As promised last week, publisher of Giller-winning THE SENTIMENTALISTS Gaspereau Press announced today that they have licensed trade paperback rights to another independent publisher, Vancouver’s Douglas & McIntyre. D&M says they are printing 30,000 copies of the $19.95 (CA) paperback for shipment from the bindery on November 19, with paper on hand for a 20,000-copy reprint. The book has been available in ebook form in Canada from Kobo, and D&M will expand distribution to include Kindle, Nook, Sony and the iBookstore. Gaspereau will continue to fulfill orders for their $27.95 hardcover, which they print themselves.
International News
Giller Controversy Continues, In Two Forms
The Canadian trade continues to be worked up that small “artisanal” Gaspereau Press doesn’t want to change their bookmaking ways now that Johanna Skibsrud’s The Sentimentalists has won the Giller Prize. Award founder Jack Rabinovitch made it clear to co-owner Gary Dunfield, “I would like to see the books out.” And he tells the Globe and Mail, “he’s given me the assurance and he promised to get back to me tomorrow [Friday] night.” But Dunfield tells the paper, “I think at this point we’re deciding early next week,” having already said he and his partner were looking at “three or […]
People, Awards, Etc.
At Abrams, Susan Van Metre has been promoted to svp and publisher and will now oversee all comic arts books in addition to Abrams Children’s and Amulet Books. Charles Kochman is promoted to editorial director for Abrams ComicArts, adding oversight of children’s comics and graphic novels, reporting to Van Metre. Chad Beckerman moves up to creative director and oversee design for all comic arts books, Abrams Children’s and Amulet. Lindley Boegehold is promoted to editorial director for calendars, licenses and custom publishing. Jennifer Levesque is promoted to editorial director for Stewart, Tabori & Chang and Abrams Image (though Abrams Image […]
People, Etc.
IDPF executive director Michael Smith will leave the organization shortly “to pursue other opportunities in the digital book space.” He will stay on during the search procress and transition to a replacement, which the organization hopes “will be completed by early January 2011.” At Random House UK, Cornerstone managing director Susan Sandon, Ebury managing director Fiona MacIntyre, Random House UK Children’s managing director Philippa Dickinson, and human resources director Neil Morrison have all been appointed to the company’s main board. CEO Gail Rebuck says in the announcement “this new structure ensures that we harness the strengths and talents at Board […]
eBooks Come to Australia
The Australian version of the iBookstore has gone from a display mechanism for public domain works to a genuine ebookstore five months after the iPad launched there. Macmillan Australia, Hachette Book Group Australia, Harper Australia, Wiley Australia, Hardie Grant and Murdoch Books all say their books are now on-sale in the store. Meanwhile, the Austrlian Publishers Association says they are fielding multiple complaints from other publishers who are frustrated about the process of engaging Apple in making deals. But Macmillan’s head of digital Victoria Nash says they only “received confirmation from Apple of the launch 10 days ago.” Separately, dominant […]
Harlequin Continues Pattern: Sales Slide, As Profits Stay Strong
Harlequin parent company Torstar reported that book publishing had “stable results” in their third quarter. Following their recent pattern, sales fell slightly, down $5 million at $117.5 milion (CA) as operating profit for the segment rose $100,000 to $23 million, the seventh consecutive quarter of earnings growth.Release