The latest episode of the Open Book podcast features former Macmillan ceo John Sargent — recorded when he was promoting his book — discussing his battle with Amazon over ebook agency, his earlier days working for Dick Snyder at Simon & Schuster, and more, including this story about why Holt was so confident about Michael Wolff’s sourcing for his book, FIRE AND FURY: “Trump gets elected. Michael Wolff is under contract to write a book with us. Michael Wolff comes and says, ‘How about if we put that book on hold? I can get access into the Trump White House — […]
ProRata AI Promises Compensation and Credit for Content Owners
ProRata AI is another new player in the market to provide content creators and owners credit and compensation for the use of their work in AI chatbots. The company tells Axios they have raised $25 million in Series A financing, and their launch has the support of The Atlantic, Financial Times, Fortune, and Axel Springer. They also say they are “in advanced discussion with more than 100 noted authors.” Supporting authors already listed on their site include Adam Grant, Tony Robbins and Seth Godin. The company is “building its own, yet-to-be-named subscription AI chatbot that it plans to debut this […]
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Bookselling: New Owners for Diesel In Brentwood
Alison Reid and John Evans announced on the Diesel bookstore website that they have sold their store in Brentwood after a lengthy search. Richard and Heather Turner take over ownership on August 1. Reid and Evans “will be on hand for a few more months to smooth the transition.” They add: “We are so excited to work to help them keep the store as good as you’ve come to expect and to take it forward into the future. All of your favorite booksellers will be continuing to work in the store.”
Knopf Lists Barry Diller Book
Metadata for a forthcoming Barry Diller memoir, WHO KNEW, appeared online recently, set for an April 1, 2025 publication date from Knopf. That metadata was subsequently adjusted to an untitled arts and entertainment biography/memoir — though remnants remain online and have not been updated yet. (Just search the ISBN.) The fullest description is on this listing at Coles Books in the UK, promising an “intimate, stunning, and extraordinary memoir. In what is sure to be one of the most fascinating and talked-about memoirs of the year, Barry Diller holds nothing back.” It covers “his struggles with his homosexuality; his relationship […]
Lagardere Publishing Has Strong Second Quarter, Record First-Half Earnings
Lagardere Publishing reported a strong second quarter on Tuesday afternoon, with sales of €733 million, up €56 million from a year ago, or 8.3 percent higher. For the first half of the year, sales were €1.309 billion (up €62 million), with recurring EBIT of €113 million, up a significant €48 million from the same period a year ago, a new high for the first half of the year — though traditionally they record most of their profits in the second half. Earnings were “driven by growth in the United Kingdom and the United States, a favorable sales mix in physical […]