With no Harry Potter paperback, full-year sales at Bloomsbury fell 12.7 million pounds at 87 million pounds for the year, as adjusted pre-tax profit dropped 35 percent to 7.71 million pounds. The company finished the year with total cash of 35 million pounds. The company says that profits were “ahead of consensus market forecasts achieved under difficult trading conditions.” US sales rose 1.46 million pounds to 18.78 million, with profit of 450,000 pounds before central cost recharges, but sales fell at Berlin Verlag, down over 2 million pounds at 9.55 million, which had its first operating loss since 2004. Their […]
People
The Rights Factory has hired Ali McDonald as associate agent, expanding the agency in children’s middle-grade and YA properties. At Harper UK, David Roth-Ey has been promoted to the new position of group digital publisher and Eric Winbolt takes the new role of group director of innovation, with both reporting to global evp for digital Charlie Redmayne and Harper UK publisher Belinda Budge.
First Borders
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 […]