In 2005, Random House Inc. imprint Presidio Press published onetime CIA agent Gary Schroen’s First In: An Insider’s Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan to some fanfare and minimal controversy. For four years, and for three different editions, that’s how things remained. Then the mass market edition unblurred a photo of covert CIA agent John Peppe, who was involved in one of the agency’s Afghanistan missions, that was originally blurred in the hardcover, ebook and trade paper editions. That one change by the publisher set off an odyssey of lawsuits, accusations of invasion of […]
People, Etc.
Carol Nygren has joined Thomas Nelson as evp and managing director of the company’s Live Events business in Plano, TX. Previously she was svp of Licensed Live Family Entertainment, part of the Disney Theatrical Group. In an interview on Waterstone’s intranet obtained by the Bookseller, new owner Alexander Mamut claimed the company’s existence was “important for UK society” though was vague on the specifics of ensuring the chain’s survival beyond saying that “massive work” was necessary: “If we can make a turnaround, improve everything, have good books properly displayed, a good atmosphere, good recommendations [with] marketing and investment of course, […]
Amazon Fall Books Preview
It’s August, and that means it’s time for the avalanche of previews for fall books. Amazon kicks things off with a slew of choices in fiction, mystery/thriller, science fiction & fantasy, and non-fiction, as well as their Top 10 Editors’ Picks: INHERITANCE, by Christopher Paolini THE MAGICIAN KING, by Lev Grossman REAMDE, by Neal Stephenson 11/22/63, by Stephen King 1Q84, by Haruki Murakami THE NIGHT CIRCUS, by Erin Morgenstern THE MARRIAGE PLOT, by Jeffrey Eugenides THE SUBMISSION, by Amy Waldman THE ART OF FIELDING, by Chad Harbach BOOMERANG, by Michael Lewis Amazon Fall Books Preview page In other Amazon news, […]
eNews: Guardian Shorts Debuts With Phone Hacking eBook; Melville House’s HybridBooks; and More
The Guardian has entered the digital books space with Guardian Shorts, which will provide “detailed guides to topical news stories, public policy, sports and cultural events” through ebooks ranging from between 5,000 and 30,000 words. Pricing will range from £1.99 to £3.99 “depending on subject area, length and how much new content they contain.” They launch the program with PHONE HACKING: How the Guardian Broke the Story, which packages the paper’s extensive coverage of the scandal with a new final chapter by Guardian editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger. The ebook is priced at £2.29/$2.99 and available on Kindle now and on iTunes […]
Bookselling: Online Store Avid Bookshop Opens Physical Space; New Stores
Online bookseller Avid Bookshop will open a physical store in Athens, GA. The original opening date was set for late 2010, but owner Janet Geddis just recently signed a lease for the space. “We’ve been scheming and dreaming for years,” she told the Athens Banner-Herald, “but even before I wanted a shop, I thought, ‘This spot should be a bookstore. It’s perfect.'” BookSmart, based in Morgan Hill, CA, will open a new branch in Salinas, CA this October in the city’s Steinbeck Center. Monterey County Weekly Rapid City, IA’s new Fifth and Main development project will include a bookstore located […]
Borders CEO Edwards and CFO Henry ‘Terminated’ As Liquidation Continues
Borders’ 399 stores won’t finish the liquidation process until September, but ceo and president Mike Edwards and cfo Scott Henry won’t be around to see the chain through till the end. The two executives’ employment with the company was “terminated” on July 29, according to a Thursday filing with the SEC. Current svp restructuring Holly Felder Etlin, also a managing director of AlixPartners, has been promoted to president, and chief accounting officer and controller Glen Tomaszewski was appointed treasurer. In the same filing, Borders reported they have also paid off in full their obligations to DIP lenders under the amended […]