On Friday evening October 28, a group of more than 200 HBG employees—from entry level to directors—sent a letter to ceo Michael Pietsch and members of the Office Reopening Taskforce, opposing the company’s return-to-office mandate, slated to begin November 1. (The company has 1600 employees total.) The hybrid plan requires employees to work from the office two specific days per week. Hachette has been in a pilot period for six months, in which employees could decide to return to the office or defer. “During these six months, those who wished to be in office went in, collaborated in person and […]
News
Macmillan Extends Remote-Friendly Work Policy Through the End of 2023
Macmillan announced today that their US trade and shared services division will continue its “hybrid & remote-friendly” work policy all the way through the end of 2023. Employees whose work can be done remotely “have the flexibility to choose the number of days per week they work in the office, or choose to work fully remotely.” CEO Jon Yaged says in the announcement: “Two things are clear: people want flexibility and we continue to live in uncertain times. So, we’ll continue what has been working for us while we spend the next fourteen months evaluating the best way to engage […]
Book Critics Build Careers, But Can’t Make a Living
For this first in a series looking at compensation in different corners of the book business, we found that pay for book critics varies widely by publication and type of piece—but none of it is enough to live on. The financial struggle of being a book reviewer has real influence on the way books are seen, and the publishing industry as a whole. Reviews—whether they’re positive or negative, and whether they exist at all—can influence sales, and subsequently what books are published and how they’re marketed. Many sources we spoke to for this article—more than a dozen emerging and established […]
Initiatives: Electric Postcard Entertainment
Author and founder of kids and YA book packager Cake Creative Dhonielle Clayton will launch Electric Postcard Entertainment, an adult and YA packaging venture that will produce books, podcasts, film, and television with “darker themes and more ambitious narratives.” “Electric Postcard Entertainment opens doors for me to move into the adult and young adult crossover space with projects that continue our trademark blend of commerciality, diversity, and authenticity,” Clayton said. “I’m excited to be a launchpad for writers in this space and forge relationships with partners new and old to introduce more marginalized voices and exciting IP to the world.” In […]
Hallmark Publishing Confirms Closure
Hallmark Publishing formally confirmed the forthcoming closure that we reported on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Hallmark Media wrote to PL, “We are exiting the Hallmark Publishing business to focus our resources on other areas of the company that we believe will drive our future growth.” The closure follows the departure of executive editor Stacey Donovan in late September, who founded the publishing division.
Webtoon and Wattpad Team Launch Yonder
The team behind Webtoon and Wattpad has launched Yonder, a new serialized fiction app. They write in a release that Yonder “elevates serialized fiction, with a focus on curation, stories from influential authors and publishers, and an enhanced experience that rewards readers with more to read.” Publishing partners with content on the app include Blackstone Publishing, Aethon, Sterling and Stone, Portal Books, and Wraithmarked. The app is currently available on Android and the company says it’s coming soon on iOS. Yonder does not have ads, but every story on the platform allows readers several chapters for free before requesting that […]