As part of its extensive marketing campaign for Michael Chabon’s forthcoming novel TELEGRAPH AVENUE, Harper will convert the Oakland branch of California independent Diesel Books into Brokeland Records — which is the record store co-owned by the main characters in Chabon’s book — between September 7 and 14, the WSJ reports. The store, which will host the launch party for TELEGRAPH AVENUE on September 12, “will sell used jazz records provided by an independent record dealer named Berigan Taylor” and Harper is creating exterior Brokeland Records signage and merchandise. Barnes & Noble has dropped the price of its tablet devices, […]
Briefs: Thomas Nelson Pulls THE JEFFERSON LIES For Unverified Historical Details; Thinly-Veiled Sarkozy “Fable” Tops French Bestseller List; And More
Thomas Nelson announced they will withdraw publication of evangelical conservative David Barton‘s THE JEFFERSON LIES: Exposing the Myths You’ve Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson after concluding that “there were historical details — matters of fact, not matters of opinion, that were not supported at all.” Listings for the book have been removed from online retailers with a recall of physical copies underway, and the rights will be reverted to the author. But Barton tells The Tennessean that his only contact from the publisher “was an email saying it was canceled,” adding that “it was a complete surprise.’ Published in April […]
People: Random UK Creates Division for Licensing and More
Random House UK has created a division, Random House Enterprises, to pursue “multi-platform business opportunities across TV, licensing and merchandising, gaming and live events.” Former vp of international consumer products at Discovery Communications Jo Edwards has been hired as head of licensing. She will report to group commerical director Nigel Waters. Publicity director at Jonathan Cape and Bodley Head Chloe Johnson-Hill moves over to RHE as manager for events. Humorist/essayist David Rakoff, 47, died Thursday night in Manhattan after a three-year battle with cancer. A frequent contributor to This American Life, Rakoff authored the essay collections FRAUD (2001) DON’T GET […]
Indigo First Quarter Sales Dip But Loses Less Money
For their fiscal first quarter ending June 30, Indigo reported sales from continuing operations of C$186.5 million, down 1.8 percent from a year ago, with a net loss of C$5.5 million, significantly less than the $12 million the company lost a year ago. The revenue drop was primarily “driven by lower Kobo eReader sales when compared to the strong launch of the Kobo Touch in the same period last year” and by Indigo closing 8 stores over the past year. The narrowed net loss came about thanks to “improvements in net margins and lower operating expenses” and no longer having […]
Harper Reports “Strong” Fourth Quarter, Takes eBook Settlement Charge
News Corp. reported fourth quarter earnings after the close of the market Wednesday. As usual, the release says almost nothing about their book publishing results and does not mention Harper by name, though the newspaper-dominated “publishing” division saw operating income fall almost in half, at $139 million for the quarter compared to $270 million a year ago. The publishing results “reflect a litigation settlement charge related to sales of e-books,” but the report does not disclose the amount. Part of the $131 million drop in publishing income is due to “a $57 million charge related to the costs of the ongoing investigations […]
Fifty Shades And Lower Returns Bump Up April AAP Numbers, With eBooks At 19.6 Percent Overall Sales
After a flatter overall trade market in March, the AAP numbers for April are the first to reap the benefits of big sales from EL James’ FIFTY SHADES OF GREY TRILOGY, though the numbers have much more to do with cleaner returns (and getting past the Borders bankruptcy) rather than an outright improvement in sales. Net trade sales from reporting publishers totaled $386.4 million for the month, a big $33.8 million ahead of the revised total for April 2011. Net children’s and young adult sales jumped from $97.2 million a year ago to $120.9 million this year. Adult ebook sales […]