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Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group president and publisher Maya Mavjee announced a realignment and expansion of Pantheon and Schocken. They will now operate independently as an “equal and fourth pillar” of the group, rather than a division of Knopf, Mavjee said, “in order to ensure these imprints’ legacy, development, and advancement.” We had reported in late August that Pantheon and Schocken svp and publisher Lisa Lucas had changed reporting lines and was reporting directly to Mavjee. “This new direction both will honor the past and will help our company pivot into the future,” Mavjee said in the announcement. Lucas added, “We couldn’t […]

The NYT helped tell all your friends and customers that the broader supply chain difficulties apply to book publishing as well as many other industries, and others continue to amplify the issues. Booksellers continue to join in as well, advising patrons to “shop now for the titles you know you’ll want, pre-order titles not yet published” and to be wary of value-priced media which “can be erratic, particularly late in the season.” In a webinar on Tuesday, four publishing executives discussed how labor shortages, plus increased costs for materials and international shipping, have strained the industry, and what publishers are […]

Following up on our recent return-to-office update, Hachette Book Group ceo Michael Pietsch announced to staff yesterday that they will not be expected to return to the office in 2021, and a 2022 date isn’t set (the company will still give four weeks’ notice beforehand). “Concerns about Covid-19 and the Delta variant, the possibility of transmission even by fully vaccinated individuals, the lack of a vaccine for children, and other factors led the Office Reopening Task Force to this decision,” he said. Offices are currently open “with capacity restrictions, for fully vaccinated employees who want to use them.” Also, Simon & Schuster […]

Even as some publishers delayed their office reopening plans, Harper Collins is sticking with its program to reopen facilities in New York, Princeton, and Montage, PA on October 4, with employees working there 2-3 days per week. A spokesperson said, “We are moving ahead with the next phase of our gradual return to in-person work beginning the week of October 4. This is a pilot period during which we hope to learn more about how hybrid work functions at Harper Collins. Coming into the office during this interim period is not mandatory.” While working from the office is officially voluntary, some […]

Owner of McNally Jackson Books in New York Sarah McNally has launched a publishing arm, McNally Editions, to be distributed by Simon & Schuster. The line will focus on paperback editions of previously published books, many of which have been out of print. The first titles — Winter Love by Han Suyin, Daddy’s Gone A-Hunting by Penelope Mortimer, and Something to Do With Paying Attention by David Foster Wallace — will publish in January, as $18 trade paperbacks, and preorders have the option of delivering before Christmas 2021. “As any bookseller knows, recommending books is the most rewarding part of […]

In a note to staff, Penguin Random House announced they would require employees to wear masks “at all times and in all areas, including inside offices,” when their office reopens on September 13. They previously announced that employees must be vaccinated to use the office, which remains optional. The announcement says, “The safety of all of you remains our top priority and for now, being masked indoors is the accepted standard in areas of substantial or high transmission. We will, as always, continue to monitor and assess the situation.”