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Tenet Coverage Begins As often happens, a NYT reporter walks into a store, and comes out with the embargoed George Tenet book (bought without a discount, “at retail price”). Calling it “by turns accusatory, defensive, and modestly self-critical,” the Times quotes Tenet as writing: “There was never a serious debate that I know of within the administration about the imminence of the Iraqi threat.” Though there was that 2002 National Intelligence Estimate about Iraq’s weapons programs, which Tenet calls “one of the lowest moments of my seven-year tenure,” explaining that “in retrospect, we got it wrong partly because the truth […]

Please Note Lunch is being served early because it’s my 15th anniversary and we’re playing hooky for the rest of the day. Another Hollywood Agency Moves In on the Book Business The Gersh Agency is the latest film-world player to add a book division. It will be run out of Gersh’s NY office by Phyllis Wender, who ran Rosenstone/Wender (partner Howard Rosenstone died last year) and will bring agents Sonia Pabley and Susan Cohen with her. Co-president Bob Gersh tells Variety, “Most book agents know Phyllis, and her reputation and stature will dictate how the division will do business. We’ve […]

Amazon Fools Them Again Wall Street was prepared for a lackluster Q1 earnings report from Amazon, and instead the e-tailer announced better than expected results, with sales of $3.02 billion, up 32 percent, and improved earnings of $145 million, up 38 percent from a year ago. International “media” sales of $1 billion (up 31 percent) have now finally surpassed US media sales of $990 million (up 21 percent), the culmination of a growing trend. Profits improved through a reduction in technology spending and a tax change. The company increased their guidance for the rest of the fiscal, now expecting sales […]

On Halberstam As you’ve probably read elsewhere, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author David Halberstam, 73, was killed in a car crash in Menlo Park, CA. Wire NYT Knopf Books Another Clinton Bill Clinton’s publisher Knopf will also issue Carl Bernstein’s biography of Hillary Clinton, A WOMAN IN CHARGE, this June, with an announced 350,000-copy first printing. Chairman Sonny Mehta says in the announcement, “I believe his book will stand as the most detailed, comprehensive, and revealing account we have of a woman who helped define one presidency and may well step into another.” Spokesman Paul Bogaards tells the NYT that […]

Granta Picks New Editor; American Novelists Issue Lands Granta has selected Jason Cowley as the new editor of the magazine, taking over from Ian Jack in September. Cowley runs the Observer Sports Monthly, and was previously literary editor of the New Statesman for five years. He has also served as a Booker and Whitbread judge. He says, “My challenge is to ensure that it plays a major role in the culture at large while continuing to publish writing of the highest distinction and introducing new voices.” Meanwhile, though the Granta list of best young American novelists was announced a while […]

Deal Reports Just e-mail to deals@PublishersMarketplace if you aren’t using the online form linked below. Report a deal using the online form The Key As usual, the handy key to our Lunch deal categories. While all reports are always welcome, those that include a category will generally receive a higher listing when it comes time to put them all together. “nice deal” $1 – $49,000 “very nice deal” $50,000 – $99,000 “good deal” $100,000 – $250,000 “significant deal” $251,000 – $499,000 “major deal” $500,000 and up FICTION Debut Rivka Galchen’s debut novel ATMOSPHERIC DISTURBANCES AND OTHER SAD METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA, about […]