Authors who published audiobooks with McGraw Hill received an email from the publisher in late June notifying them that their audiobooks would be pulled from Audible on June 30. “After prolonged contract negotiations with Audible over a span of several years, we have been unable to come to terms for the renewal of our agreement,” said the June 24 letter. It continued, “There is the possibility of our reaching some acceptable agreement in the coming weeks but we are not hopeful…. The current terms with Audible are from several years ago, agreed to at a time when audio was not […]
Elliott’s Defamation Suit Against Moira Donegan Moves Forward to Limited Discovery
Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall has denied “Sh—y Media Men List” creator Moira Donegan’s motion to dismiss the defamation lawsuit against her by Stephen Elliott, one of the men who made the list. Donegan might ultimately be entitled to immunity under the Communications Decency Act, but Judge DeArcy Hall ruled on June 30 that the facts in Elliott’s complaint weren’t sufficient to throw the case out on that basis. Instead, the parties will “proceed without delay to narrowly tailored discovery to address factual issues related to Defendant’s CDA immunity defense. Once such discovery is completed, the parties may move for summary […]
McGraw Hill Reports Declining Sales for 2020, with Heavier COVID Impact in the Current Quarter
McGraw Hill issued its first annual report under its new fiscal calendar, with the year ending March 31, 2020, along with its fourth quarter results. Fourth quarter billings were flat, at $241 million, and net sales were $279 million with no comparison figure available. COVID-19 had clear negative impact on the quarter: International billings were dragged down $9 million, or 24 percent; higher ed and K-12 were also impacted, due to school closures. Billings were still flat, however, because higher education sales have been shifting from Q3 to Q4. Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $(39) million, from $(56) million, […]
People, Etc.: Enderlin Named President at St. Martin’s
St. Martin’s Publishing Group publisher Jennifer Enderlin has been promoted to president. Macmillan president Don Weisberg writes in the announcement, “When I arrived at Macmillan six years ago I had heard of the legendary feats of Jen as editor and as publisher, and her success in launching the careers of many #1 bestselling authors. She is indeed an extraordinary editor, publisher, and student of the business whose passion for books is second to none. I have also come to admire her attributes as a friend, colleague, mentor, advisor, and most assuredly as a leader.” Enderlin has all the same direct […]
People, Etc.
Layoffs Barnes & Noble fired a number of employees at its New York headquarters who had been furloughed since March, including a number of veteran buyers. The company didn’t provide a headcount, and confirmed the news in a maddeningly passive statement: “It is with great regret that a number of employees in the corporate office have left our employment. As with so many companies, we evaluate our needs in circumstances much changed by the Covid-19 pandemic. We now have almost all of our bookstores reopened and must align our head office requirements to our store priorities. These are wonderful employees […]
Girl with the Louding Voice Tops Amazon Best Books of the Year So Far
Amazon announced its Best Books of the Year So Far, with Abi Daré’s The Girl with the Louding Voice (Dutton) topping the list, and a full package of titles across 12 categories on the site. (Daré was a monthly Amazon pick in February but not their “spotlight” selection, though the novel was the Read with Jenna book club title that month.) Two of our Buzz Books selections made the list: Saint X, by Alexis Schaitkin (Celadon) and Sharks in the Time of Saviors, by Kawai Strong Washburn (MCD). Their top 20, in ranked order: 1. The Girl with the Louding […]