Nook Snaps, the company’s brand for short-form content (or “singles”) first introduced in late 2011, has received a relaunch. The company is highlighting a new program of specially-commissioned original works, promising 3 to 5 new titles every two months priced at $1.99. Maris Kreizman is the editor for the line at Nook, and the company is setting up a “submissions box” as well. In contrast to Kindle Singles, works are exclusive to Nook for the first 60 days only. Spokesperson Mary Ellen Keating tells us that during that first 60-day period, “the author receives 100 percent of royalties. Then, it’s […]
In Court: The Jedi, Alternative Models and More
Moments of color in Judge Denise Cote’s courtroom on Thursday included defense attorney Howard Heiss explaining “Jedi mind tricks” (“a technique used by the Jedis to persuade others to do things…by powers of suggestion”); and aggressive questioning of Google executive Tom Turvey by lead defense attorney Orin Snyder that confirmed Turvey doesn’t have an iPad and had him disagreeing with the statement that “Google is a powerful company in the media and entertainment space.” We learned that people within Google call their ebookstore “Play Books,” and saw another attorney bark at Amazon’s Russ Grandinetti for looking at his lawyer too […]
People: Crown Realigns Watson-Guptill, Potter Craft, and Amphoto Imprints
Editorial director of Watson-Guptill, Amphoto Books and Potter Craft Victoria Craven is among several staffers leaving the Crown Publishing Group as part of a reorganization of the imprints under new reports. Craven, who has been with Crown since Watson-Guptill and Amphoto were acquired the imprints in 2008, and those who report to her will remain with the company for a transitional period, which ends on July 31. At that point, responsibility for the publication of fine arts and photography instruction titles published by Watson-Guptill and Amphoto Books will be reassigned to Ten Speed Press, under the leadership of Aaron Wehner […]
eNews: Harper’s Hackathon Twist With BookSmash Challenge
A week after the Perseus-produced Hackathon that concluded at BEA, HarperCollins is launching its own version with BookSmash Challenge, a contest running from today through September 5 that asks developers developers “to create new digital products that ‘break the binding’ and re-imagine the book.” Developers will have access to works by more than a dozen authors, including Eloisa James, Julia Quinn, and C.S. Lewis, from which they can build new products and software from access to the full API for those titles. HarperCollins is working with software competition platform ChallengePost on the contest, and a total of $25,000 in cash […]
People, Etc.
Phoebe Yeh will join Random House Children’s Books as vp, Publisher, Crown Books for Young Readers on June 21, reporting to Barbara Marcus. Yeh was most recently editorial director at HarperCollins Children’s. ““I have known Phoebe for many years and admire her as a highly creative and versatile editor with an excellent track record for discovering and nurturing new voices,” said Marcus in a statement. “I am so pleased to welcome her to Random House, where her expertise in nonfiction and commercial middle-grade books will perfectly complement and further strengthen our list.” Genoveva Llosa has joined HarperOne as senior editor. […]
In Court: Grandinetti and Reidy
Wednesday’s ebook pricing trial against Apple finished with testimony from Amazon executive Russ Grandinetti, who will return to the stand on Thursday, with colleagues Laura Porco and David Naggar to follow. He said that during the original switch to agency, “it was our belief the reason we were in this position is that some of the publishers wanted to slow down the success of Kindle.” Grandinetti agreed with Apple attorney Howard Heiss’s characterization of the original meeting in Seattle at the end of January, 2010 with Macmillan executives John Sargent and Brian Napack to first discuss new contract models as tense, and […]