Call it Psychic April Fool’s week: this is one of those weeks when the two major stories are clear from the beginning, but either narrative is subject to plenty of surprises. First up is Borders, which faces an April 1 deadline on their $42.5 million loan from major shareholder Pershing Square. The company would normally report fourth quarter and full-year earnings on or about that same day, but has yet to announce a release date. Presumably results–and the accompanying SEC filing–won’t be announced until the company can speak authoritatively to its forward plans. While most accounts are focused on the […]
Then Apple
We’ll also have a week of speculation and more in advance of April 3’s release of the first iPads. Online reports over the weekend indicated that new pre-orders of the device will not be available until April 12, indicating that the first batch of machines is claimed. But Apple will reportedly have at least some stock available in ther company stores after 3:00.Mashable But Apple said that units will also be available at those “most Best Buy stores” (e.g. those that already have Apple displays) on April 3 as well as the company’s own 221 stores starting at 9:00, though […]
A New Stephen King Novella, Hely Hutchinson's Forecast, and More
Cemetery Dance will publish a new Stephen King novella as a trade hardcover next month, BLOCKADE BILLY. The pitch: “Even diehard baseball fans don’t know the true story of William Blakely, but in just a few weeks you’ll be holding this dark tale in your own two hands so you can read it for yourself.” King comments, “I love old-school baseball, and I also love the way people who’ve spent a lifetime in the game talk about the game. I tried to combine those things in a story of suspense. People have asked me for years when I was going […]
Lunch Weekly for Monday, March 29
Deal Reports Just e-mail to deals@PublishersMarketplace if you aren’t using the online form linked below. Report a deal using the online form The Key As usual, the handy key to our Lunch deal categories. While all reports are always welcome, those that include a category will generally receive a higher listing when it comes time to put them all together. “nice deal” $1 – $49,000 “very nice deal” $50,000 – $99,000 “good deal” $100,000 – $250,000 “significant deal” $251,000 – $499,000 “major deal” $500,000 and up FICTION Debut Alethea Black’s WISE AS SERPENTS, HARMLESS AS DOVES, a story collection […]
Waterstone's Unveils New Corporate Strategy
HMV executives are meeting with City analysts today to unveil some new strategies for Waterstone’s to improve business, which HMV hopes will improve the bookstore chain’s net profit margin in the short term to 2-3% and in the medium term to 3-4%. The big changes Waterstone’s has in mind include a new e-book store to launch by May, a repositioning of range, a greater focus on local promotions, increasing non-book sales from 6% to 10% by 2013, and making the most of Borders transfer sales opportunities, as £60m of sales from Borders up for grabs in locations overlapping with Waterstone’s. […]
President Obama Catapults Prairie Lights Bookstore into Health Care Spotlight
Iowa City independent bookstore Prairie Lights was vaulted into the national spotlight yesterday after President Barack Obama’s speech about health care singled the bookstore out as an example of a small business that would benefit from tax credits that would help them cover the cost of insurance for their employees. “This is a small business that’s been offering coverage to their full-time employees for the last twenty years,” Obama said about the 32-year-old store. “Last year their premiums went up 35%, which made it a lot harder for them to offer the same coverage. Starting now, small business owners like…the […]