Recently we reported on third-quarter dealmaking trends in the US, with a relatively strong performance falling a little below last year’s big quarter — just as Bookscan-monitored print sales have been strong but ebbing a little in comparison to 2020. We also flagged a falloff in debut fiction sales. Now we turn to another of our longstanding comparisons, looking at dealmaking in the shorter “pre-Frankfurt” window of the last five weeks plus two days. (Frankfurt is a week later than usual this year, so our count includes one extra, starting the Monday after Labor Day; the last longer season like […]
Distribution: IPG Acquires UK’s United Independent Distributors
Independent Publishers Group (IPG) has acquired UK-based United Independent Distributors (UID), which owns the distribution centers Marston, Orca Book Services and Turpin Distribution, along with Eurospan, a sales and marketing agency for international academic and professional publishers. The merger comes as UID opens a new warehouse in South East England to consolidate its distribution centers. IPG will bring their ebook platform and digital printing solutions to the UK companies. They proclaim in the announcement that, “The combined entities will offer the most comprehensive platform of global services ever created to provide a seamless integration of sales, marketing, print and distribution […]
M&A: Bookscan Owner NPD to be Sold to Private Equity Firm
NPD group, owner of Bookscan in the US, announced a deal to be acquired by private equity firm Hellman & Friedman. The investor has over $80 billion under management, and recently raised a new $24.4 billion fund. NPD executive ehairman Tod Johnson and CEO Karyn Schoenbart will “retain a minority stake in the business and continue to serve on the NPD board of directors.” The privately-held NPD is estimated by Dun & Bradstreet to have annual sales of approximately $300 million. Johnson says in the announcement, “Both Karyn and I are delighted to have the opportunity to partner as minority […]
Scholastic Is No Waystar Royco
The NYT has an odd, meandering, meta piece on the succession of Iole Lucchese as the controlling owner of Scholastic and the paper’s efforts to cover that development, apparently timed to match the return of HBO’s show Succession rather than relating to the actual news from late July. Lucchese tells the paper the news that she was to inherit Dick Robinson’s controlling Class A shares in Scholastic, delivered the day after learning of his death, “was overwhelming.” She was told by Scholastic general counsel and co-executor of Robinson’s estate, Andrew Hedden. Not explored in the story is whether the company […]
Higher Ed Sales Still Sliding At Pearson
Pearson issued a brief trading update, telling us less than usual since they report on the last nine months but omit any details on the third quarter by itself. Sales are said to be up 10 percent on an “underlying” basis — but after six months, sales were up 17 percent on an “underlying” basis and only 7 percent on an actual, reported basis. Higher ed sales continue to decline — from a low comparison bar — falling 7 percent “as growth in international courseware, including Canada and the UK, was offset by a decline in US Higher Education Courseware.” […]
Authors: Banks Estate Moves to Curtis Brown UK
The literary estate of Iain Banks has moved all of their representation to Curtis Brown UK, taking over from the Mic Cheetham Agency and others. Becky Brown at Curtis Brown Heritage will handle book rights and Alexander Cochran at C&W represents translation rights. Luke Speed represents film and TV rights, and announced a deal to adapt The Business for television with Stigma Films.