The Perseus Books Group’s digital distribution platform Constellation is adding a service offering targeted at the many literary agencies helping their authors epublish, called Argo Navis Author Services. After presentations to a small set agencies, Perseus is announcing that Janklow & Nesbit and Curtis Brown “are planning to make [the service] available to their clients.” Separately, co-head of publications at ICM Sloan Harris confirmed to Publishers Lunch that the agency is close to finalizing a deal to participate in Perseus’s initiative. “They are not going to be an exclusive destination for us,” Harris said, “but I expect that they will […]
Publisher services
RR Donnelley To Acquire LibreDigital
RR Donnelley announced today that it has acquired digital content distribution and e-service provider LibreDigital for an undisclosed sum. President and ceo Thomas Quinlan said in a statement that buying LibreDigital will “extend RR Donnelley’s reach across the breadth of the supply chain.” This is the second company Donnelley has purchased this week, having also bought Sequence Personal, a provider of proprietary software that enables readers to select relevant content to be digitally produced as specialized publications. Earlier this summer Donnelley also acquired online writer services company Helium and Journalism Online. “With this acquisition we uniquely position RR Donnelley to […]
Higher Ed: Free Food Trucks From Living Language; Nook-to-School Promotion; and More
This week Random House’s language learning program, Living Language, will launch its new Platinum Edition, a multi-platform solution that will allow users to engage with a variety of languages through course books and CDs, mobile apps, an online course, an online community, and individualized instruction from a native speaker e-tutor. The course will initially be offered for $179 in French, Spanish, Italian and German, with Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic editions to come. (The Platinum app is also available for separate purchase.) As part of the launch, coordinated by the ad agency Mullen (most recently responsible for a multi-million dollar campaign […]
eNews: Macmillan to Sell MPS Stake; Apps Are Adjusting to New iOS Rules; Another Subscription Offer
Macmillan is putting their controlling 61 percent stake in the publishing solutions and services unit MPS up for sale. The Times of India says the Bangalore-based company employs about 1,000 people, but the company’s site says they have 2,500 employees worldwide. Standalone 2009 sales were approximately $30 million. The Times says “MPS has attracted interests from IT services players as well as financial investors. Macmillan’s divestment could help the company scale up operations winning more third-party businesses.” They say the sector has been active for M&A lately, adding that “there is also speculation that Aptara Solutions may launch a stake […]
More eNews
USA Today has added ebook sales data from Kobo in compiling their weekly bestseller list. The paper already includes ebook sales from Amazon, Nook and Sony. Hopkins Fulfillment Services has launched HFS Digital, which will allow clients to sell monographs and scholarly works direct to consumers as ebooks through their websites as a result of a new partnership with Sheridan Books’ new Electronic Content Services division. The program began in May but will roll out in its entirety by January 2012. Irish ebook publisher ePub Direct will enable publishers to access more than 15,000 library outlets in 13 countries. ePub […]
People, Etc.
SVP and chief accounting officer for Scholastic John Giraldo will leave the company on June 1 for a new position, according to an SEC filing Thursday afternoon. Current evp and cfo Maureen O’Connell will take on Giraldo’s duties until a replacement is found. Bloomsbury associate publisher Sabrina Farber will leave the company at the end of this month. She has worked there since 2003. Longtime ABA staff member Mark Nichols‘ title has changed from industry relations officer to Development Officer. “The change was made to better reflect Nichols’ role in the association.” The ABA and On Demand Books have entered […]