As publishers met with Borders executives yesterday afternoon to discuss restructuring options and credit negotiation agreements, the company announced today that another 15 staffers have been let go. Spokesperson Mary Davis issued a statement that, “As part of its brand transformation process, which includes enhanced cost efficiencies measures, Borders Group today eliminated 15 positions within its field organization. The number includes 9 regional merchandising manager, four event marketing manager and two district manager positions. “The affected employees are being offered, in some cases, an alternative position, while the rest of the employees will receive severance in accordance with company policy. […]
News
A New Survey Shows A Widening Generational Gap of Mystery Readers
Sisters in Crime, in conjunction with Bowker PubTrack, released the results of a survey of 1,056 mystery readers conducted in September 2010 on their book-buying habits. And while many of the results will not be a surprise both to those in the industry and in the mystery community, what struck me in particular is the gap between readers over and under the age of 40, and how current acquisitions may appeal more to the younger group while it neglects, for good or for ill, older readers. Generally, the majority of mystery/crime fiction buyers tend to be women over the age […]
Bookselling: British Bookshops Goes Into Administration; Book Sales Boost Tesco; and More
Sussex-based chain British Bookshops as gone into administration, with recovery specialists Zolfo Cooper on board and Simon Appell, Fraser Gray, and Stuart Mackellar appointed as joint administrators. The news comes less than a year after managing director John Simpson led a buyout from turnaround specialists Endless, and added 12 stores for a total of 51 across the UK. Earlier today the Bookseller reported that Macmillan Distribution had stopped shipping stock to the retailer for non-payment of its October account, despite repeated assurances the bill would be paid by the end of December. One publisher said the store “has been refusing […]
People, Announcements, Etc.
Kate Hamill is leaving her position as editor at It Books/HarperCollins, where she acquired the #1 NYT bestseller SH*T MY DAD SAYS, to join the business development team of the social publishing and reading site Scribd. Her last day is tomorrow. Going forward, she can be reached at kate@scribd.com. Joe Gores, a three-time Edgar Award winner and most recently, the author of SPADE AND ARCHER, the authorized prequel to THE MALTESE FALCON, died Monday. He was 79 and had been in poor health in recent years. A memorial mass will be held on Friday January 21 at 11:30 a.m. at […]
The Mystery Bookstore To Close on January 31
Just days after Borders closed its Westwood store, the west side Los Angeles neighborhood learned it will lose another: The Mystery Bookstore will close its doors on January 31. In a note to authors and customers sent Tuesday afternoon, owners Kirk Pasich and Pamela Woods said, “We simply cannot compete with the Amazons of the world and the impact of the economy.” A note on the store’s website adds “We’ve been proud and grateful to serve you. We treasure the friendships we’ve made through the store, and hope to keep them, wherever we all scatter, as we keep reading and […]
Author News: Salinger Estate Settles With Colting; Coehlo Books Banned in Iran; and More
On December 7, the JD Salinger Estate quietly settled with Frederik Colting, author of the unauthorized Catcher in The Rye sequel 60 Years Later. According to the agreement, Colting will be prevented “from manufacturing, publishing, distributing, shipping, advertising, promoting, selling, or otherwise disseminating any copy of the book 60 Years Later, by Fredrik Colting writing under the name of J.D. California, or any portion thereof, in or to the United States.” Colting is, however, free to sell the book in international territories, and PW reports that is the case in at least a half-dozen countries.PWSettlement agreement Paulo Coehlo accused Iran, […]