Amazon stumbled last month in deciding whether or not to sell a self-published ebook on pedophilia, at first saying “it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable,” but then removing the work without further comment in the face of public and media outcry. The company has already been in the hotseat once this month in connection with the WikiLeaks release of 250,000 classified US foreign relations cables–briefly hosting the site through its web services division, but then removing the material for violating the company’s posted terms of service. Yet Amazon […]
Waterstone’s Remains Rosy On Neverending “Turnaround” As Comps Still Fall
Waterstone’s parent HMV reported sales for the first half of the fiscal year at the bookselling chain of 219.5 million pounds, down 2.4 percent overall, and declining 3.2 percent on a same-store basis. They had an operating loss of 9.9 million pounds, which is better than the loss of 12.9 million pounds a year go. In the best stiff-upper-lip tradition available, management insists that they are making “good progress on [the] turnaround at Waterstone’s.” At the same time HMV reminds investors that “the outcome of our full financial year will be largely determined by the next four weeks of the […]
The Best of 2010 Lists Keep Coming: Slate, Indigo, NPR, Horn
It’s boom times for the best books of the year lists. Here are the favorite books from among Slate’s reviewers: FictionThe Ask by Sam Lipsyte C by Tom McCarthy The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason The New Yorker Stories by Ann Beattie Room by Emma Donoghue Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan Nonfiction The Backlash by Will Bunch The Big Short by Michael Lewis The Conservative Assault on the Constitution […]
Consumer Sales Fall As Wiley Stays Almost Flat Overall
Sales at John Wiley fell one percent in their second quarter, to $442 million, and operating income of $78 million is technically ahead of this time last year–but only because of last year’s $11 million writedown related to GIT Verlag. Absent that charge, income fell 10 percent, “due to top-line results and increased investment in digital products and support systems to support future business growth.” The professional/trade division was “soft,” particularly “compared with a strong second quarter last year. Low traffic and sell-through at some retail accounts contributed to these results. eBook sales continue to grow, more than doubling over […]
BEA Stays Midweek, In New York, Through 2017
Following the end of a possible co-location with the ALA’s summer meeting and a look at putting Chicago back on the schedule, BEA show director Steve Rosato writes on his blog that “with the possible exception of 2016, it appears we will be able to lock up dates at Javits either the week prior to or the week after Memorial Day through 2017.” Rosato says the show “will remain mid-week, being a Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday event.” One small change: for 2011 they will not have a “book and author” luncheon, though they are keeping the “book and author” breakfasts. […]
Crown Returns Digital Publishing to Each Imprint, Patrick to Leave
After 15 years at Random House and Crown, current vp, digital and marketing strategy as well as publisher, Crown Group digital Philip Patrick is “stepping down” and leaving the company at the end of the year. President Maya Mavjee writes that “Philip and I have had ongoing discussions about how best to grow and shape our rapidly emerging digital business. After much reflection and evaluation, we have agreed that, for a division as broad and wide-ranging as Crown, the most effective way to serve our authors is for each of our individual publishers to manage and oversee digital product development […]