Holland’s WPG (Weekblad Pers Groep) is merging some its well-known imprints in response to difficult market conditions. Arbeiderspers is going to merge with Bruna, relocating to Utrecht next January while maintaining a small office in Amsterdam. And Balans is going to merge with De Bezige Bij. Now that Waterstone’s has been sold, former parent company HMV reveals in its annual earnings report that the bookseller’s overall sales fell 14.4 million pounds for the year (with comps falling 3.8 percent) at £499.2 million, but operating profit rose to £9.5 million, compared to £2.8 million the year before. HMV also took a £110.5 million pound writedown […]
International News
Briefs: Amazon Coming to India; Two More Borders Stores to Close in Hawaii
Amazon is about to set up operations in India, possibly within the next six months, having reportedly filled the position of head of book operations there and embarking on a hiring spree for additional positions. Plugged.in Borders will close two more Express stores in Oahu, Hawaii later this year, which will leave only three stores remaining open in the state. 20 staffers will be laid off. “Without rent concessions, which we have been trying to negotiate, they are unprofitable locations,” spokesperson Mary Davis said in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “Generally speaking, we try to place impacted employees at […]
Announcements: Curtis Brown to Represent Ian Fleming Estate, And More
Ian Fleming Publications Ltd has appointed Jonny Geller and Curtis Brown to represent the Ian Fleming James Bond novels and future James Bond literary works worldwide, replacing Simon Trewin and United Agents. Curtis Brown will also represent the James Bond novels written by Kingsley Amis, John Gardner and Raymond Benson as well as translation rights in the Young Bond series by Charlie Higson. Aurum’s previously announced imprint headed up by former Granta staffers Alex Clark and Rosalind Porter will be called Union Books, and they will publish 20 titles a year beginning in January 2012, starting with Donovan Hohn’s MOBY […]
Adams Media’s Stanley Cup Insta-eBook, and More eNews
This week Adams Media published Newsday sportswriter Alan Hahn’s BRUIN REDEMPTION: THE STANLEY CUP RETURNS TO BOSTON as a $7.99 ebook after a 72-hour turnaround time. The publisher said they had the book “within hours” of the Bruins’ Stanley Cup win on June 15. Powell’s director of strategic planning Darin Sennett talks with Seattle Business Journal about the bookstore’s previously announced mobile app, now set to launch in full by the end of the summer. OverDrive will now supply ebooks to Easons, making the bookstore chain the first OverDrive partner to offer EPUB and PDF eBook content directly to Irish […]
Bookselling: WHSmith Travel Success; Thalia To Open Airport Shops; and More
One apparent bright spot in the UK bookselling landscape is WHSmith Travel, profiled in Publishing Perspectives as “long the jewel in the famous company’s portfolio.” UK publishers point to the experience of the buying team, which cites Christos Tsiolkas’ THE SLAP and Richard Templar’s THE RULES OF LIFE as titles they have done well with, as well as the division’s international expansion: they currently operate 26 units, with another 2 to open, as well as having acquired 12 more locations in India and Kuwait. Germany’s largest bookseller Thalia, working in conjunction with Sweden’s Pocket Shop AB, will add between 15-30 […]
People, Awards, and More: McCann Takes IMPAC
People In the UK, publishing director of Transworld’s crime and thriller books Selina Walker will move over to become publisher for Century and Arrow, starting in mid-July. At Transworld, editorial director Sarah Adams will take over Walker’s role; Cat Cobain is being promoted to publishing director of the women’s fiction list; and nonfiction editor Sarah Emsley is moving up to senior editorial director. At HarperCollins, Leah Wasielewski has been promoted to senior director of marketing for Harper, Harper Business and Broadside Books. Bloomsbury sub-rights manager since 2006 Lauren Shekari has left the company. In disclosure forms, Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown […]