Former Weidenfeld & Nicolson publisher Kirsty Dunseath will become publishing director for Doubleday UK, starting March 25 and reporting to fiction publisher Sarah Adams. As of January 1, Nation Books will be renamed Bold Type Books, as the Nation Institute itself is changing its name to Type Media Center. Jon Krakauer has moved to Gersh for representation…
Bestseller Radar
More 2018 Data: Becoming Is Not Amazon’s No. 1 Book
Amazon has released their annual “Charts” package for 2018 highlighting some bestselling books and other notables. Last year they focused on the “most read” books of the year, but this time they return to a more conventional lens on the most sold books. In another adjustment, this year, the Charts include sales across print, Kindle,…
People, Etc.: Obamas, and More
Michelle Obama‘s BECOMING was the second-best-selling book in the UK in its opening week, selling 64,732 hardcovers as tracked by Nielsen Bookscan UK. (That’s a little better than Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury in its best week in the UK, when it sold almost 60,000 hardcovers.) You may recall that it was initially expected that…
What’s Working: Delia Owens’ Fiction Debut
The WSJ takes a look at nonfiction writer Delia Owens’ bestselling debut novel, WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. Now 69, Owens says she spent 10 years on the book, which was boosted to bestsellerdom a few weeks after its release on August 14 when Reese Witherspoon made it her September book club pick. “I’ve wanted to…
Sales News: Comey, Gaines, McNamara and More
The NYT’s mistaken account that James Comey’s early sales for A HIGHER LOYALTY had “dwarfed” those of Michael Wolff’s FIRE AND FURY from January is quickly put to rest by Bookscan’s updated tabulation for the sales week ending April 29. After two weeks on sale, Comey has recorded sales of approximately 446,000 hardcover copies through…
People, Etc.
At Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Becky Saikia-Wilson has been promoted to svp, trade associate publisher. Lyndsay Calusine has been promoted to lead designer on the creative services, design and promotion team. Penny Scott-Bayfield will join Bloomsbury as group finance director on July 16, taking over from Wendy Pallot, who will step down on that day. Scott-Bayfield is…