Beginning in March, authors using Audible’s Audiobook Creation Exchange will be able to see data on returns, including number of units per title, both in their account dashboard and in monthly financial statements. The move, announced on the ACX blog, is a response to continuing pressure from the Authors Guild and ACX authors for changes to the company’s returns policy, after its negative financial impact (reportedly reducing sales anywhere from 15 to 50 percent over time) became apparent last fall. This follows Audible’s decision last month to pay authors royalties on returns made more than seven days after purchase, which […]
Distribution
People: Grove Promotes Executives, Boosts Starting Salaries; Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Forms Imprint with Random House
At Grove Atlantic, Peter Blackstock is promoted to vp, deputy publisher, and his new responsibilities including beginning to work with ceo and publisher Morgan Entrekin on matters relating to business and finance. Amy Hundley is promoted to vp, executive editor, while continuing as director of subsidiary rights. More broadly, the company will raise their starting salary to $40,000 for full-time employees. A new executive committee has been formed to help with “day-to-day running of the company and larger business decisions.” It comprises Elisabeth Schmitz, Judy Hottensen and Deb Seager, as well as Hundley, Blackstock and Entrekin. Entrekin said in the […]
Amazon in Talks to Test Lending Its Ebooks to Libraries
Amazon, which has until now refused to license the ebooks it publishes to libraries under any terms, is reportedly in is in “active discussions” with the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) to change its policy and work with libraries to distribute its titles. DPLA would use its content exchange platform to provide Amazon’s digital content to libraries. The Hill quotes an Amazon representative as saying that the company expects “to be testing a number of different models” early next year. “We believe libraries serve a critical purpose in communities across the country, and our priority is to make Amazon Publishing […]
People, Etc.
Sarah Bonamino has been promoted to publicist at St. Martin’s Publishing Group. Cecilia Lyra has joined P.S. Literary Agency as associate literary agent. She was previously associate literary agent at The Rights Factory. Literary agents Lester Hekking and Rik Kleuver have joined the management team at Sebes & Bisseling Literary Agency. Picks Jenna Bush Hager‘s Read With Jenna book club pick for December is The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Fishing Someone associated with Melania Trump talked to Page Six to encourage the idea that she should get a book deal: “Melania is in meetings to write her White House memoir, and it would […]
People, Etc.
Ibrahim Ahmad will join Viking as executive editor starting January 11, reporting to Andrea Schulz. He was previously editorial director at Akashic Books, where he worked for two decades. Selena James has joined Amazon Publishing as senior editor for Little A and Amazon Original Stories. She was previously at Kensington. Stephanie Purcell will join Bloomsbury UK as group rights director, reporting to Kathleen Farrar. She has been rights director at Simon & Schuster UK. Clark Christian has been hired as marketing director for the Thomas Nelson Bible group. Most recently he worked in product marketing for healthcare education company, PESI. Layoffs […]
People, Etc.
Annysa Polanco has been promoted to director, diversity, equity & inclusion at Penguin Random House. In the coming year, the company will add “more fully-dedicated positions” in diversity, equity & inclusions roles across the divisions, including a new “board-level DE&I leadership position” that will report directly to PRH US ceo Madeline McIntosh. Polanco will report to that new executive once the role is filled. Michael DeFazio had been promoted to vice president & executive director, production planning, analytics, and paper purchasing, Penguin Random House. Film/TV Production outfit The Mazur Kaplan Company — run by bookseller Mitchell Kaplan and producer Paula […]