Three book publishing executives have formed a new literary agency. Hardy, June & Moore comprises Doug Hardy (a writer and consultant who also worked at Random House as an editor); Gary June (most recently head of institutional sales at Barnes & Noble Education; previously an executive at Pearson and former ceo of Dorling Kindersley); and Tim Moore (who founded ran and Pearson’s Prentice Hall Professional, Technical, and Reference division). Their agency will focus on non-fiction and influencers, starting with Eddie Bravo, a regular guest on The Joe Rogan Experience, who has a book ready for publication in fall 2022.
Obituary: Michael Holdsworth
Former academic publisher Michael Holdsworth, 73, died September 9 of a heart attack while vacationing in France. Cambridge University Press, where he worked until 2006, called him, “Arguably the strongest publishing presence in the entire organization with a well-justified reputation as one of the most original, thoughtful and clear-sighted non-fiction book publishers in the world.” In addition to his accomplishments as a publisher, Holdsworth was a pioneer in converting much of CUP’s backlist to print on demand in the early days of the technology.
Harper Puts HMH Lines Into Four Imprints, Announces Layoffs
Harper Collins announced further details on Tuesday about their integration of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, organizing their titles into four imprints, and promising those lines will “see increased focus and investment, with the majority of acquiring editors remaining in place.” There were unspecified layoffs as well: “Some employees will be departing Harper Collins as a result of the changes, but the majority of HMH Books & Media employees were retained.” CEO Brian Murray said in the announcement, “I want to thank everyone involved in this transition for their professionalism and support over the last few months. We wish all our departing […]
Booker Shortlist
WH Smith Stock Jumps On News of Activist Investor
Shares of UK retailer WH Smith have gained almost 10 percent in less than two days this week, following the news that Los Angeles-based activist investment firm Causeway Capital increased their holdings. Causeway now owns 11.84 million shares in WH Smith, just over 9 percent of the company, making them the single-largest shareholder. For now, everyone is spreading peaceful and happy messages about the investment. Director Jonathan Eng told the Sunday Times, “We are firm believers in the strategy and management team of WH Smith, which is why we first invested last March and why we have continued to add […]
Opening Sales for Rooney in the UK
After lots of anticipation and pre-orders, Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You? recorded opening week print sales in the UK of 46,000 units, making it the top-selling title for the week, according to Nielsen Bookscan UK.