Samantha Shannon’s just-published fantasy debut THE BONE SEASON, already the beneficiary of a great deal of advance buzz, will receive an extra boost as a result of being the inaugural pick of The Today Show’s new Book Club. Shannon’s publisher Bloomsbury told the NYT that retailer orders “roughly doubled” when they were told of the selection. The Today Show tried another version of its Book Club about a decade ago before letting it fade away quietly, but current plans appear to be more ambitious. Selections by the show will be made every four to five weeks, with books “emblazoned with […]
New Releases/Forthcoming
New Books: Eggers, Murakami In English, Amazon’s Icons, First Alibis
Dave Eggers has published the hardcover editions of his own books since 2002 through his company McSweeney’s Books, long before it was indie-fashionable — and fueled by a paperback co-publishing arrangement with Vintage and international licenses with traditional publishers. His latest novel, THE CIRCLE, has just been listed for publication October 8 — with the hardcover coming this time from Knopf. It’s said to be a co-publication with McSweeney’s as well, though the listing (and bookseller metadata) only credits Knopf. More formal information is expected later today. Last month, McSweeney’s announced the sale of their archives to The Harry Ransom […]
Now In E: A Borgia, Garner, More Cartland
Showtime cancelled their series The Borgias (starring Jeremy Irons), but creator Neil Jordan is providing fans some closure via an ebook. THE BORGIA APOCALYPSE is based on Jordan’s script for a two-hour series finale that he never got to shoot (though apparently he says in the book that he had planned an entire fourth season). The 16,000-word ebook is published through literary agency Inkwell Management (which represents Jordan’s fiction). Harper UK is issuing the nine-title backlist of British fantasy writer Alan Garner in ebook editions for the first time on August 15. The house controls world English rights to Garner, […]
People, Etc.
Abrams announced a number of promotions in its marketing and publicity departments. Veronica Wasserman has been promoted to brand director, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, a new position. In the adult trade department, Jennifer Brunn has been promoted to senior director of publicity and Claire Bamundo moves up to director, publicity and brand strategy. In addition, Marisa Dobson has been promoted to senior publicist and Merle Brown adds the responsibilities of manager, corporate events to her role as executive assistant to the ceo. Former Abrams executive director of publicity Katrina Weidknecht recently left the company after six years to move […]
Forthcoming: Malala’s Cover, Obama’s Interview
Little, Brown has released the cover for I AM MALALA: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot By the Taliban, the memoir from Malala Yousafzai (and Christina Lamb) that they will publish on October 8. Some time today Amazon is expected to publish a free Kindle Singles Interview ebook with their editor David Blum speaking to President Barack Obama following his Tuesday appearance at the etailer’s Chattanooga warehouse.
Amazon Chooses Fall Book Picks
Amazon’s website book editors, led by Sara Nelson, posted their Fall Books Preview, including their picks for “fall’s 20 big books” and 10 editors’ picks of “exciting under-the-radar books,” along with a variety of recommendations across multiple categories. Four of those top titles and another two of the editors’ picks, asterisked below, can be sampled right now in our free Publishers Lunch Buzz Books 2013: Fall/Winter ebook. Their top twenty big fall books, in alphabetical order: Scott Anderson, LAWRENCE IN ARABIA Margaret Atwood, MADDADDAM Lee Child, NEVER GO BACK Robert Dallek, CAMELOT’S COURT: Inside the Kennedy White House Helen Fielding, […]