Consistent with the leak earlier this week, Crown announced that it will publish Barack Obama’s A PROMISED LAND on November 17, for simultaneous release in 25 languages. This will be the first in what the publisher now says is two volumes of presidential memoirs. Crown says they will print 3 million hardcovers, and once again the editor is Rachel Klayman. The book is 768 pages long and will sell for $45 (with the ebook at $17.99 and the digital audio, read by the author, at $40). Tour information will be announced later, and there is no date for the second […]
New Books Publishing September 15
Apparently Bob Woodward has a new book out today, part of a big wave of notable nonfiction, with fiction from Ayad Akhtar, Susanna Clarke, Ken Follett, Christopher Paolini and NBF medalist Walter Mosley. 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: 10 new works of fiction https://bookshop.org/lists/new-fiction-publishing-september-15 19 new nonfiction titles https://bookshop.org/lists/new-nonfiction-publishing-september-15 More new children’s and YA titles https://bookshop.org/lists/new-children-s-titles-publishing-in-september 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 […]
Daunt Says Digital Audio Platform and Improved Distribution Are On the Way
On Friday afternoon, Barnes & Noble ceo James Daunt engaged in a video conversation with BISG executive director Brian O’Leary as part of the organization’s virtualized annual meeting. Some of Daunt’s most interesting remarks came at the end of the session, responding to audience questions. He acknowledged that the chain is far behind in playing a role in digital audio, and is working to catch up: “We should have an audio proposition…. We’ve done a lot of work on it, and we need to launch it and have it fully operational…. It has to be as good as the industry […]
Hachette Book Group Updates on Diversity and Inclusion Programs
Hachette Book Group USA ceo Michael Pietsch updated staff last week on the company’s ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts: “This is an incredibly important conversation, about a large number of significant goals. Some we can accomplish quickly, others will take concentrated efforts over years.” As Pietsch admitted in a companywide meeting at the end of June, “We don’t have nearly sufficient diversity at HBG.” The company had reported internally that its workforce is 69 percent white; 4 percent Black; 18 percent Hispanic; 7 percent Asian; and 2 percent bi-multiracial. Senior management is 80 percent white. Among new hires in 2019 […]
Trump Is Trump, Woodward Reveals — But Could Earlier Reporting Have Saved Us?
The Washington Post moved the first story as usual on Bob Woodward’s RAGE, which publishes next Tuesday, and then others followed. Apparently, Trump knew all along how dangerous Covid-19 was, and chose to lie to the public and ignore the peril. In a February 7 interview he told Woodward, “It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flu. This is deadly stuff.” A month later “Trump admitted to Woodward…that he deliberately minimized the danger.” There was immediate backlash online against Woodward for not having revealed any of this at the time. (Woodward explains to his colleague Eric Wemple at the […]
LSC to Close An Indiana Book Printing Plant
With the bankruptcy auction for LSC’s assets underway, at the beginning of this month the company filed notice with the Indiana state government that they will close the former Courier book printing facility in Kendallville, “due to the continued deterioration of market conditions” for four-color higher ed textbooks and “in response to current and expected volumes produced in our 4 color platform.” All 307 jobs at the plant will be eliminated, starting October 1 and finishing by December 23. The offset manufacturing plant is a “predominately trade and educational book, and bible manufacturing operation,” and at one time employed 700 […]