Penguin Random House ceo Markus Dohle dispatched a modest letter of holiday greetings to employees last Thursday (this year with no video accompaniment) that reaffirms the company’s fundamental mission without dwelling on any of the year’s particulars: “What a year this has been. As Penguin Random House, we managed changes, we took on challenges, and from them both we created opportunities to better serve our authors, our retail partners, our readers, and one another. Personally, this year gave me the chance to reflect upon the inextricable link between the work we do and the world we live in. In light […]
International News
People, Etc.
Steven Pace will join Norton on January 2 as director, trade sales, succeeding William Rusin, who is retiring after 45 years with the company at 36 years as director of trade sales. Pace was previously sales director at Workman. Norton vp trade sales & marketing Brendan Curry said in the announcement: “There are few people who could step smoothly into the shoes of the exceptional Bill Rusin, but Steven Pace is superbly qualified to do so. With his background in all aspects of book sales at firms both large and small, his outstanding reputation for management and leadership, and his sterling […]
EU Takes One More Step Towards Maybe Allowing Reduced Tax on eBooks Some Day
The European Union’s achingly slow battle over whether to allow ebooks the same potential for preferential sales tax treatment that print books are given has taken another expected steps towards potential resolution…some time in 2017. Or not. Following on a plan announced this spring, the European Commission has presented a formal proposal for a variety of tax rule revisions. Included in those extensive proposals is one on ebooks that “allow – but not oblige – Member States” to give ebooks (and digital newspapers, magazines, etc.) the same lower or nonexistent VAT status that they give currently to print books. But […]
International Briefs: Kobo, Amazon, Luebbe and More
The rest of the world was open for business all week long and accounts for much of the catch-up news: – Kobo has now redirected their efforts to sell ebooks and ereading devices in Spain towards their France-based retail partner Fnac. The relationship has been expanded to Spain, where Fnac has 50 stores. Kobo first opened their own local ebookstore in 2011 and sells titles in Spanish, Catalan, Basque, and Galician. In 2013 they had partnered with La Central’s group of seven stores. – Germany’s Luebbe has sold 80 percent of their gift product line Rader for 14.1 million euros, valuing the company at about one […]
EU Court Affirms Libraries’ Right to Lend Legal eBooks
The European Union’s Court of Justice issued a ruling on Thursday that declares EU rules about a public lending right to physical books through libraries apply to ebooks as well. The judgment imposes as a legal right what has become established business practice in the US for some time (albeit with a number of business model variations publisher by publisher): Libraries can lend legally published and purchased ebooks on a one-user-per-copy basis. EU rules require “fair compensation” to authors; what’s not clear to us from the ruling is whether those rules allow a separate practice from some publishers in the US […]
Denmark’s JP/Politikens Forms Swedish Publishing House, Polaris
Denmark-based publishing company JP/Politikens will launch a new publishing house in Sweden, Polaris Förlag, concentrating on literary fiction, crime and thrillers, and popular nonfiction, in the second half of 2017. Polaris, which will operate as an independent unit of JP/Politikens and based in Stockholm, will be overseen by Jonas Axelsson, most recently director of Bonnier Group and ceo of Partners in Stories. JP/Politikens managing director Lene Juul said in the announcement: “The Swedish book market is interesting as we currently see a positive market development. And with Jonas Axelsson we have found the right person to start our new business […]