With our story on the closing of Atavist Books, it’s helpful to examine the larger picture of the digital publishing start-up space. In response to a reader query, here is a look at 2014 activity, which breaks into two categories: Companies acquired and/or closed in distress or decline, and those acquired opportunistically, drawn from our comprehensive list of M&A activity throughout the year: Acquired and/or Closed In Distress in 2014 Atavist Books (closing) > IAC/Atavist Inc. Angry Robot > Etan Ilfeld Byliner.com > Vook Red Room (closed) > Wattpad Readmill (closed) > Dropbox Anobii > Mondadori Bilbary > liquidating CourseSmart > […]
Atavist Books to Close At the End of the Year
Atavist Books, the digital-first book publishing joint venture founded and funded by IAC and film producer Scott Rudin, will shut down operations on December 31 and no longer publish new works. The software and media enterprise The Atavist will continue, however, and will take over Atavist Books’ assets along with IAC — which has a minority stake in The Atavist. In fact, Atavist, Inc. just closed another $2 million debt/funding round in which IAC once again participated. Atavist Inc. ceo and founder Evan Ratliff told us, “While that partnership [with Atavist Books] won’t continue, Atavist itself is currently stronger than ever, and we’re […]
People
Open Road announced a number of promotions in its marketing department. Allison Underwood has been promoted to director, digital marketing & analytics. Laura DeSilva has been promoted to senior marketing manager, while Amy Grillo moves up to senior merchandising manager. Jack Palmer has been promoted to marketing & analytics manager, while Grace Srinivasiah moves up to digital marketing associate. Peg O’Donnell has joined Lonely Planet as senior sales manager & children’s specialist. Previously she was a national account manager at Publishers Group West. Tim Close has joined David C. Cook as senior director of marketing. Previously he was ceo at […]
People, Etc.
St. Martin’s Press announced a number of promotions in its art department. Mike Storrings has been promoted to vp, creative director, while David Rotstein has been promoted to executive art director, with the additional title of creative art director for Minotaur. Finally, Olga Grlic has been promoted to executive art director, Griffin and SMP Mass Market Paperbacks. Chief Publishing Officer at David C. Cook Dan Rich will retire from the company in May 2015 after more than eight years with the company. Prior to joining David C. Cook Rich served as founding publisher of NavPress and WaterBrook Press and held […]
McSweeney’s Becomes a Nonprofit
San Francisco-based publisher McSweeney’s announced it will go forward as a nonprofit organization, with the intent of obtaining 501(c)3 status next year. For now McSweeney’s, founded in 1998, will run as a fiscally sponsored project of SOMArts, which runs the South of Market Cultural Center in San Francisco. In a telephone interview with the SF Chronicle founder Dave Eggers explained the move: “We’ve always been a hand-to-mouth operation, and every year it gets just a little harder to be an independent publisher. An independent literary title that might have sold 10,000 copies 10 years ago might sell 6,000 now, for example.” […]
People, Etc.
After selling a reported 4.8 million copies of her ebooks worldwide, author Barbara Freethy will use Ingram Publisher Services to distribute her work in print worldwide, published through her company Hyde Street Press. The press launches in spring 2015 with four books, including titles from Freethy’s Callaway Series. She expects to issue 6 to 8 books a year in print (having authored 40 titles in all). Freethy will use Ingram’s publishing and inventory management services as well as their print-on-demand worldwide network. At Harper Perennial, Maya Ziv has been promoted to senior editor. At the Washington Post, Carlos Lozada will […]