Stephanie Hargadon joins St. Martin’s as senior publicist on May 16. Previously she was associate publicist at Macmillan Audio/Macmillan Young Listeners. In editorial promotions at Simon & Schuster Children’s, Kiley Frank has been promoted to associate editor at Atheneum; Amy Currier is assistant managing editor; and Emily Fabre is assistant editor, Margaret K. McElderry Books. In the art department, Giuseppe Castellano is now art director for Little Simon; John Daly is associate art director for Simon Spotlight; Jessica Handelman is associate art director for Pulse and Aladdin; Lauren Rille is associate art director; Laura Roode is senior designer; and Nick Sciacca […]
S&S Debuts Book Battle, a “Social Voting” Facebook App
S&S announced a new Facebook app called Book Battle, which they describe as a “social voting application” and “a fun way to engage with their favorite books and authors on all manner of book-related topics” but which the NYT more succinctly describes as “a literary version of hotornot.com.” The inaugural matchup features two YA novels by Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices, and app users will be able to vote on their favorite of the two books, and which characters they prefer. Other match-ups at launch will feature the UGLIES series by Scott Westerfield and the NIGHT […]
Bookselling: New Amazon Fulfillment Centers; Additional REDGroup Layoffs; and More
Amazon will expand nearly double the size of its fulfillment center in Phoenix, adding approximately 400,000-square feet to the facility. The company will also open a nearly 900,000 square foot fulfillment center in Indianapolis (and add several hundred permanent and seasonal jobs in the process), its third facility in the state. Release On Friday REDGroup Retail cut 25 jobs at its distribution warehouse in Melbourne, with another 14 employees let go at the company’s headquarters in Australia. Five remaining warehouse staff will continue to work for another two weeks before the facility closes, while the head count at headquarters is down […]
Dorchester Tells Now-Disbanded Unofficial Creditors Committee It Does Have a Plan
Early last week Dorchester enthusiastically announced that they will resume publishing “a full trade line” next month. That hopeful message was preceded by a vote of no confidence from the authors whom Dorchester still is said to owe royalties (and in some cases, reversions of rights as well). On April 22, representatives of a group of authors and publishing professionals who had formed unofficial unsecured creditors committee told Dorchester they were disbanding. “The Unofficial Committee has taken this step,” said the representative from law firm Lowenstein Sandler in an email obtained by us, “because it has determined that Dorchester will […]
Bookselling: BAMM Won’t Get Joseph-Beth Inventory; Stores Closing in SF and Brooklyn
Books-A-Million‘s planned takeover of the Joseph-Beth bookstore in Fredericksburg, VA has hit a snag. While the retailer will still occupy the space, they were not able to reach an agreement with Gordon Brothers, the liquidation company that won the store in last month’s auction, for the rights to Joseph-Beth’s inventory. Joe Bell, spokesman for the company that owns the mall where the store is located, told the Free-Lance Star: “Unfortunately, they could not come to an agreement. Therefore, Gordon Brothers has opted to conduct a liquidation sale, something we just learned about.” The liquidation sale began last Friday, and is […]
The June 2011 Indie Next List
Here are the ABA’s June selections: 1. Silver Sparrow, by Tayari Jones State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett Joy for Beginners, by Erica Bauermeister To Be Sung Underwater, by Tom McNeal The Borrower, by Rebecca Mikkai Best Staged Plans, by Claire Cook Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away, by Christie Watson South of Superior, by Ellen Airgood The Beekeeper’s Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honeybees Help to Feed America, by Hannah Nordhaus The Upright Piano Player, by David Abbott Vaclav & Lena, by Haley Tanner Eleven, by Mark Watson Summer of the Bear, by Bella Pollen Faith, by Jennifer […]