The expected media frenzy after JK Rowling’s Pottermore announcement Thursday came with the usual hyperbole and breathless talk of how selling ebooks direct will “change” publishing (because one can always extrapolate on the future based on the creative approach of one author, especially one as successful as Rowling in terms of marketing to and reaching readers) or that Rowling blazes a trail for self-publishing, never mind that her main publishers Bloomsbury and Scholastic will receive royalties off of each and every direct ebook sale. More interesting and relevant is how Pottermore affects physical and online retailers whose profits once depended […]
Authors
Pottermore Launches, Will Sell Ebooks in October
After days of feverish speculation, JK Rowling announced her new interactive and collaborative site Pottermore at a press conference Thursday morning. It’s free for users and features new illustrations and interactive “moments.” And yes, there will be ebooks, which the site will sell exclusively and directly to users, along with audiobook versions of all seven Potter books. The digital editions will be available for a variety of platforms through OverDrive. But even though the ebook and audiobook editions will only be available at Pottermore, her print publishers Bloomsbury and Scholastic are partnering in the venture and will receive unspecified royalties. […]
People, Etc.
Random House Children’s announced a number of promotions in its production department. Mary Ellen Owens has been promoted to production manager, while Shameiza Ally and Natalia Dextre move up to production supervisor. Claribel Vasquez also joins the department as production supervisor, moving over from corporate reprints. F+W Media announced a number of staff hires. Jamie Wilkinson has joined the company as group publisher/community leader, Automotive/Outdoors. Previously she was senior director of operations and business development at ESPN outdoors. Paul Dinas joins as business editor, arriving from Alpha Books where he was a senior editor. In addition, Simone Parham joins as […]
Random Revives Loveswept As Digital-Only Romance Imprint
The Random House Publishing Group is bringing back its once-popular romance imprint Loveswept (originated by Bantam Books and closed down a few years ago) as a digital-only imprint this August with eight titles, including Iris Johansen’s new novel THIS FIERCE SPLENDOR and others by Sharon & Tom Curtis, Deborah Smith, Juliana Garnett and Sally Goldenbaum. From then on the imprint, which will publish ebooks simultaneously in North America and the UK through Transworld, will bring out one new e-release every month and reissue select backlist titles. In the US each title will include bonus content, and the classic titles will […]
Briefs: Pottermore Details Leaked; BN eBook Market Share; Indies Charging For Events, Again; And More
The Times UK claims they received an “official marketing memo” by mistake with details about JK Rowling’s Pottermore website, which officially launches Thursday at 7 AM EDT at an event at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. According to the story, Pottermore is “a sophisticated online game that contains clues to prizes that are hidden in the real world. These are an unstated number of magic wands secreted in Britain and America, and possibly other countries.” The Times notes it’s still not clear whether the treasure hunt is Pottermore itself, or a marketing ploy, or if the “leak” is […]
People: Coffee House Publisher Kornblum To Retire
Coffee House Press founder and publisher Allan Kornblum will retire from the company, with associate publisher Chris Fischbach to succeed him as publisher. Kornblum, who founded the press in 1973, told the Twin Cities Daily Planet he’ll concentrate on more systems cleanup and on fundraising projects, and he has begun to write his own memoir. Twin Cities Daily Planet Workman has announced a series of promotions and new hires. Raquel Jaramillo has been promoted to both editorial director and creative director of children’s publishing, reporting to Suzie Bolotin, and she will also serve as acting creative director for the overall […]