Holland’s WPG (Weekblad Pers Groep) is merging some its well-known imprints in response to difficult market conditions. Arbeiderspers is going to merge with Bruna, relocating to Utrecht next January while maintaining a small office in Amsterdam. And Balans is going to merge with De Bezige Bij. Now that Waterstone’s has been sold, former parent company HMV reveals in its annual earnings report that the bookseller’s overall sales fell 14.4 million pounds for the year (with comps falling 3.8 percent) at £499.2 million, but operating profit rose to £9.5 million, compared to £2.8 million the year before. HMV also took a £110.5 million pound writedown […]
Bookstores
Amazon Ends California Affiliates As New Tax Bill Is Signed
California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that requires online retailers with affiliates in the state to collect sales tax. Amazon promptly informed its thousands of California affiliates that it was terminate those relationships, effective immediately. The company said in an e-mail that it is “also working on alternative ways to help California residents monetize their websites and will be sure to contact you when these become available.”
Bookselling: Stores to Close Pittsfield, MA; Kent, OH; and Occoquan, VA
Today brings the news of three store closings. DuBois Bookstore, a family-owned institution which opened 75 years ago near Kent State University, closed Tuesday without prior warning. “After almost 75 years of business, it has been an honor and a privilege to serve the students, faculty and staff of Kent State University and the community of Kent. Thank you for your patronage” read a message on the bookstore’s Facebook page. No additional explanation was given by the store’s owners. Record Publishing On July 21, Chapters Bookstore in Pittsfield, MA will close after just three years in business. Susan and Leo […]
Retail: Amazon’s Hits So Far, and Two Actual Bombs At A Colorado Borders
Amazon’s editors have announced their Best Books of the Year So Far lists. In addition to an overall Top 10 list, the etailer selects Top 10s for 12 categories of print books, and in a new twist, nine categories of Kindle books. Even on the Kindle lists, comprising 90 books in all, titles from traditional publishers dominate. The Kindle lists do include five Kindle singles (from Jon Krakauer, as well as titles by Cecelia Holland, Oliver Broudy, James Powell, and Mara Altman). The one sort-of self-published sort-of full-length title on the list is Seth Godin’s 96-page Poke the Box, from […]
Nebraska Book Co. Files for Bankruptcy with Debt Restructuring Agreements In Place
Nebraska Book Company, which has been headed towards bankruptcy at least since March in order to restructure a significant debt load, has filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware and at the same time announced agreements with their largest creditors. Though they are not calling it a prepackaged bankruptcy, the privately-owned Nebraska Book says they already have the necessary approvals from holders of over 95 percent of a debt tranche that is due in 2012 and more than 75 percent of notes that mature this December. The company says on their web site that the Chapter 11 filing is required to […]
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 […]