Random House UK’s Children’s Book division has created a new joint-venture in partnership with Komixx Entertainment to produce animated and live-action children’s and family films and TV programs. Called Random House Children’s Screen Entertainment, they will develop the publisher’s books and characters, and plan to include both film and TV partners as well as video game producers, toy manufacturers and other merchandisers. Fiona Macmillan will lead the venture for Random House, and advisor and minority shareholder Catherine Robins is joining the management of the new entity. Random UK Children’s managing director Philippa Dickinson says “it marks a huge step forward […]
U. Presses Wrestle with Threats, Change
Inside Higher Ed has a nice overview of discussions at the Association of American University Presses meeting in Philadelphia on Saturday. “some speakers focused on ways for university presses to better position themselves to survive university budget-cutting processes in these bad times. Others, however suggested new business models — with more of an emphasis on digital and/or free content. These discussions were based on the reality that university presses aren’t just being hurt by the bad economy, but by changes in reader habits.” Among the speakers: – A collection development librarian at York College of Pennsylvania emphasized that students want […]
People: Corrected
On Friday we mangled the replacement of Mark Booth at Century: It’s Arrow publishing director Kate Elton who will become publisher of Century as well. She will “make some key new appointments at both Century and Arrow as part of the forward strategy for growth.” Elton reports to Cornerstone managing director Susan Sandon. Apologies for any confusion.
People
In the UK, longtime head of Random UK’s Century Mark Booth has resigned after 21 years at the imprint. He says in the announcement, “I’ve had a wonderfully happy twenty one years, but I think I’ve done as much as a chap can do. I pride myself on being a bit unpredictable and I hope that the plans I am going to reveal shortly will raise a few eyebrows.” Susan Sandon adds “Mark understandably has not yet revealed all of his immediate plans but writing, journalism and other publishing projects will no doubt form part of his portfolio.” Arrow publishing […]
The Galassi Interview
The latest in Jofie Ferrari-Adler’s series of interviews for Poets & Writers is with Farrar, Straus president and publisher Jonathan Galassi, “who got where he is, in part, by being one of the most gentlemanly editors in the business.” Among the things he learned while working at Random House (from 1981 to 1986): “I learned some other lessons that were not so nice. It wasn’t a collegial place. People really didn’t wish each other well, which I wasn’t used to. But looking back on it I think it was a difficult situation that I could have responded to differently. I […]
A Day without Amazon News Means We Need to Talk About Google Instead
Google Book Search rolled out a variety of refinements and additions yesterday, including a years-late-in-the-making answer to the abundance of book widgets. Finally, anyone can grab copy-and-paste code to embed previews of publishing “partner” books and full views of public domain books on a blog or website.Google blog Also, the Copyright Clearance Center has posted both audio and a full transcript of their interview earlier this week with Michael Healy about the preparatory work he is doing in connection with the established of the Book Rights Registry. An admitted “something of a standards geek,” Healy says, “when you look at […]