Graphic Arts Center Publishing filed for liquidation in a Portland, OR federal bankruptcy court last Friday. The filing says that sales fell from $10.3 million in 2008 to $5.1 million for the first eight months of 2009. Last year’s sales were helped by their distribution relationship with Epicenter Press, which published Kaylene Johnson’s biography of Sarah Palin. Former board member and bookseller Michael Powell tells the Oregonian, “They’re having a hard time like everyone else. They did every cost cutting thing they could do.” The two largest creditors listed were Ingram, which give the publisher a $1.5 million loan, and […]
Distribution
People, Awards and More
Andrews McMeel has hired Linda Jones as svp of their calendar and greeting cardand Accord Publishing divisions, reporting to ceo Hugh Andrews. Jones had been svp of merchandising at Borders, overseeing children’s books and toys, newsstands, games, calendars, music and movies. Veronica Wasserman joins Abrams Children’s and Amulet Books as license and brand Manager. Previously she worked in the licensing department at Penguin Children’s, for Grosset & Dunlap and Price Stern Sloan. Bloomsbury has hired Patti Ratchford as creative director for their adult line, starting in November. She has had a distinguished freelance career over the past ten years after […]
People and Distribution News
At the Simon & Schuster imprint, both Kerri Kolen and Sarah Hochman have been promoted to senior editor. Both started at S&S as editorial assistants, Kolen in 2002 and Hochman in 2004. As publisher David Rosenthal notes, “That each has risen through the ranks here is a tribute to the strength of this imprint, and its collegiality. It is also, of course, a recognition of the diligence and creativity of Kerri and Sarah – I am very proud of their growth as editors and publishers, their contributions to our list.” At Adams Media, Chelsea King is moving over to become […]
Cash-Starved Weinsteins Switch Book Operation to Perseus Joint Venture
Weinstein Books, which has published a modest output since its founding in 2007 while the larger would-be Weinstein empire has run through its cash, is switching from an independent imprint to a joint venture with Perseus Books as of December 1. The model follows the deal recently struck between Perseus and the Weinstein’s erstwhile partner Tina Brown, now at The Beast. The two companies will “jointly develop new book ideas and Perseus will be responsible for all JV staff and for executing all core-publishing activities.” Perseus will also take over distribution of the Weinstein Books backlist. Weinstein Books publisher Judy […]
Announcements: Hefty Printing for Wimpy Kid, and More
Abrams announced a four-million-copy laydown for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days on Monday, October 12. And the publisher reports “more than 300,000 reservations” of copies. Separately, Hachette Book Group is expanding their distribution relationship with Chronicle Books (and Chronicle’s own roster of distribution clients) to include sales and distribution immediately in Latin America; and starting January 1 in the Middle East and Caribbean. In personnel news, Quill & Quire reported that Raincoast Books founder and ceo Allan MacDougall, 62, has stepped down. VP and business manager John Sawyer, “who had been handling most of the day-to-day operations for […]
Distribution News
Microsoft Press announced a “strategic relationship” with O’Reilly Media under which O’Reilly will distribute Microsoft’s titles in the North America (with more territories to come) and they will jointly develop new titles for the Microsoft line. Tim O’Reilly says on the company’s Radar blog, “that they chose to work with us is a testament to three advantages we bring to the business: O’Reilly is more than a book publisher. We are an advocate, a connector, and a community builder…. O’Reilly plays a unique role in the technology ecosystem…. O’Reilly has been a pioneer in the new world of ebooks.” In […]