Entertainment Weekly’s list of 10 best books of the decade includes 3 Oprah picks and a book from this year that has not made any of the nearly 20 “best of” lists we’ve been aggregating: 1. The Road, Cormac McCarthy (2006) 2. Say You’re One of Them, Uwem Akpan (2008) 3. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)4. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005) 5. Zeitoun, Dave Eggers (2009) 6. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001) 7. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006) 8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000) 9. Case Histories: A Novel, Kate […]
Big Publishers Move to Broad Delay of eBook Releases
With delayed publication dates the only real weapon in publishers’ arsenals in fighting back against the $9.99 price point for high-profile new releases in ebook form, experimentation is getting ready to turn into policy in the year ahead. The WSJ reports that Simon & Schuster will delay ebook releases for about 35 “leading titles” early next year, and Hachette “has similar plans in the works.” Meanwhile, we’re aware of at least one other big six publisher contemplating the same kind of policy for the first quarter of next year. S&S ceo Carolyn Reidy tells the Journal: “The right place for […]
People: Fensterman Promoted Up and Away from BEA; Downer Fired; Raven Awards for Filman and Mystery Lovers Bookshop; and Much More
BEA show manager Lance Fensterman has done such a good job with Reed’s fast-growing comics and pop culture shows that he has been promoted to group vice president and will focus exclusively on the company’s pop culture business. With no replacement for BEA in place yet, Fensterman “will remain on BEA through the transition.” Fensterman’s boss–and one-time BEA show manager herself–Courtney Muller has also been promoted, now a senior vice president. Muller’s portfolio of shows continues to include oversight of BEA.Release After yesterday’s announcement from Random House in the US, a separate announcement noted that Kristin Cochrane will move up […]
More eStuff: Hailing B&T's Forthcoming Platform; Nora Roberts' eGame; Penguin's Satellite Radio Show
Mike Shatzkin offers a preview look at Ray Kurzweil‘s new electronic “reading technology,” to be presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in January and to be marketed by Baker & Taylor under the name Blio. The payoff, he says, is that it makes “enhancing” ebooks easier than ever (if you think that’s important. But it only works on devices with an operating systems–like computers and iPhones, but not Kindle. B&T tells him they have “180,000 titles already committed to Blio, at least 50,000 of which will be available at launch.” Nora Roberts is releasing a downloadable game based on her […]
Lost Symbol Crosses 4 Million
Doubleday announced that Dan Brown’s THE LOST SYMBOL has now sold over 4 million units in North America inclusive of all formats: hardcover, ebook, and audio.
Amazon Breakthrough Contest Adds YA Category, Reduces Advances
For the third year, Penguin Group is joining Amazon in their Breakthrough Novel Award contest–which will now add a second prize for young adult fiction. The contest, which starts January 25, will also now be open to novels that have been previously self-published (to not penalize all those existing CreateSpace customers). Alas in a less heralded change the promised advance to the winners has gotten smaller: originally promising a $25,000 advance, this new contest’s two winners are assured $15,000 advances each. (Sales of the three contest-related books published so far by Penguin imprints–Bill Loehfelm’s FRESH KILLS; BAD THINGS HAPPEN by […]