With a shortfall of about £36m to overcome, Hachette UK will stop making contributions to Orion and Hodder pension funds as of September 30. Ceo Tim Hely Hutchinson gave two months notice to affected staffers in May that they will be switched over to Hachette’s “defined contribution pension scheme”, but 36 Orion employees are in talks as to what that entails – and whether Hachette’s offer fulfills the terms of the original contract. (Only company employees who have been with Hachette since 2003 are affected, since the company dropped the option for new staffers that year.) A strangely-worded piece in […]
Losses Widen For Hastings In Second Quarter
Hastings Entertainment reported results for its second quarter early Monday morning and the losses continue to mount. The company reported a net loss of $4.1 million (or 47 cents a share) compared to a loss of just $100,000 a year ago, with a negative EBITDA of almost $500,000 for the quarter (compared to a positive EBITDA of $4.3 million at this time last year.) Overall book comps decreased 9.4 percent for the quarter, affected by “a weaker slate of titles released during the current quarter and the increasing popularity of e-readers”; new book sales fell 8.1 percent and used book […]
Briefs: Pearson Gets Go-Ahead To Buy REDGroup Online Business; Sharing Google Books in Google+; and More
Some of the news that’s accumulated on a Friday in August: The Australian Competition Commission announced it “would not oppose” Pearson’s acquisition of the bankrupt REDGroup Retail’s online business, including the websites for Borders Australia and Angus & Robertson. saying it “will provide a summary of the reasons for its decision in due course.” Administrators Ferrier Hodgson also said that creditors must lodge any last claims against REDGroup by September 1, with final dividends due to be paid out in October. In addition, any customers still holding Angus & Robertson and Borders gift cards who file claims with administrators will […]
People, Etc.
Nicole de Jackmo has been named publicity manager for Quirk Books. Previously she was a senior publicist for Running Press. Meghan Cassidy joins Free Press as senior publicist as of Monday, August 15. Previously she was a senior account executive at Widmeyer Communications. Joy Aquilino has joined Sixth&Spring Books as editorial director. Previously she was executive editor of Watson-Guptill/Potter Craft. At Phaidon Press, Peter Tittiger has been promoted to publicist. At Lonely Planet, Gary Todoroff has been promoted to v-p, sales, Brice Gosnell moves up to v-p, publishing, and publisher, Americas, Marc Visnick has been promoted to director of sales, […]
‘Elf On the Shelf’ Publishers Sue Adams Media Over Parody
CCA and B, LLC, which publishes the holiday book ELF ON THE SHELF, appear to be unamused at the prospect of a parody due for publication on October 18 by Adams Media, so much so they are suing the company – as well as editor Brendan O’Neill, publicist Beth Gissinger, designer Jessica Faria, and parent company F+W Media – in Georgia District Court. According to the 19-count complaint filed on June 24, Adams’ ELF OFF THE SHELF: A Christmas Tradition Gone Bad, infringes on CCA and B’s trademarks, copyright, and domain name, and they seek both a jury trial and […]
People, Etc.
Brian Ulicky has been named publicity manager for Blue Rider Press, starting September 6. He was most recently at Simon & Schuster, also as a publicity manager. Simon & Schuster Children’s has announced a number of new hires and promotions. Ariel Colletti has moved to the Atheneum imprint, where she will remain an assistant editor, and editorial assistant Dani Young will also oversee the coordinating of all three imprints’ paperback conversions, repackages, as well as managing the back ad library. In addition, Amy Rosenbaum has joined as an editorial assistant, having recently completed the Columbia Publishing Course. Penguin rep Ann […]