Vivendi continues to build their stake in Lagardere, filing notice last week after passing the 25 percent threshold — having built their position up to 26.7 percent of shares. They began buying the stock in April of this year — starting with a 10.6 percent stake — initially as a show of support for management in the first stages of its battle with activist investor Amber Capital. In mid-August Vivendi aligned with Amber in calling to seat four members of the board, and that campaign has intensified since, also enlisting the third-largest shareholder in Lagadere, the Qatar Investment Authority — […]
New Books Publishing October 5
It’s another packed first week of the month, with big new releases in all categories. As in previous weeks, our sample Bookshop and Aerbook store carousels provide easy displays of books publishing today in need of attention and support, featuring: 19 new works of fiction https://bookshop.org/lists/new-fiction-publishing-october-6 23 new nonfiction titles https://bookshop.org/lists/new-nonfiction-publishing-october-6 29 new children’s and YA titles https://bookshop.org/lists/new-children-s-titles-publishing-in-orctoberber We consult a number of sources in compiling our weekly lists and PM members can see our lists for the coming three months through this reference page. But if you want to make sure your key titles are on our radar, now you can use this […]
Amazon Delivers…Coronavirus
Under the distracting title of Update On Covid-19 Testing, Amazon published a blog post that reveals their analysis of data on the prevalence of the disease among their front-line employees. Across almost 1.4 million Amazon and Whole Foods Market front-line employees, just under 20,000 people tested positive or were presumed positive. They say they “hope other large companies will also release their detailed learnings and case rates because doing so will help all of us.” Amazon has built their own Covid-19 testing capacity and is “ramping quickly, conducting thousands of tests a day and growing to 50,000 tests a day […]
People, Etc.
Mary Krienke has been promoted to agent at Sterling Lord Literistic. Elizabeth Vogt has been promoted to associate editor at Viking Penguin. Hannah Ladds will join the Madeleine Milburn Agency as dramatic rights agent on October 5. She was most recently at David Higham Associates. Harper Children’s announced a new leadership structure at their flagship Harper imprint, with vp, director of publishing, the Harper Group Rich Thomas leading the line. VP, publishing director, Nancy Inteli will lead the picture book and programs teams and vp, publishing director Erica Sussman will lead the middle grade, teen, and IP teams. Both will […]
Rights Pitches Begin
Virtual pitch sessions filling the gap following the cancellation of the Frankfurt Book Fair begin next Monday. From our modest crowd-sourced schedule, the week begins with the Pontas Agency presenting Booker-shortlisted Avni Doshi and her UK editor Hermione Thompson, though BURNT SUGAR has already been licensed in many territories. To add your event(s) to our schedule, just fill in the form at publun.ch/pitches. As noted previously we’re agnostic as to whether you have scheduled your own independent event, or one as part of FBF’s pitch webinar program. To view our schedule, just bookmark: publun.ch/pitchsessions.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Fires Another 525 People
In typically craven corporate-speak, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt announced mass firings this morning: Approximately 525 employees have been let go effective immediately. Earlier in September, the company noted that 166 employees had read the tea leaves and participated in their early retirement plan. The two moves combined have eliminated approximately 22 percent of the workforce (roughly taking them from 3,300 employees down to 2,600 people). Other savings include a “reduction of manufacturing costs as the business shifts from print to digital offerings” and “a streamlining of back office costs as legacy systems and print-centric processes are retired.” The company estimates that […]