A Public Space editor Brigid Hughes will join Graywolf Press as contributing editor as part of a new collaborative venture between the literary magazine and the publishing house. Graywolf plans to publish two A Public Space books per year, to be chosen and edited by Hughes, with “A Public Space Book” printed on the back cover and in the interior. The inaugural book will be selected in the coming months. “The collaboration is a natural extension of our work with writers in A Public Space—it will be wonderful to stay involved in a piece that starts in our pages as […]
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Webster Younce will join Free Press as senior editor on February 27. He spent the past two years in Berlin at Suhrkamp, where he oversaw the company’s English-language and international literature program. Prior to that he worked at Holt and Houghton Mifflin. The Paris Review has announced that Jeffrey Eugenides will join their board of directors. At Little, Brown Children’s, Lisa Moraleda has been promoted to associate director of publicity, and Jessica Bromberg moves up to publicity manager. The London Book Fair will present their ninth annual Lifetime Achievement Award in International Publishing to Jorge Herralde, proprietor and director of Anagrama in […]
Corporate News: Quarto Finishes Up On Acquisitions; Colman Getty Acquired
Quarto reported preliminary earnings for the full fiscal year on Tuesday, with sales of $186.1 million up 5.5 percent, helped by “two small acquisitions” during the year, and pre-tax profit of $12.1 million was up 5.2 percent. Digital sales grew fivefold, but still comprise only $2.1 million of sales, or about 1 percent of sales, noted in the release “to satisfy the curiosity of analysts and commentators.” Often mentioned as a potential acquirer of other houses, including the current Sterling Publishing offer, Quarto’s net debt also rose–up 14 percent, to $81.4 million, including the cost of acquiring Cool Springs Press […]
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At Tor/Forge, Alexis Nixon has been promoted to publicist and Leah Withers moves up to associate publicist. In addition, Cassie Ammerman, most recently publicist, has been named digital marketing manager for the imprint. At Kids Can Press, Yvette Ghione has been promoted to editorial director and Karen Li moves up to senior editor. In addition, Allison MacLachlan has been named assistant, brands & new business. Barnes & Noble romance buyer Jules Herbert will contribute monthly recommendations and point to store promotions and other offers on Random House’s romance website Romance@Random, the site spearheaded by former Borders romance buyer Sue Grimshaw. […]
More Briefs: Profits Slide At Bertelsmann, Glad Day Bookshop Finds Buyers
Bertelsmann released preliminary, topline figures for 2011, with their full report due on March 28. Sales from continuing operations nudged up 1 percent, to €15.3 billion, while operating EBIT fell roughly 5 percent, to €1.7 billion. Positive indicators included “rapidly growing e-book sales.” Toronto’s LGBTQ Glad Day Bookshop has secured a future for itself, with news that a group of local supporters have joined together to buy the store. High school teacher Michael Erickson, who led the group of buyers, says that “as individuals, none of us are rich. But collectively, there will be over 20 of us in the […]
HBG USA Rises, As Hachette UK Struggles
Hachette Book Group USA had a sharp turnaround in the fourth quarter, with sales rising 12.8 percent (after falling 8 percent in the prior quarter), riding a “powerful performance” and an easier comparison to a year ago, when Stephenie Meyer sales had declined. But Hachette UK continues to struggle, down 4.5 percent for the fourth quarter (after falling 10 percent in the third quarter). The company blamed “tougher international market conditions (REDgroup’s bankruptcy in Australia),” even with UK rights to the Steve Jobs biography. Lagardere’s publishing division reported overall fourth quarter sales of 537 million euros, down 3.4 percent overall […]