Lia Ronnen has been promoted to publisher at Artisan, effective September 2. She succeeds Ann Bramson, who will now acquire books across Workman’s imprints with the new title of executive director, special projects at Workman. Of Ronnen’s appointment, Bramson said in the announcement: “Lia is an amalgam of everything one could want in a publisher: editorial vision, graphic sensibility, and sales and marketing savvy. I have an extraordinary successor in place and can now explore some unorthodox concepts and formats that I have been eager to develop for a long time.” Tricia Boczkowski has been named vp, editorial director of […]
Book Sales in Indigo Q1 Grew For First Time in Almost Five Years
Canada’s dominant bookseller Indigo reported fiscal first quarter (for the period ending June 28). Sales increased 5.4 percent, to $180.8 million CA, and the net loss of $14.0 million was an improvement upon the $20.9 million lost at the same time a year ago. Indigo largely attributed the quarter’s revenue growth to the launch of American Girl specialty boutiques (with “outstanding” customer response to the first two boutique stores) and the early timing of Easter, the company also noted that book sales grew “for the first time since fiscal 2010.” Same-store sales for the quarter were up 8.3 percent at […]
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Robin Straus and Andrew Nurnberg have jointly acquired the Wallace Literary Agency, four months after the death of Lois Wallace, who founded the agency in 1988. Jeff Hoffman, who worked for the agency for the past 18 years, will stay on staff. Nurnberg handled foreign rights for her clients for over thirty years, while Straus was a vice-president of an earlier incarnation of Wallace’s agency in the 1980s. The two agents said in an announcement: “We were great admirers of Lois’s literary taste and business acumen and we are committed to representing the distinguished list of the Wallace Literary Agency […]
Courier’s Publishing Division Declines Again
Courier reported third quarter earnings, as their publishing business continues to shrink. Sales of $8.5 million were down 4.4 percent, though the operating loss of $493,000 was a small improvement, almost half the operating loss at the same time a year ago. Sales were flat at Dover and their REA line but down at Creative Homeowner, with their REA line growing 2 percent and Dover bolstered by their Creative Haven line of adult coloring books. Operating results improved at both Dover and REA, with REA showing a profit both for the quarter and for the year to date. Companywide, sales […]
eNews: Sainsbury Takes Full Control of Anobii; Nook GlowLight in the UK; and More
Sainsbury’s is now the sole owner of fledgling ebookstore Anobii, the Bookseller reports, buying out Penguin Random House’s 24 percent stake and Harper UK’s 12 percent stake. (The company first acquired HMV’s 64 percent stake in Anobii in 2012.) Sainsbury’s said the move “gives it full control of the platform as part of its growing Sainsbury’s Entertainment digital offer”, with plans to expannd its current website selling film, music and books. Barnes & Noble will sell its current version of Nook GlowLight in the UK for £89, with the ereader stocked in retailers including Argos, ASDA, Blackwells, Foyles, John Lewis, […]
“Traditional Titles” Dip Slightly in 2013, Bowker Reports
Bowker released its estimates of print book production for 2013, noting that what they call “traditional” output–which includes self-publishers like CreateSpace, but excludes public domain POD factories like BiblioBazaar — dipped 2 percent from 309,957 titles in 2012 to a projected 304,912 titles in 2013. Despite the decline as compared to the previous year (and general growth in the several years before then) Bowker said the result “points to a relatively stable market for print works despite competition from e-books.” The public domain business (or what Bowker refers to as “nontraditional” titles) declined far more significantly, to 1,108,183 titles, a […]