Apple said yesterday that they have sold 3 million iPads in the 80 days after launch. With help from Father’s Day and the international rollout, the rate of sale has increased as the third million were sold in 21 days. (The first million took 28 days and the second million took 31 days, but those sales milestones both included pre-orders–first for regular models and then 3G, and then international pre-orders.) For anyone who thinks they overspent on a Nook or Kindle for Father’s Day, right before the latest price cuts were announced, the WSJ reports that you can get a […]
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At Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s, Jenny Groves and Jenn Taber have been promoted to publicity manager, and Jean Thrift has been promoted to marketing associate. Cambridge University Press has hired Peter Phillips as chief operating officer, joining the publisher in early October, the Bookseller reports. He will join the board of the press as well. He was at the UK’s Office of Communications (an independent regulator and competition authority in the communications industries.) A group of people with connections to trade publishing, including agent Rafe Sagalyn, author and editor of the New Republic Franklin Foer and others have held informal […]
Amazon Cuts Kindle Price, New iOS Releases, and More
Hours after Barnes & Noble’s price cut on Nook and announcement of a new lower-priced wi-fi model, Amazon announced a price reduction of its own. They lowered the price on the regular model of Kindle from $269 to $189, effective immediately. The press loves “price wars” and of course everyone is an expert on what this means, and what it portends. Barnes & Noble is particularly vocal in media accounts. CEO William Lynch tells the NYT, “I don’t see more than two, or maybe three dedicated reading companies in the market for selling e-books. I think you are starting to […]
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Among approximately 35 layoffs at the San Diego Union Tribune: books editor and art critic Robert Pincus. The paper describes the process of “reshaping our newsroom” which includes new hires and revised vision of what the paper should cover. While promising “coverage of pop and classical music, theater and fine art” and a new “critic-at-large who ventures beyond entertainment and the arts,” there’s no mention of books coverage or a replacement for Pincus.Editor’s noteVoice of San Diego on layoffs Dorling Kindersley deputy ceo Andrew Phillips is taking over as president of Penguin International, one of the posts vacated by David […]
Davidar's Attorney Says Was "A Consensual, Flirtatious Relationship"
In advance of a formal reply to the court, former Penguin Canada ceo David Davidar’s attorney Peter Downard released a statement, saying “the public attacks require Mr. Davidar’s response.” Their story is that “Davidar had a consensual, flirtatious relationship that grew out of a close friendship with a colleague” and they imply that Rundle turned it into a dispute after he decided “their relationship should be confined to business.” Davidar says that in 2007 “their friendship became flirtatious” and he “suggested to Ms. Rundle that their relationship become more romantic.” The statement claims ebbs and flows in that flirtation, but […]
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Cecily Kaiser will join Abrams on July 6 in the new role of publishing director for children’s books for kids five-years-old and younger. Kaiser will be responsible for “conceptualizing, launching, and managing all aspects of this new initiative.” She has been at Scholastic for the last 10 years, most recently as editorial director in the trade division for Cartwheel and Little Scholastic. Megan Wilson has been promoted to senior publicity manager at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. She has worked in department for nine years. At Algonquin, Michael Taeckens will be promoted in October to director of online and paperback marketing. Kelly […]