As expected, Quarto completed its secondary share offer, raising $16.7 million in net proceeds. They say existing shareholders took 57 percent of the new shares, with the Giunti family taking a significant stake and CK Lau filling the rest of the offer. The Giuntis did acquire 6.2 million shares as planned. (Update: It was confirmed later in a filing at the end of February that Lau acquired approximately 9.4 million of the new shares, boosting the stake he controls to 16.27 million shares, or 39.8 percent of the company.) Separately, Australian online bookseller Booktopia has bought the assets of the […]
Bookstores
Briefs: Bookselling, Business and February Picks
Michael Whyte, owner of Whyte’s Booksmith in San Anselmo, CA is looking for a buyer for his store. Whyte stipulates that he will only sell to a buyer who “who will continue to operate the shop as-is.” The bookstore has been in operation for 39 years. The ABA reports that 111 new independent bookstores joined the organization in 2019, up from 99 in 2018. They write, “The new stores include a romance bookstore, a veteran-owned bookstore, a youth-based bookstore, a bookmobile, and 20 branches of existing businesses. In addition, 25 established ABA member stores were bought by new owners; in […]
People, Etc.
Helen Richard O’Hare will join Mulholland Books and Little, Brown as editor starting February 3. She was formerly associate editor at Putnam. Randi Kramer has been promoted to assistant editor at Celadon Books. At St. Martin’s Meghan Harrington has been promoted to publicist and Clare Mauer to associate publicist. At Scholastic Trade, Mary Kate Garmire has joined as production editor. She was previously development editor at Oxford University Press. Jake Snyder has joined as production editor. He was previously at SaveAround where he managed the production of fundraising publications. Shannon Pender has been promoted to marketing associate, young adult. Caroline Noll becomes […]
Winter Institute: What Booksellers Need the Most
The ABA convened yet another vibrant and successful Winter Institute, which featured ever-expanded programming and attendance, all substantially underwritten by supporting publishers, as was acknowledged at Thursday afternoon’s Town Hall meeting. If you were listening carefully, however, there is really one issue that matters the most to independent booksellers: Turning this “higher calling” into a truly viable, profitable profession. You heard it in incoming ABA ceo Allison Hill’s brief remarks at the beginning of WI: “Running our businesses is increasingly a challenge, and I believe this moment in time is a critical one for our industry…. The measure of our […]
People, Etc.
At Berkley, Jen Monroe and Kristine Swartz have each been promoted to senior editor. Tiffany Shelton has been promoted to associate editor at St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books. At Chronicle Books, Lydia Ortiz has been promoted to senior designer, children’s; Beth Steiner to production director, purchasing & vendor management; and Erin Thacker to production director, creative development. OR Books co-founder John Oakes will step down as co-publisher on May 1. He will remain on the board and continue to edit current projects. Jacob Bronstein left Apple after almost 9 years at the company, most recently as senior marketing manager for Apple Podcasts, […]
People, Etc.
Rachel Fershleiser will join Counterpoint Press/Catapult/Soft Skull in early February as associate publisher, executive marketing director. She was senior director of marketing at Knopf. Also in February, Alyson Forbes will join the company as associate publisher, head of sales. She was vp, executive director of marketing strategy at Hachette Book Group. Emma Brodie will join Little, Brown’s Voracious on January 29 as executive editor, reporting to Michael Szczerban. She was previously senior editor for the Morrow Gift line at William Morrow. At Sourcebooks, Meg Gibbons has been promoted to senior editor, Simple Truths. At Doubleday, Nora Grubb and Cara Reilly have […]