Wall Street’s hate affair with Barnes & Noble‘s stock has continued. Shares fell more than a dollar yesterday, declining more than 9 percent, to finish at what was an all-time low. Until the market opened this morning, with prices down another 4 percent in early trading, standing at about $10.25 a share. (The overall market is down broadly today, with major indices down over 2 percent.) The company’s stock has fallen over 45 percent in less than a month. Two Chicago-area Borders book signings for former mobster Frank Calabrese Jr.‘s book Operation Family Secrets: How a Mobster’s Son and the […]
Marketing
Publicize This: How to Get the WSJ to Break Your Book
The WSJ’s recently-launched weekend Review section proved it can put a book on the nation’s radar with their attention-getting (and controversially titled) except from Amy Chua’s book. (The book is called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother; the WSJ called their excerpt “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior.”) The splash made an ideal segue to a breakfast convened by the newspaper this morning with publishers and book publicists and marketers this morning. As Review section editor Gary Rosen said, “We want to be the place where the big buzzy books start.” Rosen spoke to the support the paper provided to promote […]
Grand Central Thriller Authors to Promote Each Other
Grand Central is trying a new kind of free ebook giveaway, cross-promoting two titles with each other. So the ebook of Brad Meltzer’s new book THE INNER CRICLE will include a free edition of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s 2002 novel The Cabinet of Curiosities, and the ebook of Preston and Child’s new title GIDEON’S SWORD will include Meltzer’s 2005 book The Zero Game. The publisher says the idea began with a suggestion from Preston and Child to Meltzer: “Doug and Lincoln emailed me and asked. They thought it would be a great way for us to thank readers while […]
Crown Returns Digital Publishing to Each Imprint, Patrick to Leave
After 15 years at Random House and Crown, current vp, digital and marketing strategy as well as publisher, Crown Group digital Philip Patrick is “stepping down” and leaving the company at the end of the year. President Maya Mavjee writes that “Philip and I have had ongoing discussions about how best to grow and shape our rapidly emerging digital business. After much reflection and evaluation, we have agreed that, for a division as broad and wide-ranging as Crown, the most effective way to serve our authors is for each of our individual publishers to manage and oversee digital product development […]
Random’s Client Marketing Service, Plus People Updates
Random House’s distribution unit announced a new marketing service that provides their clients with “a range of robust tools for pursuing online marketing opportunities.” Manager, digital and paperback marketing at Crown Jay Sones will move to RH Publisher Services, where he will be senior online marketing manager, in charge of the new program. That tool set includes “marketing strategy development, online advertising campaigns; online media tours with authors; consultation on back-list opportunities on-line; and single-title campaigns for key front-list titles.” President of RHPS Jeff Abraham says in the announcement “our experience shows that these online marketing efforts, whether via Facebook, […]
And a Different Paid, Pre-Publication Online Book Club Idea from WowOwow
Women’s website WowOwow, co-founded by former agent and publisher Joni Evans, is trialing an “early access” book club that sells pre-publication galleys of selected books in limited quantities. The coverage at Forbes says the site “believes they’ll pay a substantial fee for that privilege and for the various other perks associated with membership, such as author chats”–but the current test is charging from $15 to $30 a copy, which seems at odds with the first statement. The trial offer underway is for Jodi Picoult’s March 2011 release, SING YOU HOME. Evans tries to pitch a few different paradigms. “The concept […]