Here are July’s picks: #1: Gold, by Chris Cleave Beautiful Ruins: A Novel, by Jess Walter The Age of Miracles: A Novel, by Karen Thompson Walker The World Without You: A Novel, by Joshua Henkin Alif the Unseen: A Novel, by G. Willow Wilson Things That Are: Essays, by Amy Leach Albert of Adelaide: A Novel, by Howard Anderson 15 Seconds: A Novel, by Andrew Gross Monkey Mind: A Memoir of Anxiety, by Daniel Smith Miss Fuller: A Novel, by April Bernard Juliet in August, by Dianne Warren Into the Darkest Corner: A Novel, by Elizabeth Haynes Shadow of Night: […]
People, Etc.
Derek Krissoff has been named the new editor in chief for the University of Nebraska Press, effective July 16. He has been a senior acquisitions editor at the University of Georgia Press since 2006. John W. Warren has joined Georgetown University Press as marketing and sales director. He has spent the past twelve years as marketing director of RAND Corporation’s publications department. KC Smythe will retire on June 15 from his position as national account manager at Hachette Book Group, after 10 years with the company. Prior to Hachette, he spent 17 years at Ingram, mostly in the buying department, and 6 years as […]
Class Action Suit Filed Against PublishAmerica Alleging “Deceptive Trade Practices”
After years of news reports recounted all manner of dubious practices with respect to its treatment of authors, PublishAmerica is now the defendant in a class-action lawsuit filed June 11 in Maryland State Court alleging a longstanding history of “deceptive trade practices.” In the complaint, first reported on by Writer Beware, plaintiffs Darla Yoos, Edwin McCall, and Kerry Levine say PublishAmerica “presents itself as a traditional publisher but makes money off of its authors” by “falsely representing the services it offered”; provides “services not reasonably designed to promote book sales” leading to significant expenditures by authors; publishes books “riddled with […]
Barnes & Noble Chairman Riggio Will Pay $29 Million To Settle Shareholder Suit Over College Acquisition
The long-running litigation surrounding Barnes & Noble’s August 2009 acquisition of BN College from company founder and chairman Leonard Riggio is finally over, as Riggio has agreed to settle a series of lawsuits launched by shareholders with a $29 million payment from personal funds. But he won’t actually pay out any money personally; rather, he will forgo some money that is currently owed to him by Barnes & Noble. The settlement reduces by $22.75 million a still outstanding $150 million promissory note that Barnes & Noble owes to Riggio as part of College’s acquisition, plus a $6.3 million reduction in […]
HarperCollins Launches 360, A “Global Publishing Program” For Authors
In a move that underscores publishers’ growing desire to maximize the territorial rights they control through direct publishing in a possible markets, HarperCollins announced Wednesday morning that they will launch a new “global publishing program” called HarperCollins 360, starting July 1. The initiative’s goal “is to ensure that all books published by any division of HarperCollins around the world are available in print or digital format in all English-language markets.” In other words, Harper will make certain they are publishing into the US market any titles originated by Harper divisions in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India and Canada where […]
Pynchon, Crichton, and Highsmith eBooks Issued; Another Government Request for eReading
On Tuesday, the Penguin Press released all seven previous novels and one story collection by Thomas Pynchon in ebook editions for the first time. At least some of those titles–such as THE CRYING OF LOT 49–are still issued in print by other publishers (such as HarperCollins). The Penguin Press acquired the ebook rights in a deal with Pynchon’s agent Melanie Jackson. Also newly available as ebooks are the early novels by the late Michael Crichton, including JURASSIC PARK and THE RISING SUN from Ballantine, and THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, CONGO, EATERS OF THE DEAD, THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY, SPHERE, THE TERMINAL […]