As usual, our free Buzz Books samplers both open with Sarah Weinman’s broader surveys of over 100 notable books from the forthcoming season. We’ll be running portions of those overviews the next few days to help round out your BEA radar — and you can read the complete previews anytime in the new editions of Buzz Books. Download yours now from any major ebookstore — including Kindle, iBookstore, or Nook — or get the “trade edition” here as an EPUB or through NetGalley or Edelweiss. With thousands of downloads already, it’s the “big book” of BEA, letting you grab 30 […]
With Flat Sales and Bigger Loss, Indigo Sees Improvement on the Horizon
Canada’s dominant bookseller Indigo reported fiscal fourth quarter sales (for the period ending March 29, 2014). Sales nudged up marginally, at $184.3 million CA, but the net loss of $14.4 million was much higher than the loss of $8.2 million a year ago. Those “higher expenses were primarily driven by investments made in relation to the company’s ongoing transformational strategy.” Online sales increased by $2.8 million, or 13.1 percent in the quarter, and same-store sales were up 1.4 percent in their superstores, but fell 3.1 percent in the small-format stores. In a note opening the annual report, ceo Heather Reisman […]
People: Maya Angelou, 86, Dies
Award-winning author, renowned poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, 86, died at her home in Winston-Salem, NC early Wednesday morning. She had been in failing health for some time, cancelling an awards appearance several days earlier. “She’d been very frail and had heart problems, but she was going strong, finishing a new book,” Angelou’s agent Helen Brann told ABC News. “I spoke to her yesterday. She was fine, as she always was. Her spirit was indomitable.” Angelou was the author of more than 30 books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, most notably I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS […]
DOJ, States Rebuff Apple Appeal By Presenting Their Case Again
The Department of Justice and plaintiff states filed a joint reply brief to Apple’s appeal in the ongoing ebook price fixing case Tuesday afternoon. Much of the 117-page document presents the government’s case against Apple all over again, though there are some new bits of information, Most notably it reveals that on Thursday, May 29, when the BEA trade show floor opens, the Appeals Court will hear oral arguments on Apple’s request for an emergency stay of the damages trial. A postponement of the July 14 trial was already a foregone conclusion once the temporary stay was granted, but that hearing may […]
Target Plans eBooks, with Librify
In another BEA-timed announcement, Target plans to pair with start-up Librify to offer some form of ebook club/subscription service, though an “official launch is still several months off,” USA Today reports. As a result, the details are opaque for now, with Target indicating they will reveal more this summer. “The service will be targeted at women, especially young professionals and moms of the coveted Millennial generation.” Target spokeswoman Erica Julkowski says, “We are proud to partner with Librify to offer a differentiated experience, which focuses on social connectivity and book clubs. She adds, “It is a great solution for bringing a […]
Amazon Posts On Hachette Dispute: “We are not optimistic that this will be resolved soon”
Following multiple statements from the Hachette Book Group to its authors and the media, on Tuesday evening Amazon broke their silence on the standoff with the publisher over terms with a post authored by the Amazon Books Team on the company’s online forum. It is titled “Announcement: Hachette/Amazon Business Interruption.” (The post is locked for discussion.) After making clear that Hachette “is part of a $10 billion media conglomerate” and an “important supplier,” Amazon admits: “Unfortunately, despite much work from both sides, we have been unable to reach mutually-acceptable agreement on terms. Hachette has operated in good faith and we admire […]