Philanthropist, businesswoman, and global advocate for women and girls Melinda French Gates has partnered with Flatiron Books for a new nonfiction imprint, Moment of Lift Books. The line will launch with three titles in 2023, featuring books “written by experts, advocates, and authors working across a broad range of fields to advance equity for women and girls.” Gates’s own recent book was titled, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World, and the imprint was announced by evp editorial development at Macmillan Will Schwalbe, who edited Gates’s book. “When I asked Melinda about a second book,” Schwalbe says […]
Inkitt Raises $59 Million
Berlin-based Inkitt announced another big round of funding, raising $59 million in a Series B (on top of previous rounds that raised at least $21 million). Axel Springer was a co-lead in the new round, with Michael Lynton participating, along with further funding from Stefan von Holtzbrinck (HV Holtzbrinck Ventures participated earlier) among others. The start-up is riding the wave the powered the sales of Wattpad (approximately $600 million), Radish ($440 million), and Tapas Media ($510 million). Inkitt tells TechCrunch their Galatea app has a run rate of over $38 million now. The company uses algorithms to help determine which […]
Netflix Confirms Success of Book Streaming
At a conference earlier this week Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos revealed a small amount of viewer data, claiming the service is being “more transparent” with talent, while conceding that most of their data is “big black box.” But charts of the most popular series and films make one thing quite clear: The popularity of shows based on books. Between the viewing stats for the first 28 days of release and all-time, Bridgerton is their No. 1 hit, based on Julia Quinn’s series, drawing heavily from the first book, THE DUKE AND I. Other top series based on books include The […]
Prior to Take Over As CEO of Pan Macmillan
Longtime managing director of Penguin General Books in the UK Joanna Prior has been named the new ceo of Pan Macmillan. Longtime ceo Anthony Forbes Watson “decided that the time has come for him to make room for a fresh pair of eyes and to give him time to pursue other interests” and will step down early next year. He will serve as an advisor to Stefan von Holtzbrinck and the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. Macmillan ceo Don Weisberg says in the announcement: “Joanna’s reputation as an industry trailblazer is far-reaching. Her blend of creative talent and commercial acumen is evident […]
New French Legislation On Book Shipping Would Force Amazon to Make More Money
Book discounts in France are limited to no more than 5 percent by law and in 2014 they banned free shipping on discounted books. So instead Amazon and others have charged as little as one cent for shipping. Seven years later, the government has decided something must be done, so the National Assembly is considering a new law — which everyone admits targets Amazon — that would impose a minimum charge for shipping books to be set by the economic and culture ministries. The law would also make online platforms “differentiate more clearly between” new and used books. Though Amazon […]
Planeta Hires Pera to Lead US Office in Miami
Grupo Planeta has hired Cristóbal Pera as vp and publisher, “to reinforce and revitalize the Group’s editorial presence in the US market,” leading an office in Miami that will reopen in January 2022. The company will “consolidate its operations in the United States and Puerto Rico” there and plans to “focus its editorial program on a curated selection tailored to the market in the United States.” Most recently, Pera was publishing director at Vintage Español. Planeta ceo for Latin America José Calafell says in the announcement, “The market for books in Spanish in the US has undergone a profound transformation. […]