Last week Barnes & Noble let go the numerous freelance bloggers who wrote for the Teen and Sci-Fi and Fantasy blogs, as part of the company-wide refocus on booksellers. Dahlia Adler, a writer for BN Teen tweeted that “every single freelancer at B&N” had been let go. She added to PL, “As far as I know, B&N cut all freelancers loose…but no actual employees.” Aiden Mohler, a writer for SFF blog the posted on Twitter, “All freelancers at B&N SFF blog were informed today they’d no longer be contracting work and to invoice for outstanding work immediately.” Barnes & Noble […]
Bookstores
Briefs
Legal Audible attorney Emily Reisbaum advised the court on Thursday that they are still in discussions with publishers regarding a potential resolution of the Captions lawsuit. Their next progress report will come on or before December 3. Awards Julia Lovell won the 2019 Cundill History Prize for Maoism (Knopf). Bookselling Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego needs to vacate their Balboa Avenue storefront in 60 days — their lease expired in August — and “unless a new buyer and new location are found immediately, Mysterious Galaxy will be forced to close its doors.” They have been looking for a new […]
People, Etc.
Marianne Velmans, publishing director at Doubleday UK, will retire in April, after 31 years with the imprint. She will be succeeded by Kirsty Dunseath who joined as publishing director in March. Transworld manager director Larry Finlay told The Bookseller, “Not only is Marianne a wonderful editor and publisher but she is also a lovely, warm, supportive person. It has been a huge pleasure to work with her for so long. She is smart, dedicated, and a fabulous champion both of her authors and her colleagues. So many have benefitted from her wisdom and care over the years. We will all […]
People, Etc.: Atsma Moves to Ecco
Helen Atsma will join Ecco as vp, editorial director on December 2, reporting to Daniel Halpern and filling the position vacated recently by Megan Lynch. She has been editorial director, fiction at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kelly O’Connor Lonesome is joining Tom Doherty Associates as senior editor for Nightfire. She was previously at Orbit, though for the last two years she has been a Bay Area bookseller and at the University of California. Ashley Gilliam has been promoted to senior marketing manager at Scribner. Amy Habayeb has been promoted to associate director, subsidiary rights at Simon & Schuster Children’s. Emily Osborn has […]
People, Etc.
Heather Kelly has joined Abrams Children’s as senior designer. Previously she was senior designer at Sterling Children’s. At HG Literary, Soumeya Bendimerad Roberts was promoted to vp, foreign rights, and Rhea Lyons was named director, film/TV rights. Controversial Nobel prize laureate Peter Handke‘s originating publisher Suhrkamp prepared a lengthy document, “intended mainly for the benefit of foreign publishers of Handke’s work who had found themselves, like Suhrkamp, in an uncomfortable position as a result of Handke’s record of downplaying Serb atrocities against Muslims in the Bosnia war.” But “Suhrkamp’s rambling defense has not received positive reviews from” the German and Austrian […]
Corporate: Pearson Buys EdTech Company, Sourcebooks Brings Back Holiday Shipping
Pearson announced the acquisition of edtech company Lumerit Education, which focuses on college degree completion and affordability, valuing the company at $29 million. Lumerit’s 70 employees will become part of Pearson’s Online Learning Services business. Separately, Sourcebooks will resume their holiday rapid replenishment program again for independent bookstores. The program starts November 4 and continues through December 19.