At least one sponsor of tomorrow’s National Book Awards ceremony recently withdrew their support of the event. CEO of Zibby Media Zibby Owens provided PL with a lengthy statement and posted it Tuesday morning. Owens had written to NBF executive director Ruth Dickey earlier this week after hearing a report that nominees might be planning collective action at the ceremony. Owens reports she wrote in an email, “I am deeply troubled to learn that all the nominees of the National Book Awards this year have decided to collectively band together to use their speeches to promote a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israeli agenda. […]
Harper’s Rebound Begins
After what HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray had called “a tough quarter, and a tough year,” the publisher has begun a turnaround in results. Fiscal first quarter sales were $525 million, up $38 million from $487 million a year ago (but still behind the $546 million they recorded in 2021). Margins rebounded as well, with EBITDA of $65 million — similarly up from $39 million a year ago, but still behind $85 million in 2021. The company cited “lower manufacturing costs, primarily due to product mix, and lower freight and distribution costs as supply chain challenges and inventory and inflationary pressures […]
Barnes & Noble Expects to Open 50 New Stores in 2024
As Barnes & Noble continues to announce new store openings for this fall, the company has updated their standard press release language with a significant addition: “The bookseller expects to open…over 50 [new bookstores] in 2024.” As with the 30 or more stores the company expects to have opened in 2023, there is no indication of how many of those locations might be new stores, and how many are replacement stores for recent or existing locations. Throughout 2023, the published store count has remained at “approximately 600 bookstores.” and many, though not all, of the new locations have been smaller […]
Still Wily
Alex Blasdel has a “long read” piece in the Guardian about Andrew Wylie that’s a melange of eulogy, profile, mild takedown and perhaps book proposal. The reporter understands the Wylie myth-making and reporters’ role in perpetuating it, but at the same time can’t help but add to it: “Wylie is the world’s most mythologized literary agent, it is partly because the caricature of him as a plunderer of literary talent and pillager of other agencies has been so irresistible to the media, and at times to Wylie himself.” Yet he is billed as “the world’s most renowned – and for […]
Harper Children’s Promotes Executives
Following the abrupt departure of Harper Children’s president and publisher Suzanne Murphy in September, the division’s new top executive Liate Stehlik announced a number of promotions under her. “This new structure will bring together our editorial imprints, allowing us to publish to each group’s unique points of view and sensibilities more,” she wrote. Rich Thomas has been promoted svp, executive director publishing, HarperCollins Children’s Books, leading editorial strategy with oversight of the children’s group imprints. Nancy Inteli and Erica Sussman have been promoted to vp, publisher, for the Harper Group, continuing to report to Thomas. Inteli will add management of […]
Lagardere Becomes CEO of Hachette Livre
Arnaud Lagardère has been named chair and CEO of Hachette Livre, replacing Pierre Leroy, who took over following the departure of Arnaud Nourry after he had opposed the sale of the company. Leroy retains his other role as deputy ceo of parent company Lagardere, just as Mr. Lagardere retains his other role as ceo of the parent company (which presumably now leaves him reporting to…himself). Lagardère says in the announcement: “In light of the impending merger of the Lagardère group and Vivendi, I wanted to demonstrate my historical and deep-rooted attachment to the book trade, which the Lagardère family has […]