions. In a memo to staff, he said that this year’s operating planning review “is more difficult due to the fact that the economy remains in a challenging spot and we’ve hired rapidly the last several years.” They have not yet announced which roles have been cut or how many, or how the changes will affect the functioning of the Books division. (Unlike Books, Devices has been a drag on the company, reportedly losing over $5 billion a […]
Bookselling: Annabelle’s Book Club LA
A new bookstore called Annabelle’s Book Club LA will open in LA’s Studio City, on November 25. The store will have a YA focus and be “a highly curated collection of books and gifts with a modern point of view.” It is founded by 16-year-old Annabelle Chang, and located in Studio City.
Charlesbridge Publishing Acquires Move Books
Charlesbridge Publishing has acquired Move Books, a children’s imprint with a “mission to move more boys to read with high-interest middle-grade fiction.” The deal includes Move backlist titles, which will be distributed under Charlesbridge starting April 2023. Going forward, the company will launch Move founder Eileen Robinson joined Charlesbridge in October as editorial director of Charlesbridge Moves, a new middle-grade imprint that will launch in 2024. Robinson will also edit board books and picture books for the Charlesbridge list as executive dditor. She said, “Charlesbridge Moves will excite middle-grade and chapter-book readers with adventure, mystery, and fun, giving them the […]