Brian McLendon will join Twelve as associate publisher on March 7. He will be “responsible for orchestrating Twelve’s publicity and promotional strategies, and will have a vital role in evaluating projects for the imprint.” McLendon is currently deputy director of publicity at Ballantine Bantam Dell and an agent director of the Random House Speakers Bureau. Harlequin has announced a number of changes to its editorial department. Editorial Director of Harlequin Mills & Boon UK Karin Stoecker will retire on April 1 after 32 years with the company. Effective March 1, Glenda Howard, Tessa Shapcott and Birgit Davis-Todd have been promoted […]
In the UK In 2010, Book Sales and New Book Production Decline
New book production in the UK declined slightly in 2010 according to preliminary figures from Nielsen Book, remaining robust at 151,969 titles. That is a 3.2 decline from 2009’s final count of 157,039 titles, and still the second-highest total recorded. (Nielsen notes that in 2009, the final count was considerably higher than the preliminary tally.) Overall sales volume as measured by Nielsen BookScan UK’s total consumer market tabulation puts UK book sales for 2010 at 229.3 million units (down 2.7 percent) and 1.72 billion pounds in consumer revenues (down 1.7 percent). Those figures are based on an unusual 53-week sales […]
BN Plans Brand Refresh, Will Spend $40M on Marketing Efforts
Here’s one way Barnes & Noble plans to invest some of the cash flow freed up by suspending its dividend: AdAge reports the company has hired Interpublic’s Mullen to “refresh its brand with an effort that includes an estimated $40 million investment in marketing and a new look for stores.” That amount is expected to double BN’s previous marketing spend. Mullen replaces Omnicom Group’s Merkley & Partners.AdAge Following yesterday’s pre-market announcements, Barnes & Noble’s shares fell more than 14 percent in full-day trading, declining 2.67 to finish at $15.94. The stock is falling further today, down another 4.5 percent so […]
Briefs: Author Sues Former Agent Over Bacon Cookbook; Spring Design Phasing Out Alex E-Reader And More
Brooklyn author Lisa Skye is suing her former agent, Jayne Rockmill, for puportedly stealing the idea that became the cookbook “I Love Bacon”, published by Andrews McMeel in 2009. According to the lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court, Skye said she and Rockmill jointly put together a proposal for the book after meeting at a launch party in 2007 for an earlier, self-published cookbook. Skye claims she fired Rockmill in early 2009 after she “became disenchanted with Rockmill’s aggressive style”, and was “stunned” to find a copy of the book with Rockmill’s name on it in a San Francisco bookstore […]
People, Etc.
In Italy, former publisher of Mondadori Massimo Turchetta will take over as publisher of the trade book division at RCS Libri (comprising the imprints Rizzoli, BUR, Bompiani, Fabbri, and Etas) on March 1, reporting directly to ceo Alessandro Bompieri. Iris Blasi has joined Hilsinger-Mendelson East as coordinator of digital media. Previously she was an associate editor at Union Square Press. David Kass has been promoted to associate director of publicity. Caroline Sun will join Harper Children’s as publicity manager on February 28. She was a senior publicist at Penguin Children’s. The AAP Annual Meeting convenes March 9 in New York, […]
Sheedy Sues Sterling Lord, Seeking Her Accounting Records and Payment Due from 2009
Last week the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency filed suit in New York State Supreme Court against Sterling Lord Literistic, which Sheedy’s agency had been affiliated with since 1995. The complaint charges SLL with multiple breaches of a contract between the two agencies from 2009, which was terminated on February 15, 2011. Among the most serious allegations are that SLL had agreed in that 2009 contract to pay Sheedy $128,000 and has “refused and failed to pay the entire sum” and “purported to grant itself numerous set-offs…in order to reduce the amount shown to be owed.” Sheedy also claims that SLL […]