Stephen Barbara will move to Inkwell Management on January 5 after six years at Foundry Literary + Media, and he will be followed by all 50 of his clients. He says in the announcement, “It’s an agency I’ve long admired, and I couldn’t miss the chance to work with such a world-class group of authors’ representatives.” New York Magazine book critic Kathryn Schulz is leaving to join the New Yorker, where she will “write book reviews, as well as web pieces and the occasional feature” according to Capital New York. Her first day is January 19. At National Geographic Books, Lisa Thomas has been promoted […]
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More Speakers, Last Day for Early Pricing for Digital Book World
We’re continuing to fill a few more great speakers for our January shows, with top executives Barbara Marcus at Penguin Random House Children’s and Jonathan Nowell at Nielsen joining the roster for Publishers Launch Kids on January 13, and a highly notable keynoter joining us on the main stage at Digital Book World on January 14 and January 15 whom we will be able to announce shortly. As we have mentioned before, the final “early pricing” option to what has become the trade’s biggest show on the future of publishing ends today. Use our link for Publishers Lunch readers for the […]
Weak Adult Frontlist Turns Trade Stats Negative In September
Trade sales as measured by the AAP turned significantly negative for the first time all year in September, ratifying concerns that the lack of new breakout hits might weigh on consumer traffic and sales during the most important months of the year. Total trade sales of $618 million were down $44 million (or 7 percent), compared to $662 million a year. Adult sales, which have been soft all year, accounted for all of the decline and then some, down $58.5 million (or 12 percent). Once again, hardcover sales — or weak frontlist — fell the most, down $41.3 million. Children’s and […]
People, Etc.
Founder and former ceo of Quercus Mark Smith will join Bonnier Publishing as ceo of fiction, for both adult and children’s books. His company Zaffre Publishing is being absorbed into the group, for “an undisclosed fee.” The Zaffre business will be expanded, focusing on women’s fiction, romance, historical fiction, crime, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, horror and fiction in translation. Smith also joins the board of Bonnier’s new US line, Little Bee. At Doubleday, Robert Bloom has been promoted to editor, reporting to Jason Kaufman. He has been at Doubleday since 2007. The World Cookbook Fair will relocate itself to become part of the Frankfurt Book Fair in […]
The Biggest DBW Yet
My Publishers Launch Conferences partner Mike Shatzkin, who serves as program chair of the Digital Book World Conference, has his own long overview of the thinking behind the dozens of panels and keynotes scheduled for the January event. Everyone involved works hard to make the event better each year, and this line-up for our sixth annual conference — now back at the NY Hilton hotel — is truly our richest roster yet. Every year as the event gets close, people email me privately to ask for discounts, and I can tell you honestly the answer is always the same: The […]
Bradley Tops January Library Reads List, and More 2014 Best Ofs
Alan Bradley’s AS CHIMNEY SWEEPERS COME TO DUST, the latest in his Flavia de Luce mystery series, is the No. 1 pick for the January Library Reads list. The rest of the list recommends: The Rosie Effect, by Graeme Simsion The Magician’s Lie, by Greer Macallister The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins Golden Son: Book II of the Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown The Dress Shop of Dreams by Menna van Praag The Bishop’s Wife, by Mette Ivie Harrison Vanessa and Her Sister, by Priya Parmar First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen Full Throttle by Julie Ann […]