Michael Neil’s latest quote on Bertram’s: “We are up for sale and a sale agreement is imminent. We are confident it will be sorted by the end of the week.”Norwich paper
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Shopping Obama's Campaign Manager; New Carter Mideast Book
Attorney Bob Barnett is representing Barack Obama’s campaign manager David Plouffe, shopping a proposal for THE AUDACITY TO WIN, “not only an inside look at the Obama run but a guide for how to run an organization,” the AP reports. Barnett promises, “There will be many books about the Obama campaign, but only one from the campaign itself.” It’s intended as a fall 2009 release.AP Separately, Jimmy Carter said yesterday his new book WE CAN BRING PEACE TO THE HOLY LAND will be published in late January.AP
NYT's Top Ten–A Near-Sweep for Random; USAT Gift Picks
The paper has announced their ten best books of 2008, which looks a lot like a Knopf catalog: FictionDANGEROUS LAUGHTER, by Steven Millhauser (Knopf)A MERCY, by Toni Morrison (Knopf)UNACCUSTOMED EARTH, by Jhumpa Lahiri (Knopf)NETHERLAND, by Joseph O’Neill (Pantheon)2666, by Roberto Bolano (FSG) NonfictionTHE FOREVER WAR, by Dexter Filkins (Knopf)NOTHING TO BE FRIGHTENED OF, by Julian Barnes (Knopf)THIS REPUBLIC OF SUFFERING, by Drew Gilpin Faust (Knopf)THE WORLD IS WHAT IT IS, by Patrick French (Knopf)THE DARK SIDE, by Jane Mayer (Doubleday) Separately, USA Today has a guide to holiday books in multiple categories. Among “bestsellers,” the top “critic’s pick” is Dennis […]
Random Drops the Next Shoe: Rubin and Applebaum Stepping Down in Reorg
The Random House reorganization everyone has been expecting under new ceo Markus Dohle was announced this morning. President and publisher of the Bantam Dell group Irwyn Applebaum is leaving the company immediately after 25 years there. Dohle calls him “one of the most successful publishers in our industry. He is widely regarded as a champion of great storytelling, with marketing acumen to match.” The publishing line itself is being absorbed by the Random House group, under Gina Centrello, along with the Spiegel & Grau unit that had been part of Doubleday. It puts the company’s two big mass-market lines together […]
Layoffs at Nelson
Thomas Nelson ceo Michael Hyatt announced layoffs at the company today via his active Twitter feed and then wrote further on his blog. “Today, was a very difficult day at Thomas Nelson. We informed fifty-four of our friends and co-workers (about 10% of our workforce) that we have eliminated their jobs, effective this Friday. This will affect nearly every department in our company.” In April, the company eliminated “about 60” positions “because we have changed our business strategy.” But “this second round was purely a result of the slowdown in the economy,” Hyatt now writes. He admits, “As recently as […]
Saletan Quits Harcourt Houghton Mifflin
The situation at Harcourt Houghton Mifflin continues to worsen, as the AP reports that svp and publisher of adult trade Becky Saletan has resigned her position as of December 10. There was no further comment beyond confirmation from the company. Saletan (along with others at HMH) has been required to stay silent as the company has stumbled its way through explaining their partial “freeze” on acquisitions of books for adults.AP