The WSJ cites source who says the House Judiciary Committee “has been moving toward scheduling a hearing” on the proposed settlement of the Google Book Search lawsuits, though a representative for committee chairperson Re. John Conyers “said he wasn’t aware of a hearing being scheduled” and explained that “just because a committee was making inquiries about a topic, it didn’t mean they would necessarily hold a hearing.” Google spokesperson Gabriel Stricker says they have “been in touch with members of Congress and understand that there’s interest in having a hearing to explore the settlement.”WSJ Separately, the European Commission has agreed […]
Bookselling: Borders Focuses More Store Space On Teens with "Borders Ink"
Borders has created expanded sections within some Michigan superstores focused on teen shoppers, providing graphic novels, fantasy and young-adult books together along with non-book merchandise focused on teens, and expects to roll-out the concept throughout nearly all of their superstores nationwide in August. The new sections take advantage of space previously used to sell music and dvds.WSJ
People: BN Updates, and More
Two updates to last Friday’s story on changes at Barnes & Noble. Supply chain vp Bob Knowles reports to Jaime Carey, not Joe Gonnella. And to be clear, Barnes & Noble vp, book development Bruce Lubin is leaving on his own accord to work full-time with with his wife on their proprietary publishing company Castle Point Publishing, developing products for the home shopping network. Elsewhere, at Simon & Schuster Children’s, Natalie White has been promoted to director of advertising. At Melville House, Megan Halpern has joined the publisher as publicist, replacing Clara Heyworth, who has left the company. Halpern was […]
What We Talk About When We Talk About Amazon
Last week was a bizarre one in the annals of Amazon-dominated news, closing with Friday’s Orwellian removal of unauthorized editions of two books by the actual George Orwell from a small number of Kindle owners’ libraries. Among the things I find interesting about the story: * Internet outrage began with an incorrect blog post on the NYT’s site from columnist David Pogue who shot first without asking: “Apparently the publisher changed its mind about offering an electronic edition, and apparently Amazon, whose business lives and dies by publisher happiness, caved,” Pogue wrote. Bear in mind that Pogue has makes a […]
Bookselling: Reps Live with Electronic Ordering Tool; Fitten's 100-Store Tour and Blog; Efforts to Restart Seattle's Bookfest
* The National Association of Independent Publishers Representatives has now gone live with their electronic catalog/ordering tool, Frontlist Plus Universal, presenting fall 2009 lists from “more than 200 participating book publishers and primary distributors.” The service provides “new title data in catalog order” and promises to “eliminate countless hours of redundant data entry across thousands of industry sites utilizing diverse inventory-control systems.” The NAIPR (which operates as a nonprofit) says “publishers and master distributors pay a nominal fee per ISBN included in the program.” Their focus is on serving both “the buyer or inventory manager following up on their sales […]
'Angela's Ashes' Author Frank McCourt, 78, Dies, and More People News
Scribner announced the passing of Frank McCourt on Sunday afternoon, as a result of metastatic melanoma. Simon & Schuster ceo Carolyn Reidy said, “Frank will be deeply missed, both as an author and as a warm and welcome presence in our lives. He was as skilled at storytelling in person as in print, with the ability to engage his audience through his abundant wit, humility and ability to extract humor and pathos from life’s setbacks and tragedies. He served as an ambassador for both his own books and reading itself, remaining a champion of teachers and an enthusiast for the […]