RatPac Entertainment, run by media mogul/heir James Packer and film director/producer Brett Ratner, is creating a book imprint, RatPac Press, designed “to bring more Hollywood related projects to market in both non-fiction and fiction genres.” Their first announced project is author of Accidental Billionaires and Bringing Down the House Ben Mezrich‘s new novel SEVEN WONDERS. They will publish in a joint venture with Running Press in late spring 2014, the first title under their joint publishing agreement. Ratner says in the announcement, “We are very excited at RatPac Press to be in business with Running Press and Perseus. Their years […]
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Corporate: Apple, AudioNoGo, and Lagardere
Apple reported fiscal fourth quarter results for the period ending September 28 after the close of the market on Monday. The company sold 14.1 million iPads in the period, just barely ahead of sales in the same quarter a year ago, with strong iPhone sales of almost 34 million units. They have sold approximately 172 million iPads since the launch of the line in 2010. Sales rose to $37.5 billion, as net profit fell $700 million to $7.5 billion. Lagardere has concluded a long-running dispute with Vivendi over the valuation of their stake in Canal+ France. In a compromise, Lagardere will […]
Everything Amazon and A Lot More
There’s a lot of discussion about Amazon in the wake of Larry Kirshbaum’s departure from the publishing division in January (much of it completely wrong, as we noted Friday), and following the release earlier this month of Brad Stone’s book THE EVERYTHING STORE. January’s big fifth annual Digital Book World conference will feature a prominent morning block of presentations and discussions about Amazon on its second day. Stone will be among the presenters and analysts, with sessions including a close look at Amazon’s financials, and insights into their less-publicized inroads into library and educational markets. Those timely panels are just […]
Ruckus Is Sold
Ruckus Media has found some refuge with mobile app company KiwiTech, which is acquiring a 75 percent stake in the digital children’s media company that has struggled to find a lasting business model. Ruckus founder and ceo Rick Richter will depart following the sale, though he will continue to serve as an advisor. Chief content officer Jason Root will move up to ceo of Ruckus, reporting to KiwiTech ceo Rakesh Gupta. The company’s Wilton, CT office will close, yet Ruckus will still “remain Connecticut based.” Venture capital firm Alsop Louie Partners, which led a $3.5 million series A funding round […]
Kobo Kleans Up
Well reported is an email from Kobo chief content officer Michael Tamblyn to authors in their self-publishing program Kobo Writing Life, providing an update on their now-completed review and cleansing of their title catalog. “The review had to happen fast, and we didn’t enjoy it, but with our esteemed 300-year-old retail partner on the front page of major newspapers and some content clearly in violation of our posted standards, we needed to move quickly.” Tamblyn makes clear, “For those few titles that remain unavailable, some feel that we chose a path of censorship. All I can say is that if […]
Briefs: AudioGo Suspends Operations Pending Sale; Inkling Acquires OpenAir
UK-based audiobook publisher AudioGo has suspended operations and is looking for an investment or outright sale, the company’s head of sales and marketing Rachel Josephson confirmed to the the Bookseller. She added: “There is a considerable amount of interest in AudioGO and we are hopeful of achieving a swift resolution. Protecting and respecting the rights of everyone that we work with is uppermost in our considerations and we are grateful for the fantastic support we have received from our colleagues throughout the industry.” The company recently sold its US-based arm Blackstone Audio back to its founders, just ten months after […]