With each passing year the annual ABA Winter Institute has become a showcase for emerging writers and a place to pre-launch what publishers hope will be summer hits – especially in fiction. Some of the 40-odd authors who appeared at Wi5 last year included Adam Ross (MR. PEANUT), Danielle Trussoni (ANGELOLOGY) Justin Cronin (as part of the massive pre-pub blitz for THE PASSAGE), Brady Udall (THE LONELY POLYGAMIST) and Karl Marlantes (MATTERHORN). For Wi6, which starts today in Washington, DC, the number of attending authors is up to 56 and chatter on Facebook and Twitter indicates it’s going to be […]
Book Fairs
People, Etc.
Bruce Tracy will join Workman as a senior editor. With over twenty years experience in adult trade publishing, he was executive editor and editorial director at Villard and most recently has been freelancing as a writer and editor. At HarperCollins, Ben Bruton has been promoted to senior director of publicity for the Morrow/Avon division, and Brianne Halverson has been promoted to director of publicity. At Harper Children’s, Amy Ryan has been promoted to art director. She has been with the company since 2000. Jonathan Franzen will deliver the address at Kenyon College’s commencement next May. BEA has officially anounced Italy […]
Customers Tell BEA and ALA to Stay Separate, and They Agree
BEA and the American Library Association issued a joint statement explaining that their discussions of co-locating and co-managing the two shows have come to an end. “Many are aware that ALA has been talking with Reed Exhibitions (BookExpo America) about the possibility of co-locating the ALA Annual Conference and BookExpo America. The American Library Association and BookExpo America are today jointly announcing that discussions regarding any co-location of the two events have been concluded. “Communication from exhibitors, attendees and association members indicated that each show is serving its constituency, and after extensive discussion, the ALA Executive Board determined that current […]
The Big Events’ Non-Events
With digital discussion and diminished expectations for future print sales ever more present at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, the crystallizing moment came down to this: the Nobel prize was given to a well-known, widely-translated author with a big backlist–but none of those many English editions are available as ebooks. I don’t think that’s a statement you’ll hear again in the future, and it encapsulates many of the dichotomies and conflicts of the current transitional moment. (Since the Carmen Balcells Agency has been reluctant to grant those rights, no English ebook editions are currently expected.) It will be interesting to […]
Sun Shines On Frankfurt
One advantage of holding the Frankfurt Book Fair a little earlier than usual is the uncharacteristically lovely weather, with a forecast for sunny, pleasant days all week (a welcome contrast for visiting New Yorkers at the least). If not for the headline-making European security warnings (and countless advisories from spouses at home), you would have no idea of any reason for concern. Security was mellow enough at the airport that the customs agent didn’t even ask why I was here and simply stamped my passport. A modest squad of police protected the front of the fair yesterday while Chancellor Angela […]
Marcus Aligns with Open Road; Twilight Illustrated Guide for April, 2011; and More
Former president of Scholastic’s children’s book publishing and consultant Barbara Marcus has been working with Open Road as an adviser for children’s publishing and is in Frankfurt with the Open Road team. She “will help spearhead” their entrance into the children’s market as well as advise on international business development and general strategic issues. Her first acquisition is ebook editions of The Boxcar Children, the classic series that comprises 123 titles. The first 19 will be available for this Christmas; the balance of the line will come to market during 2011. Marcus says in the announcement, “I believe that Open […]