The REDGroup Retail bankruptcy march continues, as administrators Ferrier Hodgson announced today that they will close 16 more Borders stores in Australia over the next 8 weeks, with 510 staffers expected to be laid off. The closings will leave just 9 Borders stores left on the continent. In addition, Ferrier Hodgson sold 10 Whitcoulls airport stores to Australian-based travel retail specialist LS Travel Retail Pacific for an undisclosed sum. The shops at four New Zealand airports will be rebranded under the Relay name over the next few weeks. Bookseller+Publisher National Business Review
People, Etc.
At Touchstone, Lauren Spiegel has been promoted to editor. Jay Schaefer, most recently editor at large for Workman and Algonquin Books, and previously an editorial director at Chronicle Books, where he worked for more than 20 years, is still in San Francisco and can now be reached at jay@jay-schaefer-books.com Stefanie Rosenblum is leaving the publicity department at Workman to become a publicist at Planned Television Arts. At Potter Craft, Betty Wong has been promoted to senior editor, now reporting to editorial director Victoria Craven, with assistant editor Caitlin Harpin reporting to Wong. Katy Hershberger will join Bloomsbury and Walker Books […]
More Warnings and Speculation On HMV and Waterstone’s
Struggling UK chain HMV reduced their profit expectations for the third time so far this year, telling investors they expect full-year profits of about 30 million pounds, reduced from their estimate of 38 million pounds at the beginning of March. HMV shares have declined more than 20 percent in today’s trading, down to a mere 12 pence per share. The good news is that their lenders–whose borrowing convenants they expect to violate–have given the chain an extra two months, until July 2, to “test” those convenants. That gives the company just a little breathing room to sell some assets in an attempt […]
Bookselling: BN’s First YA Pick; Angus & Robertson Franchises Declare Independence; Store Closings; and More
The latest Barnes & Noble Recommends selection is a children’s book for the first time: Gary D. Schmidt’s middle-grade novel OKAY FOR NOW. Clarion says they have a 150,000-copy first printing and a ten-city author tour planned. A further twist in the ongoing REDGroup Retail bankruptcy saga comes from the 25 Angus & Robertson franchise stores, who have been unhappy with how administrators Ferrier Hodgson have been handling matters. So much so that the stores have exercised their right to terminate on the basis of A&R’s “continued breach of the franchise agreement”, according to The Bookshop Bowral owner Marie Fitzpatrick, acting […]
People, Etc.: Seaver, Schillig, Norton, Watt and More
Co-founder of Arcade Publishing Jeannette Seaver will join Skyhorse as a consulting editor to continue working on the Arcade list, which Skyhorse acquired in late 2010. Andrews McMeel book division vp Christine Schillig will take on the role of executive editor “to fulfill her wish to devote additional time to editing and managing her list of authors, while continuing to supervise the editorial team.” The company is creating the new position of vp, executive producer, reporting to book division president Kirsty Melville. The new hire “will assume many of the administrative and management duties formerly held by Schillig,” lead their […]
Houghton Has Multi-Book Reprint Deal with Amazon Crossing and Encore
On Friday Crain’s reported that Amazon was among the bidders in the recent Amanda Hocking auction, citing “insiders” who say the etailer “actually made the highest offer of the six bidders,” but “insisted on exclusivity for the e-book edition.” Those “insiders” also say Amazon “brought in Houghton Mifflin Harcourt” as its print partner in the bid, though both Amazon and HMH did not comment to Crain’s for the story. What is clear, we can now report, is that Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has made two print-only deals with Amazon for adult trade books. In the larger deal, HMH has licensed North […]