SVP and publisher at The Taunton Press Don Linn is leaving that post to join digital publishing start-up Quartet Press, overseeing finance, administration and general management. He notes, “I’m an entrepreneur at heart and I’ve been fascinated with this transitional phase of reading, writing and publishing for some time. So when the opportunity to create Quartet presented itself, it seemed the time was right to make the move.” Linn joins Kassia Krozser, Kirk Biglione, and Kat Meyer as a partner in Quartet, which expects to launch romance imprint Quench Romance! in fall 2009, followed by “additional categories and service offerings […]
Back on the Block: Reed to Sell Most Magazines, As Tad Smith Steps Down
Reed Elsevier will try once again to sell off a chunk of their trade magazines from the Reed Business Information division. The company terminated the first attempt at a complete sale of the division late last year when they were unable to extract “acceptable terms” from bidders. They said then they would “divest RBI in the medium term when conditions are more favorable.” But just a week ago, new Reed ceo Ian Smith was tipped in the Telegraph as readying a new strategy to “retain the core business.” This morning RBI ceo Keith Jones told employees they intend “to divest […]
People and Announcements
The Bookseller reports that Anthony Cheetham will join Atlantic UK, where his son Nicolas set up the crime/thriller imprint Corvus earlier this year, starting in September. They say he intends to start an “entirely new activity” for the publisher. Cheetham did not provide additional details.Bookseller Borders promoted Joanna Goldstein to the new position of vp, marketing revenue, responsible for “developing and managing cooperative marketing promotions and sales-driving initiatives with publishers as well as other vendors and third-party marketing partners.” She was merchandising director, newsstand, calendars, games and trend gifts. The Today show picked Ingrid Law’s Newbery Honor winner SAVVY as […]
Bookselling: Children's Store to Close; Store Hit By Truck Reopens; Biography Bookshop Moves
Chicago-area children’s store Crocodile Pie will close after being rescued once by new owners a year ago. Co-owner Amy Moran says: “People either don’t have the money to spend or they’re being cautious – and rightfully so. We have a great client base – people have been very supportive. But they just don’t have the funds that they spent before.” But Flintridge Bookstore, the Pasadena, CA store that was substantially damaged after a tractor-trailer crashed into its building four months, will have a grand reopening this weekend. In New York, the West Village’s Biography Bookshop has been driven from its […]
Kindle Krunching: Week 2
With a second week of data, we’re still looking for the impact (if any) of Kindle sales as reflected in the broader USA Today chart. As was the case last week, Kathryn Stockett does seems to be getting a big Kindle boost. Almost every other title on the Kindle Top 10 declined overall in the USA Today list, though. Daniel Silva and Jennifer Weiner had the top two hardcover fiction titles for the week, but Weiner did less well relatively with the Kindle audience. Here’s our chart, ranking the books according to their position on the Kindle bestseller list, with […]
International Earnings: Mondadori Down More than 20%; Restructuring To Come
Sales at Italy’s book and magazine giant Mondadori fell over 21 percent in the first six months of the year, to 730 million euros (from 930 million a year ago). Net income fell further still, down 80 percent to 7.3 million euros (with EBITDA of 40 million euros, down 61.5 percent). The company also carries 474 million euros of debt. Despite the drops, Mondadori’s results were actually ahead of analysts’ expectations. Reuters says “it gave no clear indication about much-awaited cost cuts but said it expected a ‘strong’ restructuring in the coming months.” The company called the year “difficult and […]