Despite many positive indicators that publishing has rebounded amidst the pandemic, there is a parallel reality: Many in the bookselling community have continued to struggle, and the challenges have grown as the country faces the potential of more retail limitations or shutdowns during the critical holiday season. The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association sent an…
How Publishing Works
Authors Guild Calls for Albert Whitman to Pay Overdue Royalties
The Authors Guild made a statement on Monday in support of authors who are owed royalties by publisher Albert Whitman and Company, calling for “transparency and immediate rectification of past due royalties.” They write, “Over the last few years, the Authors Guild has contacted AW&C on numerous occasions to convey members’ concerns involving delayed royalty…
Time to Vote
It is your right and your responsibility to vote, and people across the spectrum seem to agree that this is a critical election for our nation. The pandemic has made voting more complicated than ever, and many factors have made voting more time-consuming than ever. With early voting now underway in almost every state, we…
LSC Sale to Atlas Holdings Wins Court Approval
LSC’s sale to Atlas Holdings has been approved by the bankruptcy court. An affiliate of Atlas Holdings, with support from LSC’s secured creditors, will acquire substantially all of the company’s assets, according to this morning’s press release. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2020, subject to closing conditions, including regulatory…
News Corp CEO Discusses Future Investments in Digital in a “Transitioning” Business
In a September 17 interview at the Goldman Sachs 29th Annual Communacopia Conference, News Corp. ceo Robert Thomson reaffirmed that “the book publishing business is one that we see having long-term value for us, and it too is a changing business.” Thomson spoke to internal partnerships between HarperCollins and the company’s news organizations including The…
As Cohen Tops Bestseller List, Vanity Fair Chronicles Skyhorse’s “House of Horrors”
In a day already full of publishing news, on Thursday Vanity Fair posted a lengthy and provocative article about Skyhorse, publisher of “political unsavories” (Michael Cohen, Roger Stone, Woody Allen, Garrison Keillor’s next, quack scientists, etc.) and described as a company with “a history of workplace toxicity and inappropriate behavior.” President and publisher Tony Lyons…
