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, […]
Marketing
Quarto Reorganizes, On the Web
The Quarto Group has reorganized the presentation of its catalog of titles to consumers through the just-launched site QuartoKnows.com. The new organizational scheme takes titles from their 20 or so imprints in both the US and UK and presents them in 10 subject groups: Quarto Cooks, Quarto Homes, Quarto Drives, Quarto Kids, Quarto Lives (health & MBS), Quarto Plays (sport & games), Quarto Creates (art, craft & design), Quarto Thinks (culture), Quarto Explores (history, travel, science) and Quarto Gifts. Later this year — August 31 in the US, and September 30 in the UK — they will enable direct to consumer […]
Corporate: Harlequin’s Customer Rewards Program; Bonnier Germany Drops DRM
Harlequin has launched a new customer loyalty program, Harlequin My Rewards, which gives members opportunities to earn rewards such as autographed books, signature gift baskets and Skype conversations with favorite Harlequin authors. Harlequin My Rewards presents readers with points for purchasing books or engaging in multiple online activities, including sharing book reviews, providing opinions, completing weekly book challenges and games, tweeting and partaking in Facebook activities. In addition, readers who purchase Harlequin books at retail locations can earn points by taking a photo of their receipts, which they email or upload to the Rewards site. Bonnier Germany (which includes Carlsen, […]
Introducing the World to Grove/Atlantic’s Forthcoming LitHub.com
LitHub.com, the literary web site backed by Grove/Atlantic that is scheduled to debut on April 8, pulls back the curtain a little bit ahead of time, with an article in the WSJ and a press release. (The pre-announcement is apparently because of a “sneak peek” session they will convene on Monday at the ABA’s Winter Institute.) Founding editor of L Magazine Jonny Diamond is editor-in-chief, with John Freeman as executive editor. Electric Literature has partnered to design and develop the web site, and Grove/Atlantic’s Morgan Entrekin conceived of the site in conjunction with veteran magazine editor Terry McDonell. The paradigm is […]
Gallery Announces Literary Scout Press, and More
Gallery formally acknowledged their new literary imprint Scout Press on Monday, as promotion continues to build for one of their titles, literary agent Bill Clegg’s first novel (and third book), Did You Ever Have A Family?. Set for publication September 15 (with published metadata for some time, and rights sold in multiple territories), Clegg’s book will be promoted at the upcoming ABA Winter Institute. Gallery publisher Jennifer Bergstrom introduces a new conceit of “great accessible literary fiction,” which she describes to the NYT as, “literary but very accessible, not precious, not fussy, not esoteric.” In the release, she adds, “We will […]
People, Etc.: ICM to Represent Crichton
ICM is now representing rights to “the majority of titles” written by the late Michael Crichton (including most of his best-known novels, with the exception of Jurassic Park). Sloan Harris and Jennifer Joel will lead representation on the literary side, and the agency says it will “work closely with Sherri Crichton and licensees of rights licensed in Michael Crichton’s work to broaden the reach of his stories, worlds, characters and brands across all media.” There is work for potential posthumous publication and exploitation as well. ICM says it will also focus on “the exploration of Crichton’s heretofore unknown and unpublished works […]