In what many may view as a sign of at least temporary stability for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s adult trade lines, the unit has filled the vacant position of publisher. (Adult trade publisher Becky Saletan resigned last December and was not replaced.) Bruce Nichols–who saw his position as publisher of the Collins imprint diminished in the reorganization at HarperCollins in February that left him as publisher of the smaller Collins reference line and executive editor at Harper–will take the role as svp, publisher of of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Adult & Reference Group on August 3. HMH trade & reference president Gary […]
Distribution
Geddes Switches to Distribution Model
Photographer Anne Geddes and her company the Geddes Group will publish their own books as of 2010, with Perseus Distribution handling sales and distribution. Geddes has been published in North America by Andrews McMeel.
As Predicted, Commission Wants to End Books Protectionism In Australia After Three Years
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 […]
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 […]