Picking up on a program begun at Amazon.UK (with a letter from Harper UK ceo VIctoria Barnsley), Amazon.com in the US today launched an Inside Publishing promotion. And who better to take the lead for our business than Houghton Harcourt Mifflin trade and reference president Gary Gentel, right? He begins: “Dear Amazon Customers: Even as the winds of change swirl around us this Election year, some things never change. Among them is the perennial fascination with the subjects of family, betrayal, social status, and money.” Gentel goes on to recommend Meryl Gordon’s Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a […]
Judith Regan's Price, Revealed (and She Counterclaims Against Law Firm)
The settlement in January of Judith Regan’s lawsuit against News Corp. and HarperCollins was for $10.75 million, according to a court filing yesterday by Dreier LLP. The firm originally represented Regan in the case, and then sued her in a dispute over their fee after the settlement was reached.Bloomberg Following the revelation, Regan said she is seeking the dismissal of Dreier’s suit against her, arguing that they violated a nondisclosure agreement in revealing her settlement amount.
Macmillan Adds Salary Freeze
Similar to moves at Pearson and HarperCollins, Macmillan ceo John Sargent announced a salary freeze starting January 1 for employees making more than $50,000. “All bonus plans will stay in effect, but all are sensitive to individual company profitability and individual performance. Thus the impact on individual bonus plans will vary.” Sargent notes: “Since I spoke to you a month ago about the economic crisis and its impact on our company, I can’t say much has changed. We are now clearly in a recession and there is still no clarity on how long or deep it will be. What is […]
Pesce Remains Confident
In the Wiley conference call, ceo William Pesce noted that in the trade “Sell-through and reorders through major accounts were weak” and added that “we are operating in a very challenging retail environment, mainly in the States, but also abroad. Clearly, market conditions are having an adverse effect on our PT business.” But he also criticized other ceos and expressed a strong belief in Wiley’s future: “Wiley has endured the War of 1812, The Civil War, Two World Wars, The Great Depression and the ups and down of many economic cycles and we will navigate through the current turmoil. We […]
Rowling Wins UK Sales Race
Earlier this fall there was a minor trade squabble in the UK when Christopher Paolini’s first-day sale of BRISINGR outpaced the opening of Stephenie Meyer’s TWILIGHT, but the release of JK Rowling’s TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD has settled all disputes about the year’s biggest launch. Beedle tracked sales via Nielsen BookScan of 367,625 copies in its first four days on sale. Number two was the Guinness World Records 2008, which sold about 73,000 copies in the same period. Delia Smith’s How to Cheat at Cooking sold 49,000 copies in two days, and Sebastian Faulks’ Devil May Care registered 44,000 […]
People: Agency Moves, and More
Ethan Friedman has joined LevelFiveMedia as an agent. He was most recently a senior editor at Collins. He will be developing his own client list with an emphasis on business, along with such other categories as sports, current affairs, judaica, self-help/personal growth, and general non-fiction. Marlene Stringer is leaving the Barbara Bova Literary Agency and is starting the Stringer Literary Agency. She writes, “this is an amicable parting of ways, and Barbara and I have great admiration for each other.” At Wendy Sherman Associates, Michelle Brower has been promoted to agent. She has been with the agency since 2004. Elise Proulx […]