Numerous media reports have created a wave of confusion over author Lawrence Wright’s work-in-progress on the Church of Scientology and director and high-profile Scientology defector Paul Haggis. In a telephone interview on Friday, Wright’s longtime editor at Knopf, Ann Close, clarified several key points. Knopf purchased North American rights to the book from agent Andrew Wylie at The Wylie Agency in early October, prior to Frankfurt. But that sale was too late to be included in the agency’s Frankfurt catalog–which was the source for a Gawker post earlier this month, which claimed the book proposal was still being shopped, and […]
New Releases/Forthcoming
People, Awards, Etc.
The Association of American Publishers (AAP) has hired Andi Sporkin for the new position of vp, communications, reporting to president Tom Allen. Sporkin will “develop and direct integrated communications, external outreach and marketing for AAP’s advocacy efforts.” Her responsibilities will include legal, legislative and regulatory communications; media relations; industry branding initiatives; public affairs; and management of AAP’s Communications team. Sporkin was vp, communications at NPR from 2005-2008, worked for CBS for 13 years, and also led communications divisions at Disney and Sony Pictures. National Book Network has eliminated six positions in their sales force, which company head Jed Lyons says […]
Skyhorse Buys Sports Publishing Assets, Prepares Children’s List
Skyhorse Publishing has purchased the assets of Sports Publishing, which went bankrupt in 2008. That gives them rights to over 700 books, including works by Michael Phelps and Dick Vitale. They will relaunch Sports Publishing as a new imprint with 40 revised and updated titles in fall 2011. In the same season, the company will launch a new children’s imprint, Sky Pony Press. They expect to start with 15 to 20 titles. Former publisher and founder of Millbrook Press Jean Reynolds is serving as consulting editor. The company says sales for 2010 were up more than 60 percent over 2009.
WikiLeaks Assange Is Writing to Raise Funds
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange claims he had to sell a memoir to raise funds to defend himself, telling the Times of London, “I don’t want to write this book, but I have to. I have already spent [more than $300,000] for legal costs, and I need to defend myself and keep WikiLeaks afloat.” Did anyone tell him how long it was going to take collect his advance? Assange says Knopf is paying about $800,000 and Canongate is paying him approximately $500,000. He estimates that money from serialization and other territories will add another few hundred thousand dollars, though again its […]
Book Version of Financial Crisis Commission Report Said to be Part of Partisan Rift
The forthcoming report from the Financial Crisis Commission continues to make news. First there was a celebration that they secured an advance and royalties for the authorized book version of the public document, from which they retreated after the first publishing deal with Little, Brown “failed to close,” and Public Affairs took over the US edition. Then the report itself was delayed until some time in January. Now, Bloomberg reports that Republican members of the panel “are planning to register a public protest” against postponing the December 15 deadline, “in part a reaction to a plan that would limit dissenting […]
Palin Piqued At Pre-Pub Excerpts
The Palingates blog and then Gawker have posted pre-publication excerpts from Sarah Palin’s Tuesday release, AMERICA BY HEART. Gawker appears to be trying a new way around copyright infringement charges by posting pictures of book spreads. In all they have complete replicas of 21 pages, from a title that’s listed as running 304 pages in all. Palin herself tweeted yesterday, “The publishing world is leaking out-of-context excerpts of my book w/out my permission? Isn’t that illegal?” HarperCollins did not respond to a query as to whether the company was pursuing legal action over the excerpts. Run-on coverage has focused mostly […]