Costco has stopped selling books in Hawaii and Alaska, Honolulu Civil Beat reports. The company told publishers that shipping costs were the a reason to stop selling outside of the contiguous US, but that doesn’t account for sales or returns from local distributors and publishers, who benefitted from the discoverability of the warehouse’s book sections for both residents and tourists. “We knew Costco had the ability to reach a broader market and as a result we’d print a wider selection of books and high print runs,” said Buddy Bess, publisher of Hawaiian publisher Bess Press. “Without that widespread distribution, it […]
New Books Publishing October 18
This week’s fiction releases include new work by John Grisham, Ian Rankin, Veronica Roth, George Saunders, Dani Shapiro and newly-anointed Oprah’s Book Club pick Barbara Kingsolver, while nonfiction includes memoirs from Paul Newman, Ralph Macchio and Chelsea Manning. Also out this week are When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner; as well as The Last Chairlift by John Irving, about which S&S ceo Jonathan Karp proclaimed, “I am willing to say under oath that it is one of his very best”–both titles available to sample in our Buzz Books 2022: Fall/Winter collection. 17 works of […]
Harper Collins Union Votes for Second Strike
Three months after their one-day strike on July 20, the Harper Collins Union has voted to authorize another strike, this time open-ended. If they can’t reach an agreement on a contract, union members (who number more than 250) will strike again beginning on November 7. “We have been bargaining for 11 months toward an agreement that would make HarperCollins a more accessible, equitable, and just workplace,” senior production editor and union chairperson Laura Harshberger said. “Once again, the members voted to authorize a strike because the company refuses to agree to a fair contract for the employees that make it […]
Memorial: Merloyd Lawrence
A memorial for book publisher Merloyd Lawrence, who died in June, will take place on Saturday October 22 at 2 PM at King’s Chapel in Boston. It will also be livestreamed.
People 10/14
HarperCollins Institutes Layoffs, Hiring Freeze due to “Cost Pressures”
HarperCollins has eliminated positions and paused hiring due to financial pressures, the company confirmed to PL on Thursday. They shared the following statement: “The business is facing continued cost pressures, including price increases related to printing, production, freight and distribution, and we are taking decisive steps to operate as efficiently as possible. As part of this process, we have made some difficult decisions and a small number of positions have been eliminated as teams restructure.” In a memo to staff, ceo Brian Murray wrote, “For the past several years we have been operating in a state of constant change–shifting resources […]