The WSJ reported Monday night that “the Justice Department has gone back to the publishers asking about any recent pricing discussions they may have had with others in the industry, say people familiar with the situation.” The “inquiries” the paper refers to were “made in recent weeks by letter,” just as at least two publishers are in negotiations with Amazon. The Journal adds, “The significance of the Justice Department’s latest move isn’t clear. The inquiries don’t necessarily mean any legal action is imminent or even likely, a person familiar with the situation said.” But it sure sounds intimidating, doesn’t it? The […]
Professional Attendance Slides At BEA, As Reed Commits to the Con
BEA announced preliminary attendance figures for the 2014 show and, consistent with the pattern from previous years, results were stable but slightly down. “Professional attendance,” the category that comprises everyone except exhibitors, was 10,965 people, down by 129 from the final count of 11.094 people in 2013. Total attendance, with exhibitors included, was down 619 people or 3 percent, at a preliminary total of 19,860 people. Various initiatives have come and gone over the past years that had kept the attendee numbers higher but may not have changed the core business-to-business experience, since they involved the BlogWorld and Power Readers experiments. At […]
Bookselling: BN Books Clinton; Changing Hands Opens Phoenix Store; Jeff Kinney To Open Massachusetts Store; and More
In the slow announcements of Hillary Clinton’s Trickle Tour for Hard Choices, Barnes & Noble indicates that their Union Square store in New York City will be the site of her first public appearance on publication day, June 10. Secretary Clinton will sign books beginning at 11, and BN will start distributing wristbands to customers at 8 in the morning. Clinton will also visit their store at The Grove in Los Angeles on June 19. Last Friday Changing Hands opened its Phoenix branch, a 17,227-square foot space that also includes the First Draft bar, the store’s first coffee, wine and […]
Judge Temporarily Blocks Hastings Merger, Schedules Hearing On Shareholder Suit
A Texas US District Court has granted a temporary restraining order “restricting” the proposed merger between retailer Hastings and companies controlled by National Entertainment Collectibles Association owner Joel Weinshanker. The court has scheduled a June 12 hearing on a shareholder lawsuit alleging that the purchase price is “insufficient consideration” and charged that the officers and directors of Hastings “breached their respective fiduciary duties in the course of negotiating and approving” the merger. The buyout offer is for $3 a share, but the plaintiffs indicated earlier they believe the company may be worth $5 a share or more. If the $21.4 million buyout is […]
Writers Coffee Shop Sued By Former Business Partner Over Share of FIFTY SHADES Proceeds
The complicated publication path of EL James’ FIFTY SHADES trilogy has finally yielded legal action, as James’ first publisher, Australian-based The Writers Coffee Shop owner Amanda Hayward, was sued last week in a Texas state court by her former business partners Jennifer Pedroza and Christa Beebe, for a share of the massive proceeds from the trilogy. According to the 48-page complaint, obtained by Courthouse News, “This is a case about greed and self-dealing by Amanda Hayward in conning her business partner Jenny Pedroza out of her rightful partnership interest in advances and royalties flowing from the New York Times best-selling […]
Picks and Awards
Pennie’s pick for June at Costco is Daniel James Brown‘s THE BOYS IN THE BOAT: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In addition to books by Lily King, Courtney Maum, Megan Abbott and Tom Rob Smith, Amazon’s best books of June list also includes: The Book of Unknown Americans, Cristina Henríquez Good Hunting, Jack Devine, Vernon Loeb Take This Man, Brando Skyhorse My Salinger Year, Joanna Rakoff The Vacationers, Emma Straub I Am Pilgrim, Terry Hayes Animal Madness, Laurel Braitman The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winners were named at BEA. They are: Picture Book: Mr. Tiger […]