Granta Publications executive publisher Philip Gwyn Jones is the latest employee to be shown the door, leaving Granta this summer according to a company announcement. They now admit that a larger reorganization is underway after the resignations of Granta Magazine editor John Freeman and deputy editor Ellah Allfrey, to result in a leaner company. Proprietor and publisher Sigrid Rausing is taking “full operational and executive control of the company” and the new plan is to have a single editor-in-chief for the books imprints and the magazine. Rausing says in the statement: “The economic realities of small imprint publishing today has […]
The BEA Master Schedule
BEA keeps making incremental improvements to their web site and mobile app but they still don’t provide what a lot of attendees (and our readers) ask for: All the events in a single spreadsheet, arranged by time and date. So here, bigger than ever, is our annual pass at organizing hundreds of educational sessions, special events, “author stages” appearances and more into a single file. Just go to: publun.ch/BEA2013Sched. This year we have posted it as a shared Google spreadsheet. You can’t change the master document, but you can download it as an Excel file and sort or edit it […]
The Publishers Lunch BEA 2013 Party Planner
In keeping with our tradition, here is an overview of the known BEA after-hours celebrants and events so far. (If your event is not listed, that means you didn’t let us know–send an e-mail and we’ll update as appropriate.) As usual, this is a guide to what’s happening rather than a crasher’s manual; many of these events require an invitation and RSVP, often in strictly limited numbers, though others are open. Congratulations and best wishes to all for successful gatherings. Tuesday, May 28 Books of Wonder and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Pre-BEA Open House [for […]
Bookselling: Waterstones To Restructure Store Management; New Bookstores in Bryn Mawr, PA and Astoria, Queens
Waterstones is preparing to restructure store management and has begun the required consultation with more than 560 employees that will result in an unspecified number of layoffs, the Bookseller reports. In a letter to staff, managing director James Daunt said the current positions of branch manager, assistant manager, general manager and deputy manager will be abolished, replaced with a “bookshop manager” role that will “call on different skills.” Daunt explained: “It is particularly important that we do this because more than ever before our managers will be central to our ability to deliver effective bookshops: the decisions that define the […]
Profits Rise at Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury finished their fiscal year ending February 28 well, riding digital growth to pre-tax profit of £9.8 million (up 16 percent), even as sales only nudged up $1.1 million to £98.5 million from continuing operations. Underlying sales — excluding the Fairchild Books and Applied Visual Arts acquisitions from during the year, were down 5 percent, to £92.5 million. eBook sales rose “strongly” as print declined, up 61 percent overall to £9.1 million. eBooks accounted for 13 percent of adult trade sales; in the US they comprised “27 percent of net title sales, but UK e-book sales are accelerating and now […]
People, Etc.: Harper Changes, Young Lions Winner, AEP to Merge With AAP’s School Division, and More
HarperCollins has announced some adjustments in their General Books group, driven by It Books publisher Cal Morgan‘s move to the Harper division as svp, executive editor. (He will continue as editorial director of Harper Perennial and Harper paperbacks as well.) Lynn Grady has been promoted to svp, publisher of It Books, now reporting as part of the Morrow division to publisher Liate Stehlik. Grady continues as deputy publisher of Morrow/Voyager/Avon as well. Newmarket Press will also operate as part of the Morrow division, while Harper Design becomes part of the Harper Division. At Melville House, Kelly Burdick has been promoted to associate publisher. James Phirmam […]