Per our story yesterday, Australia’s Productivity Commission has indeed concluded that “restrictions on the parallel importation of books result in higher local book prices” and recommended an outright repeal, “with the industry having a period of three years to adjust before the changes take effect.” They do concede that enaction is likely to “cause some contraction or slowing in the growth in the book production industries.” If enacted, the $2 billion Australian trade market would become a significant growth market for exports from UK and US publishers. In balancing the decision, the commission suggests “that the current range of grants […]
Distribution
Freese to Take Over At NBN; Tamblyn Leaves BookNet for Shortcovers
Rich Freese will take over from Jed Lyons as president of NBN as of July 6, working out of Oakland, CA. Lyons will “focus on the book publishing activities of NBN’s parent company, The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group.” (The release says NBN had sales of $100 million, and R&L had sales of $60 million.) Most recently Freese had launched a new distribution enterprise for BookMasters, though he worked at NBN in the late 90s and through 2002. Lyons says in the announcement “Rich Freese is the most knowledgeable, thoughtful, and creative person I know in the book distribution business.” […]
People and Awards
The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards for excellence in children’s literature have gone to Terry Pratchett’s NATION for fiction and poetry; Candace Fleming’s THE LINCOLNS: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary for nonfiction; and Margaret Mahy and illustrator Polly Dunbar’s BUBBLE TROUBLE for picture book. Dan O’Connell, who has been providing publicity and marketing services to clients of The Strothman Agency since 2003, will now run a spinoff, Epilogue Media–offering those services for a fee to outside authors as well as Strothman clients. Consumers Union will distribute their book titles through Ingram Publisher Services.
Red Wheel Partners with Hampton Roads, and People News
Red Wheel/Weiser and Hampton Roads Publishing are joining forces as of June 1 in what is being called a distribution relationship but also “a joint operating agreement” according to Red Wheel president Michael Kerber. (Both lines are already warehoused at Books International.) Kerber notes “we’re also combining forces for several back office functions — eliminating duplication on the operations, accounting, and production side.” The companies say they will operate primarily from Red Wheel’s offices in Newburyport and San Francisco. Greg Brandenburgh will oversee the Hampton Roads part of the endeavor, based in San Francisco, and the imprint will publish a […]
Columbia to Close Warehouse, Move to Perseus
Columbia University Press announced that they will close their warehouse in Irvington, NY this summer, eliminating approximately 25 positions as a result. President and director Jim Jordan says, “Any decision involving job loss is difficult, especially when dedicated staff have served the Press professionally and well for many years. Nevertheless, this is the right direction for the Press, its clients, and authors.” Perseus Distribution will take over fulfillment of the Press’s book. The announcement notes the “restructuring is part of an overall effort to improve print economics while facilitating electronic delivery,” in part through the network of services and partners […]
HBG's Canada Operation to Take On Hachette UK Titles
As of the beginning of 2010, Hachette Book Group will expand its Canadian sales and distribution, launched this year, to handle titles from Hachette UK in Canada. (Sales are actually handled out of New York, where a dedicated sales person will be added, and fulfilled through the company’s warehouse in Indiana.) Publicity and marketing for the UK titles will be handled by HBG Canada, with a new dedicated marketeer and publicist to be hired in Toronto. Most Hachette UK titles are currently represented to the Canadian trade and media by McArthur & Co., with distribution by Harper Canada, though Little […]