Lagardere reported third quarter sales in brief, with the publishing division’s “performance dented by a drop in sales of the Stephenie Meyer saga, and by a delay of a few weeks in delivering new secondary school textbooks in France.” They note that results are also lower “due to the non-recurrence of the sale of the international rights to the Twilight saga.” With sales of 634 million euros this quarter, by our count that’s down approximately 50 million euros or over 7 percent from 684.6 million euros a year ago. (They don’t formally break out third quarter sales.) Besides the difficult […]
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San Francisco-based Curtis Brown agent Nathan Bransford announced via his popular writers blog on Friday that he is leaving agenting to work for CNet, where he will help coordinate social media strategy. He says the blog and its forums will continue. At Oxford University Press, Pam Sutherland moves over to the newly-created role of group chief information officer (CIO), overseeing group-wide digital and IT infrastructure and reported to ceo Nigel Portwood. She was operations director for Oxford Journals. Casper Grathwohl recently became online and reference publisher in Oxford’s Global Academic Business, and Ernst Kallus was appointed digital media director for […]
Joseph-Beth to Close Two Stores; New England Mobile Book Fair Looking for Buyer
Joseph-Beth Booksellers is closing branches in Pittsburgh and Charlotte, NC. Director of marketing Chad Showalter says with sluggish forecasts into 2011, “we decided we needed to make a significant change.”Post-Gazette In Newton, MA, New England Mobile Book Fair–“the largest independent bookstore in New England”–is looking for a buyer. Attorney Steve Gans emphasizes that the 53-year-old store is strong and believes there is “pent up demand” among prospective buyers. They are working with Paul Siegenthaler at Ridge Hill Partners, who worked on the recent sales of the Wellesley Booksmith and Harvard Bookstore. Siegenthaler says “It’s a way to reach the emotional […]
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IDPF executive director Michael Smith will leave the organization shortly “to pursue other opportunities in the digital book space.” He will stay on during the search procress and transition to a replacement, which the organization hopes “will be completed by early January 2011.” At Random House UK, Cornerstone managing director Susan Sandon, Ebury managing director Fiona MacIntyre, Random House UK Children’s managing director Philippa Dickinson, and human resources director Neil Morrison have all been appointed to the company’s main board. CEO Gail Rebuck says in the announcement “this new structure ensures that we harness the strengths and talents at Board […]
Bookstore News: One Saved, One Opens, Two to Close
Barnes & Noble has agreed upon a lease extension for a Fort Worth, TX store in University Park Village after indicating last month the outlet would close at the end of the lease. The mall manager says “we never wanted them to leave, as Barnes & Noble brings more to a property than simply rental income.”Star-Telegram In Bellingham, WA The Bookworm Burrow opens later this month, selling new and used children’s books.Herald But the news is not good for a couple of other stores. Chattanooga’s largest remaining independent store Rock Point Books will close in December after four years in […]
The Press Has Bush Book
Following initial teasers in the Drudge Report, former President George Bush’s memoir is showing up on news desks. The NY Times says Bush writes that he considered dropping Dick Cheney from the ticket in 2004 in favor of Senator Bill Frist as “one way to demonstrate that I was in charge.” The funny part is that it was Cheney’s idea. They note the book indicates “Cheney clearly pushed Mr. Bush toward war” in Iraq. Cheney asked in 2002, “Are you going to take care of this guy, or not?” He does give “a more expansive self-critique than he did while […]