Workers at three Barnes & Noble locations in New York ratified their union contracts with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), the first such contracts for the nation’s largest bookstore chain. The contracts cover more than 200 workers at the Union Square flagship store, West 82nd Street, and Park Slope. The contracts include wage increases (bringing the starting wage from $18 to $19), union healthcare, safety equipment and language, layoff protections, job and pay security, and more. The contracts have slight variations for each store, RWDSU said in a release. “The ratification of this contract represents three years […]
Archives for March 2025
Neil Gaiman Asks District Court for a Dismissal
Neil Gaiman has asked the US District Court in Wisconsin to dismiss the civil lawsuit accusing him of rape and sexual assault filed by former employee Scarlett Pavlovich in February. Gaiman filed a motion to dismiss on March 4, writing in the filing that the case should be adjudicated in New Zealand. The filing states that “the Trafficking Victims Protection Act cannot be applied extraterritorially” and “international comity dictates that United States courts must abstain from adjudicating acts committed within the jurisdiction of a foreign nation.” The brief in support of the dismissal states, “Plaintiff’s claims are a sham. Her […]
People 3/6
AI Licensing Helps Wiley While Textbook Sales Fall
Wiley reported results from the third quarter ended January 31, with adjusted sales of $405 million, down from $461 million, due to the loss of sales from divested businesses. Operating income was $51.8 million for the quarter, compared to a loss of $(46.4) million in 2024, when there was a big impairment for writedown of goodwill. Income before taxes was $18.7 million, up from $(112.3) million. The learning segment, which includes textbook sales, fell 6 percent for sales of $137 million, due to softness in academic sales and an unfavorable comparison to the previous year, which included a $6 million […]
Grand Central Wins Auction for INNER EXCELLENCE
Grand Central won the auction to reissue performance coach Jim Murphy’s bestselling INNER EXCELLENCE, the book that leaped to the top of the charts after Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown was shown reading the book on the sidelines during a playoff game. (The trade paperback has sold approximately 211,000 copies in the seven sales weeks since then, in outlets tracked by Circana Bookscan.) Brant Rumble and Ben Sevier acquired NA rights, represented by Pilar Queen and Peter Steinberg at UTA. Grand Central will issue their ebook and audio editions on March 11, and their trade paperback will follow […]
Imprints: Reagan Arthur Launches Cardinal
Reagan Arthur‘s imprint at Grand Central Publishing is called Cardinal and will launch in fall 2025, publishing approximately six titles a year. The first title will be THE BOOK OF GUILT by novelist Catherine Chidgey, which will be released on September 16. The new line aims to “entertain and enlighten, across genres and across borders.” Arthur rejoined Hachette Book Group in July 2024, after leaving her role as publisher of Knopf in May. She said in a release, “I became very fond of cardinals during the pandemic: I loved their cheerful red presence in an often bleak time. I learned that […]