Since at least early 2017, an unknown person with knowledge of the book business and dealmaking has persistently impersonated a number of people in attempts to steal unpublished manuscripts for no discernible reason. The suspect is strangely persistent. Reeves Wiedeman and Lila Shapiro at NY Magazine spent a long time trying to crack the case — without success, though they compile a detailed and entertaining account of their efforts: “The thief wasn’t the only one who wanted me to stop. Two of this magazine’s editors sat me down and said that I couldn’t spend all year investigating a crime with […]
Woodward and Costa’s Book Called, “Peril”
The book from Bob Woodward and Robert Costa that Simon & Schuster will publish September 21 is titled, PERIL. The publisher says Woodward and Costa interviewed more than 200 people “at the center of the turmoil” during the transition from the Trump administration to President Biden, calling it “one of the most dangerous periods in American history. They promise “a spellbinding and definitive portrait of a nation on the brink.” It is said to feature “secret orders, transcripts of confidential phone calls, diaries, emails, meeting notes and other personal and government records, making for an unparalleled history.” The title comes […]
HBG to Acquire Workman For $240 Million
Hachette Book Group and Workman Publishing officially announced Monday “a binding commitment” for HBG to acquire Workman (as we had hinted recently). The transaction is expected to close after the standard 35-day regulatory review period. Workman comprises six imprints: Workman, Algonquin, Algonquin Young Readers, Artisan, Storey Publishing, and Timber Press, and has a small group of distribution clients. HBG will pay $240 million, a 1.8 multiple over Workman’s sales of $134 million in 2020 — when they were up 12 percent over 2019, so about $120 million the year before. That is about the same multiple of sales that HarperCollins […]
Publishers Push Back on Internet Archive’s Massive Data Request
Last week attorneys defending the Internet Archive in the copyright infringement lawsuit brought by four AAP publishers asked Judge John Koetl for a conference on their request that looks ridiculously expansive on its face. They want the publishers ordered to produce monthly sales for the past decade on all of their books, in granular detail by sales channel, and insist there isn’t “any particular burden in retrieving the information requested.” In their reply, the attorney for the publishers notes that, “Plaintiffs have produced a vast wealth of detailed sales and related financial data concerning the Works in Suit, totaling over […]
Last Day For Our Summer Sale
We’ve already had a great reception for our experimental Summer Sale — and today is the last day for this offer. Use the promo code summer21 in the provided box when you enroll and get $10 off the first month’s membership fee (a 40 percent reduction). The code expires at the end of the day today. Feel free to alert anyone who might be interested.
Judge Allows Most of Gendell’s Counterclaims to Proceed
New York State Supreme Court Judge Joel Cohen ruled on Wednesday that all but one of agent Yfat Reiss Gendell’s counterclaims against agent Peter McGuigan can move forward, rejecting McGuigan’s motion to dismiss. Most significantly, the judge ordered what is left of Foundry to “advance attorneys’ fees and expenses to Gendell.” The original counterclaim suggested that amount was already at least $150,000, which will be yet another strain on the resources of Foundry. Judge Cohen found sufficient grounds to let stand the counterclaims of defamation, tortious interference and breach of contract, dismissing only the claim of prima facie tort (which “courts […]