That’s the theme of an essay by Beau Friedlander in the LA Times, in which he concludes, “the instant knowledge provided by the Web is invaluable, as is the deeper communion provided by books.” In part: Books require a different sort of communion with one’s subject than the Internet. They foster a different sort of memory — more tactile, more participatory. I know more or less where, folio-wise, Eliot gets nasty about the Jews in his infamous 1933 lecture series After Strange Gods, but I always have to read around a bit to find the exact quote, and the time […]
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Seven Candles
We’re always a little bit surprised this time of year when the anniversary of the creation of PublishersMarketplace.com comes around again, as we now celebrate seven years of service. As you know, most of the time we’re entirely focused on what we’re going to do next rather than what we’ve already accomplished. Since we spend so much time reporting on other company’s quarterly and annual results, this year we thought we would offer you an “annual report” on the activity in our world: FeaturesSeven years ago we naively pledged to take our site’s modest beginnings and continue to add to […]
Crichton's Last Book?
Prior to his death yesterday, Michael Crichton was working hard on completing what would be his final manuscript. Originally the book was scheduled for publication this December. “He didn’t deliver the manuscript as expected,” ceo Brian Murray told us during an earnings telephone interview, and “we postponed it.” Harper publisher Jonathan Burnham indicates that they do not know the exact status of the manuscript right now. Crichton had been working on the manuscript for some time and hoped to complete the book before the end of the year. Though his illness was known, his final deterioration was apparently both quick […]
When Retailers Go Under
When times are good, retailers thrive during the holidays and when times are hard, the holiday selling season can be the springboard to bankrupty. Bloomberg explains, “In the last quarter century, about a fifth of large retailers that went bankrupt, including RH Macy & Co. Inc. and FAO Schwarz, did so in January, using holiday sales cash to jump-start reorganizations or finance liquidations.” But “this bankruptcy season is different. Retailers with reduced revenue or bloated debt are closing down early because of a consumer spending slump linked to the credit crunch, dwindling inventory values and restrictive changes in the bankruptcy […]
Layoffs at Rodale
The company is cutting approximately 10 percent of its staff, comprising 111 employees in all. The Allentown Morning Call says that 73 of the cuts will come from their Emmaus headquarters; the remaining 38 are in New York and regional sales offices. Rodale says in a release it is “eliminating or consolidating positions in several of its divisions, including operations, IT, customer service and some publishing departments in order to shift resources toward its highest growth potential activities.” As the NY Post notes, “the job cuts come after the privately held company sought unsuccessfully to find a strategic partner to […]
Self-Published Cookbook Goes National
Wona Miniati and Deana Gunn say their self-published COOKING WITH ALL THINGS TRADER JOE’s has sold 20,000 copies in the past year, with another 15,000 recently shipped to stores, and now Borders is carrying the book chainwide. Published without the participation of the grocery chain, the book presents recipes based on prepared ingredients carried by Trader Joe’s.WSJ