The University of Michigan Press announced today that it will shift its scholarly publishing program, responsible for producing up to 60 monographs a year, from being primarily a traditional print operation to a primarily digital one within two years. Michigan officials tell Inside Higher Ed that the shift reflects their belief that old scholarly publishing models don’t work and it’s time to stop trying. “I have been increasingly convinced that the business model based on printed monograph was not merely failing but broken,” said Phil Pochoda, director of the Michigan press. “Why try to fight your way through this? Why […]
Literary Rediscoveries: Fallada, Carleton
The Los Angeles Times looks at Melville House’s recent publication of three novels by German writer Hans Fallada, including Every Man Dies Alone, originally released in 1947 but appearing for the first time in English now. The campaign represents “something of a calculated risk” for Melville House, who hopes for “breakthrough success” for the project. LAT HarperPerennial’s republication of Misourri author Jetta Carleton’s 1962 bestseller The Moonflower Vine, the only novel she ever published, merits mention from the Kansas City Star.
People
Claude Durand will step down as CEO of Editions Fayard effective April 8. He will be replaced by Olivier Nora, who remains CEO of Editions Grasset. Philip Walters will retire as chief executive of Hodder Education in October, a post he has held for 30 years. At becker&mayer!, Adrian Liang has been appointed as Associate Publisher, Adult Group. The Taryn Fagerness Agency will now handle foreign rights worldwide for Martin Literary Management.
Ingram Cuts 64 Jobs
Ingram has cut 64 jobs, including 34 at its headquarters warehouse in La Vergne, Tennessee and 30 at its Oregon warehouse. “We’re in this very difficult economic period where retail in all sectors is down,” company spokesman Keel Hunt told the Tennessean. “Ingram is being impacted by a falloff in order from retail booksellers. Their sales are down from the year before.”Tennessean
Australia's Productivity Commission Recommends Open Market Push
A discussion draft released by the Australia Productivity Commission found that the country’s restrictions on parallel imports, which requires that a book must be published in Australia within 30 days of its appearing overseas or face the prospect of competing editions “impose costs on consumers but have some cultural benefits for the community”. The commission recommends keeping the restrictions, but only up to 12 months from the first publication of a book and from then on parallel importation should be “freely permitted.” The Commission’s Deputy Chairman, Mike Woods, said in a statement: “The changes will preserve some certainty for local […]
People
At Chronicle Books, Kimberly Anderson has been named Executive Director of Domestic Sales; Holly Smith has been appointed Associate Director of Trade and Mass Market Sales, and Cathleen Brady has been named Director of Children’s Marketing and Publicity.