PW honors Sourcebooks’ dynamic founder and ceo Dominique Raccah as their person of the year, “In recognition of her determination, creativity, and energy in making Sourcebooks one of the country’s leading independent publishers.” After almost 30 years in business, the publisher recently passed lifetime sales of 100 million units. Scholastic announced a wave of new hires and promotions: Angie Chen has joined the company as production editor for picture books and Cartwheel (coming from the Aperture Foundation); Rachel Gluckstern is production editor for hardcover (she was at DC Comics); Melissa Schirmer is assistant production editor (she was most recently at Books of Wonder); and Teresa Harris is licensing & brand […]
Positive Reviews for January Buzz Books
It’s been a week since we launched our first monthly Buzz Books sampler as an experiment and consumer/blogger reviews have been very encouraging. We couldn’t have hoped for better than this: “How do you make something exceptional better? You make it monthly! Thanks Publishers Lunch! You have made it even easier now to know what’s coming out and when. This is hands down one of the best resources for book lovers of all genres.” As with our regular editions, reviewers report discovering new titles and filling their pre-orders and to-be-read piles, with the monthly size — and full-month overview of […]
Updated Best of the Best Books of 2016 Lists
We have our second update on the competition for the consensus best books of the year, and as naturally happens at this point in the aggregation, there is enough data for full “top 10” lists for both fiction and nonfiction. With a little over 50 votes counted at this point, Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad has already smashed the record for most votes as “book of the year.” (Last year Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me set a new record of 31, surpassing previous title holder Katherine Boo’s Behind the Beautiful Forevers.) Here is the where the aggregated rankings stand: The Best […]
Bookselling: Gramercy Books to Open in Columbus, OH; BN Closes Merritt Island, FL Store; and More
Gramercy Books in Columbus, OH has opened, with partial backing from the family behind the Little Professor bookshop. Owner and author Linda Kass told the Columbus Dispatch: “My husband and I love books, and we love bookstores, so when the building space was available, it was the perfect opportunity to take the plunge. It’s a perfect location for a bookstore. Gramercy will also host the second location of a local coffee shop, Kittie’s, which is linked to the bookstore but will have a separate exterior entrance. In bookstore closings, Barnes & Noble‘s Merritt Island, FL location will close at the […]
Scholastic Gains On Smaller Potter Bump
Scholastic reported fiscal second quarter results Thursday morning, for the period through November 30, with another Harry Potter boost from Fantastic Beasts lifting sales, albeit less dramatically than the gains the previous quarter from HP and the Cursed Child. Sales of $623 million were up $21 million, or 3.5 percent, with operating profit of $111.4 million up $5.7 million. Trade publishing sales were $98.5 million — up $36.8 million “on the strength of Harry Potter publishing” (while in the previous quarter, Potter drove a $69.6 million gain). Strong trade sales helped make up for declines of $4.8 million in book fairs […]
People, Etc.
At the American Booksellers Association, longtime development officer Mark Nichols will retire following the 2017 Winter Institute after 16 years with the organization. As of January 1, 2017 Matthew Zoni will be promoted to director of development and publisher relations and will become a member of ABA’s senior staff. Peter Reynolds will have an expanded role as project manager and with primary responsibility for the Indie Next Lists and the Indie Bestseller Lists. Gen de Botton will move up to ABC group manager. Additionally, David Grogan has been promoted to director of public policy and advocacy and will also join ABA’s senior staff. Kimberly Whalen has left Trident Media […]