The AAP released their StatShot report for June, which shows a big month lifting trade sales — making up for the declines registered in April and May and putting reported sales up modestly for the “Covid quarter.” June stats were likely lifted by a combination of stores reopening and replenishing inventory, big releases such as John Bolton’s memoir, and the surge in interest in books by Black authors. Additionally, digital sales remained high in the month, even as print orders rebounded. While April and May stats showed much lower gross shipments to stores as well as significantly lower returns, the […]
Lagardere Pushes Back on Reinforced Dissident Shareholders
Lagardere looked to have triumphed over agitation from activist shareholder Amber Capital this spring, when some leading French investors provided support to the company and its managing partner Arnaud Lagardere. Billionaire Vincent Bollore and Vivendi (which he controls) had bought shares in the company and voted to support Mr. Lagardere, and then Groupe Arnault bought a 25 percent stake in Lagardère Capital & Management from Mr. Lagardere. But last week Vivendi surprised French investors by switching sides and signing a “pact” with Amber in seeking to shake up Lagardere’s management and board. Citing “the very poor results announced” at the […]
New Books Publishing August 18
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: 15 new works of fiction https://bookshop.org/lists/new-fiction-publishing-august-18 8 new nonfiction titles https://bookshop.org/lists/new-nonfiction-publishing-august-18 More new children’s and YA titles https://bookshop.org/lists/new-children-s-titles-publishing-in-august 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 form to submit brief details as well: publun.ch/submitNotable
Trade Organizations Ask Congress to Limit Amazon’s Anti-Competitive Behavior
As Congress has been investigating big tech companies for anti-competitive behavior and searching for ways to regulate these ever-growing giant entities, three publishing trade organizations have joined together to focus attention on the obvious monopoly that is easy to address. The chief executives of the AAP, the Authors Guild and the ABA sent a joint letter to House Antitrust Subcommittee chair Representative David Cicilline regarding the “concentrated power and influence” of Amazon. “The competitive framework of the publishing industry has been fundamentally altered in recent years—and remains at serious risk of further diminishment—because of the Amazon’s concomitant market dominance allows […]
Briefs
Further to Little, Brown Children’s report on overall sales for the debut of Stephenie Meyer’s MIDNIGHT SUN, NPD Bookscan tracked sales of almost 525,000 hardcovers in the first week on sale. That’s well ahead of the opening week hardcover sales recorded back in May for Suzanne Collins’ much-anticipated Hunger Games prequel THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES. However, though not widely reported, Collins’ book still ranks as the year’s No. 1 print release on Bookscan’s charts. In hardcover fiction, Delia Owen’s WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING is next, followed by Jeanine Cummins’ AMERICAN DIRT. In new releases, Delacorte will publish civil […]
Michael Cohen’s Book to be Published by…Skyhorse
Michael Cohen launched his forthcoming memoir DISLOYAL on Thursday through his own website, where he posted the foreword as well: “I stiffed contractors on his behalf, ripped off his business partners, lied to his wife Melania to hide his sexual infidelities, and bullied and screamed at anyone who threatened Trump’s path to power. From golden showers in a sex club in Vegas, to tax fraud, to deals with corrupt officials from the former Soviet Union, to catch and kill conspiracies to silence Trump’s clandestine lovers, I wasn’t just a witness to the president’s rise—I was an active and eager participant.” […]