New York’s Book Culture bookstores have reportedly fired 5 of their 30 employees following a vote to unionize earlier this week, the Gothamist reports. The story quotes emails from owner Chris Doeblin they obtained: “It was indicated to me . . . that two people in our mangament [sic] group voted in the union and effectively undermined the interests of the store. The store always being in opposition to the Union. Unfortunately there is no other recourse but to remove these people from our employ effective immediately.” The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union indicates it “has filed an Unfair Labor Practice […]
Free
People, Etc.
At Penguin Random House in the US, Tom Cox has been promoted to vp, adult mass merchandise and distributor sales, the company’s newly formed cross-company division, reporting to Jaci Updike. In addition, Penguin vp, director of distributor sales Ken Kaye will retire at the end of 2014 after more than 45 years in the industry. International sales director Simon Littlewood is leaving Random House UK, where he has worked since 1997, by “mutual agreement.” Deputy ceo of Penguin Random House UK said Ian Hudson said, “Sadly, after much discussion we have been unable to find a mutually suitable role for Simon within Penguin […]
People, Etc.
Arabella Stein is stepping down as co-director of Abner Stein after a leave of absence to “pursue a new direction”, the Bookseller reports. Stein began at Abner Stein in 2002 and moved up to co-director in 2011 after the death of her father (and the agency’s founder & namesake). Sandy Violette and Caspian Dennis will remain as co-directors, and said in a statement: “We would also like to thank Arabella wholeheartedly for her contribution to the agency. We will of course miss Arabella but fully support her decision, and wish her every happiness and success in the next stage of […]
Perseus, Hachette, Ingram Deal Made “Official”
By the end of the work day Tuesday, the parties confirmed with a press release the deal to sell Perseus Books Group to Hachette Book Group, with HBG having “binding commitments” to purchase all of PBG and in turn sell the sizable distribution lines to Ingram Content Group. Hachette will gain approximately 6,000 titles from the Perseus imprints, and will “make Perseus…a major new publishing division of the company.” The official release is relatively scant on details, and the purchase price was not disclosed. Apparently that information will not be shared any time soon, though presumably the transaction is material […]
Perseus Imprints to be Sold to Hachette Book Group; Distribution Units to Ingram Content
The owners of the Perseus Books Group have agreed to a sale of the company, in an unusual three-way transaction, with a formal announcement expected later today following final execution of the documents. Our understanding of the deal based on people familiar with the negotiations is that Hachette Book Group is purchasing PBG, and then in turn will sell to Ingram Content Group Perseus’s extensive distribution companies — including Perseus Distribution, PGW, the recently-formed Legato, and Consortium, plus the Constellation digital distribution platform and their share in the UK joint-venture Faber Factory Powered by Constellation. What HBG retains is Perseus’s […]
Awards: Amazon’s Best Books So Far; Beevor Wins Pritzker
Amazon announced its multiple Best Books of 2014 So Far lists. Their overall No. 1 pick is Adam Begley’s biography UPDIKE and the rest of the top 10 includes Lily King’s PL Spring/Summer Buzz Book: 2. The Book of Unknown Americans, Cristina Henríquez: 3. Redeployment, Phil Klay 4. Euphoria, Lily King 5. No Place to Hide, Glenn Greenwald 6. In Paradise, Peter Matthiessen 7. The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd 8. Red Rising by Pierce Brown 9. Savage Harvest, by Carl Hoffman 10. Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs Rounding out their Top 20 is: To […]