For the next eight weeks, New York City subway riders can download free short stories and 175 book excerpts offered by Penguin Random House. It’s part of PRH’s “Subway Reads” promotion, in partnership with the MTA, “celebrating the installation of free wireless connectivity in more than 175 underground subway stations.” The NYT notes that, “Transit officials approached Penguin Random House…because it had run a similar e-book promotion in the London Underground last year, celebrating Penguin’s 80th anniversary. Transit officials said they were open to other platforms from publishers, and platforms for more than books — anything to draw passengers to the Wi-Fi […]
Marketing
People, Etc.
Meghan Deans will join Ecco on June 13 as marketing director. She has been at Little, Brown, most recently as director of social media. At Clarkson Potter, Kim Tyner has been promoted to assistant production director. Harper Christian reports that longtime employee and vp of custom product development Joseph “Scott” Harvey, 52, died on Friday after a five-month battle to cancer. Harvey joined Thomas Nelson as a national accounts manager in May 2000. SVP of sales Tom Knight says, “Our friendship surpassed just being colleagues, as did most that ever had the opportunity to work with Scott. In addition to Scott’s larger-than-life personality his business acumen […]
People
Ruth Alltimes will become managing director of Hachette UK’s consolidated children’s book lines on August 8, reporting to group ceo Hilary Murray Hill, leaving her position as fiction publishing director at Harper UK Children’s. Additionally, Anne McNeil has been promoted to senior publisher for Hodder Children’s, Enid Blyton Entertainment and Quercus Children’s, also reporting to Hill. Sarah Lambert moves up to editorial director for fiction for both Hodder Children’s and Quercus Children’s. Deputy managing director of the group Clare Somerville will become commercial director, continuing to lead rights, marketing and publicity teams. She will “focus on sales across all channels, and will lead the commercial activity for Enid Blyton Entertainment.” […]
Goodreads Enters eMail Deals Business
One tried and true digital marketing tool (for now, at least) is email deal newsletters, and now Goodreads is joining the game. Goodreads Deals will alert site members when an ebook on their “want to read” list or an author they follow is discounted. They are also offering daily deals email newsletters in three genre fiction categories, along with “bestsellers,” and they say they plan “to expand into more genres as quickly as we can.” The program starts in the US. In the press release Goodreads ceo Otis Chandler says, “This program is also a powerful new marketing tool for authors and publishers; […]
People, Etc.
Marion Garner has been promoted to deputy publisher, vp of Penguin Random House Canada, continuing to report to president and publisher Kristin Cochrane. (Garner has been deputy publisher for the Random House Canada imprints). In the new, broader role, Garner “will have input into acquisitions, oversee the inventory of all our imprints, work closely with the imprint directors and publishers, and will have a hand in the behind-the-scenes elements of our publishing efforts as they involve marketing, publicity and sales meetings.” She will also manage all of the paperback publishing. Lindley Boegehold has joined Clarkson Potter as editorial director overseeing the Potter gift line of products. Previously she was […]
Carter Op-Ed Claims “Full Story” on WATCHMAN Manuscript Discovery
Over the weekend all pretense of holding to the Tuesday embargo for reviews of GO SET A WATCHMAN evaporated. Michiko Kakutani went first late Friday, revealing in her NYT review (which essentially doubled as breaking news) that Harper Lee’s original novel — out of which resulted TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD — presents an older, infirm Atticus Finch espousing racist, segregationist views and going to “at least one KKK meeting.” At the same time, it appeared the WSJ’s “pre-publication marketing campaign” included an essay from Lee’s “estate trustee, lawyer, and friend” Tonja B. Carter, who claims to tell the “full story, […]