Amazon announced Monday that it will issue a “new” edition of its wi-fi Kindle priced at $114, $25 less than the going rate for the current wireless edition. The catch–or hook, depending on your vantage point–is that this edition, which ships starting on May 3, will feature Special Offers, the retailer’s preferred name for ads that will run on the e-reader’s home page and screen savers. Among the deals on offer for the first few weeks include discounted Amazon gift cards, discounts on other Amazon products like jeans and swimsuits, and free gifts for signing up for an Amazon Rewards […]
eNews
Briefs: US Trustee Objects to Borders Executive Bonuses; Indigo Faces Its ‘Starbucks Moment’; Kobo European Push; and More
Last week Tracy Hope Davis of the US Trustee’s Office filed an objection to Borders’ plan to pay executives up to $8.3 million in bonuses on the grounds that the bonus motion “is premature and should not be granted.” Borders had characterized the bonus plan as “providing necessary incentives” but the Trustee’s Office felt “there is no information that explains what extra services the insiders would perform beyond their ordinary job duties or a detailed description of the nexus between the supposed incentives and the payment trigger.” In addition, Davis said, the motion “provides no financial performance metrics nor are […]
Briefs: A Million eBook Sales for ‘Dragon Tattoo’; Legal Action Against Breakaway Angus & Robertson Franchises; and More
Knopf says that Stieg Larsson‘s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has sold over a million eBook copies, and adds to us that The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest will reach that same milestone next week. (No word, however, on which e-vendor sold the millionth copy.) NYT Earlier this week a number of Barnes & Noble executives each disposed a small amount of stock at $9.18 per share, according to a number of SEC filings. Leading the group was Stephen Riggio, who decreased his total holdings by 3,136 shares to 96,924 shares. REDGroup administrators Ferrier Hodgson have taken their […]
People, Etc.
David Rosenthal is reuniting with his longtime Simon & Schuster colleague Aileen Boyle, hiring her as associate publisher for his new imprint at Penguin, starting July 1. “She will be coordinating sales, marketing and publicity as well as working closely with Rosenthal on shaping his imprint’s overall strategy.” Boyle had been associate publisher at the Simon & Schuster trade imprint until the end of 2010. Chronicle’s publishing director Sarah Malarkey will take the new role of executive editorial director, leading the adult trade editorial staff, directing pop culture and humor publishing, and acquiring titles in those categories. Amanda Walker has […]
eNews: Harry Potter eBooks Now in Play; Europe’s Slow Start; and More
Last May JK Rowling‘s agents at the Christopher Little Agency upgraded their position on the possibility of Harry Potter ebooks from “monitoring” the field to “actively” evaluating and “”currently considering all the options and opportunities.” Now there is a fresh round of media attention as a spokeswoman for Rowling reiterates the same thing to the Daily Mail: “The ebook format is now something that is being actively considered.” Neil Blair from the Christopher Little Agency also stands on his previous remarks, saying “we are continuing with our evaluation of all options relating to Harry Potter ebooks.” The Daily Mail The […]
Briefs: Billy Joel Cancels Memoir; Open Road Projects $10M in Sales in 2011; and More
A little more than two months before HarperCollins was due to publish Billy Joel‘s memoir The Book of Joel, with a finished cover unveiled and a manuscript draft turned in, the book deal is off. “It took working on writing a book to make me realize that I’m not all that interested in talking about the past, and that the best expression of my life and its ups and downs has been and remains my music,” he said in a statement. Spokeswoman Tina Andreadis said that Joel’s memoir “was well into the editing process, but that Joel had not approved […]