Founding partner of Folio Literary Management Paige Wheeler will relaunch her previous company, Creative Media Agency, as an affiliate of Folio, relinquishing her partner role and focusing on client management. Wheeler said in the announcement: “I have had a tremendous amount of fun in starting and growing Folio to become a powerful and important agency in a fast-changing industry. Now, though, I’d like to focus more of my efforts on client management. Relaunching CMA as an affiliate of Folio is the best of both worlds — I get the flexibility I want with the support of Folio behind me.” Rachel Marks is joining Rebecca Friedman […]
Legal: Judge Cote Says Apple Faces State Civil Penalties, Expresses Sympathy For Separate Case from Small eBook Retailers
On Thursday Judge Denise Cote issued two separate opinions that solidified her stance against Apple and expressed her opinion that the company’s actions also harmed third-party ebook retailers, even as she stressed they may have difficulty proving their case. In a 45-page opinion, Cote ruled Apple should face state civil penalties in addition to the treble damages expected to be awarded after a trial in August 25. She reasoned “the ‘reprehensibility’ of Apple’s participation in the price fixing conspiracy is proportional to the penalties sought” and that “Apple has expressed no recognition that its conduct was wrongful, suggesting a lack […]
Hachette Book Group Announces Layoffs
Approximately 28 employees were let go by Hachette Book Group on Thursday (which termed the cutbacks as about 3 percent of total staff, without indicating an exact number), according to people familiar with internal announcement. Reductions were made throughout the company, rather than focused on any particular department, and they included some well-known longtime employees and people at the vice president level, plus at least three well-known, longstanding editors. (Per our informal policy, we’re inclined to only list names if people want their departures known.) While the job cuts will be viewed in the context of the current standoff with Amazon — and are likely […]
People, Etc.
Eimear McBride won the Women’s Prize for Fiction for her novel A GIRL IS A HALF-FORMED THING, published by Galley Beggar Press in the UK and by Coffee House Press in the US in September. Prize chair Helen Fraser called the novel “an amazing and ambitious first novel that impressed the judges with its inventiveness and energy. This is an extraordinary new voice – this novel will move and astonish the reader.” Carl Bromley will join The New Press as editorial director. Previously he was editorial director at Nation Books. In addition, Marc Favreau has been promoted to executive editor. […]
Barnes & Noble’s New Digital Strategy: Co-Branded Tablets with Samsung, Nook Exits Palo Alto Offices
For months, Barnes & Noble has promised investors and the press that a new digital strategy was in the works as its Nook operations continued to decline in revenues and lose money. That strategy, announced Thursday, is a partnership with Samsung to create co-branded Galaxy 4 tablets powered by Nook software. The 7-inch tablet is expected to be available for sale in August and will be sold at BN’s stores, where they will be “prominently displayed” alongside the e-Ink Nook Glowlight. BN ceo Michael Huseby said in a statement that working with Samsung on the tablet “will allow [Barnes & Noble] to reduce its […]
People, Etc.
Camille McDuffie is leaving her position as president of Goldberg McDuffie Communications to join the newly-created Columbia Global Reports as publisher, under director Nicholas Lemann. It’s a Columbia University-based publishing project “dedicated to the production of sustained, original reporting and analysis on under-reported global issues for audiences that extend beyond the academy,” and they will produce four to six short books a year, for publication beginning in fall 2015. Also joining the unit as editor is Jimmy So, who was a culture and books editor at The Daily Beast. At William Morrow, Jessica Williams has been promoted to editor. Heather Alexander […]