The University of Georgia Press announced its acquisition of NewSouth Books, founded in 2000 and based in Montgomery, Alabama, with a catalog of over 400 titles. Publisher Suzanne La Rosa will join UGA Press on July 1 and continue to publish 8-12 new titles annually under the NewSouth imprint. Editor-in-chief Randall Williams will continue to edit selected titles and recommend works for acquisition. UGA Press director Lisa Bayer said in the announcement: “NewSouth Books has always punched above its weight in representing the culturally complex and socially significant Deep South to the world. We are thrilled to honor Randall and […]
AAP Meeting Highlights Challenges to Books and Copyright
The AAP convened a virtual annual meeting on Monday, with current board chair (and ceo of HBG USA) Michael Pietsch and AAP president and ceo Maria Pallante reminding the audience of the organization’s current core values and reviewing the abundant challenges they are confronting. “As an industry, we must therefore be vigorously involved in the policy battles that threaten our industry,” Pallante said. “Big Tech” was mentioned multiple times in her remarks, along with “the radical, systematic infringements of the Silicon-valley based Internet Archive, a case we continue to litigate in New York, and the misguided but aggressive actions of […]
Qatar Will Retain Lagardere Stock
Qatar Holding, a longtime major shareholder in Lagardere, announced over the weekend that it will not tender it shares to Vivendi, meaning it will hold on to its stock. The investment authority was given a board seat last year. They note in the press release, “Qatar Holding LLC may consider acquiring or selling Lagardère S.A. shares depending on market opportunities and/or applicable regulatory requirements.” Their decision should not affect Vivendi acquiring control of Lagardere in the tender offer, since Vivendi already controlled over 45 percent of shares before launching the offer. In other Lagardere news, catching up for the record, […]
Agents Association Revises Canon of Ethics, Expands Membership Criteria
The Association of American Literary Agents (FKA the Association of Authors’ Representatives) announced a significant revision of their Canon of Ethics, which is the industry’s primary set of guidelines for ethical and appropriate practices in representation. It includes a variety of “clarifications and updates focused on modernizing” the rules, with the organization calling out new “parameters…to allow AALA members to take on paid editorial work for non-client authors while maintaining the organization’s rigorous commitment to the highest standards of ethical representation.” That new standard indicates that “members may provide editorial services in exchange for a fee to authors who are […]
Bookselling: Two Replacement Barnes & Noble Stores to Open
On Monday, May 9 the chain will open an “interim store” in Flagstaff, AZ — filling in for a longstanding location that closed in January, “while a new permanent location is being determined.” Then on May 11, they will open a new standing store in Blue Springs, MO outside of Kansas City, replacing a store in Independence, MO that closed in February.
Bernardini Gets Postponement for “A Mitigation Submission”
A status conference in the case of accused manuscript thief Filippo Bernardini has been postponed for the second time at the request of the defense, now rescheduled from May 4 to July 6. Federal defender Hannah McCrea wrote that “the defense is preparing a mitigation submission” and wants more time to complete the package “and give the government time to consider it.” The previous postponement was for the defense to “complete review of the discovery that has been produced.”