Anna Crowe has joined Planned Television Arts as a senior publicist. She was previously at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Random House. Linda Clark Associates has been appointed the book scout for Quercus Books. The LA Times announced nominees for its annual book prizes yesterday in 10 categories, now including an award for graphic novels for the first time. Their first Innovators Award will go to Dave Eggers for “his multifaceted, spirited commitment to literature” and their Lifetime Achievement award is going to Evan S. Connell.Full list of nominees Poets & Writers’ indie bookselling column has a long interview with Michael […]
Houghton Parent Completes Restructuring, Paulson Completes Essential Takeover
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s parent company has executed their financial restructuring pretty much exactly as described last month. With their $800 million annual debt service reduced to more like $250 million a year, the company should now be able to operate more or less normally. About $7 billion in debt has been converted into a mere $3 billion of debt, with the senior secured lenders–led by John Paulson’s hedge fund, which bought that debt on the cheap to take control of the company–holding most of the equity for now, until he’s ready to sell it again. Earlier investors, including financial whiz […]
Important Source for Hiroshima Book Discredited
Yesterday’s NYT page one explained that the late Joseph Fuoco–the source behind two important accounts in Charles Pellegrino’s recently-published THE LAST TRAIN FROM HIROSHIMA–is apparently an “impostor.” Fuoco, and in turn the book, claimed to be a last-minute substitute on a plan that accompanied the Enola Gay on its famous bombing run over Hiroshima. He said there was a “secret accident” with the bomb that caused radiation poisoning and reduced the bomb’s power. Pellegrino “now concedes that he was probably duped. In an interview on Friday, he said he would rewrite sections of the book for paperback and foreign editions. […]
Next It's Enhanced Textbooks, As Macmillan's "DynamicBooks" Platform Encourages Customization
Macmillan is launching DynamicBooks, a platform pitched as web 2.0 textbooks, that lets professors customize and annotate textbooks to “make the book fit your course.” Part of the pitch to students is that the etextbooks cost lest–and of course, since they are heavily customized, they have no real value on the resale market. They plan to sell 100 titles by August. The Chronicle of Higher Education says professors will receive a dollar a book for each customized copy bought that features material they added. “That could add up if a professor’s retooled book becomes popular and is assigned by professors […]
People and Companies
Agent Mary Ann Naples, co-owner of The Creative Culture, has joined startup OpenSky (www.theopenskyproject.com) as vp of development, representing the voices of authors and brands at the company. Former Scholastic UK managing director (and then briefly chief executive of the Headline publishing group) Kate Wilson is starting a children’s book publisher, Nosy Crow, launching in January 2011. The company is focusing on both traditional printed books as well as books as electronic apps. Ralph Munsen joins Hachette Book Group today as svp, chief information officer. He was most recently vp, technology at Clear Channel..He will lead HBG’s technology group, and […]
Lunch Weekly for Monday, February 22
Deal Reports Just e-mail to deals@PublishersMarketplace if you aren’t using the online form linked below. Report a deal using the online form The Key As usual, the handy key to our Lunch deal categories. While all reports are always welcome, those that include a category will generally receive a higher listing when it comes time to put them all together. “nice deal” $1 – $49,000 “very nice deal” $50,000 – $99,000 “good deal” $100,000 – $250,000 “significant deal” $251,000 – $499,000 “major deal” $500,000 and up FICTION Debut Amor Towles’ RULES OF CIVILITY, the story of a tenacious and […]