Cover to Cover Books & Gifts in Tomahawk, WI was destroyed by a fire yesterday morning. Fire officials said the cause was unknown, and the store owners could not be reached for comment by the local paper.Wausau Herald On the brighter side, Toronto Women’s Bookstore will remain open longer than planned, at least until the end of May, after two potential buyers emerged.Quill and Quire Also of interest to independent booksellers, today Google announced the renaming of their Local Business Center to Google Place, now with extra features. In certain cities you can pay to add prominent “tags” to your […]
Orange Shortlist Features Booker Winner Mantel
The Orange Prize shortlist was announced this morning in London, featuring: Wolf Hall, by Hillary MantelThe Lacuna, by Barbara KingsolverA Gate at the Stairs, by Lorrie MooreBlack Water Rising, by Attica Locke The Very Thought of You, Rosie Alison The White Woman on the Green Bicycle, by Monique Roffey Locke and Alison’s books are both debuts; Alison and Roffey’s books have not been published in the US yet. The winner will be named June 9.
New Penguin Initiative Provides Free Online Kids' Books and Donates Printed Books to Worthy Causes
Penguin Group and the Pearson Foundation have launched an online reading initiative, We Give Books, that simultaneously promotes reading with your kids and provides free physical books to non-profit literacy organizations. Every time you read a digital Penguin children’s book online at the site, the company will donate a physical to the charity that you select from a list of participating organizations. They note on the site, “one of the aims of We Give Books is to encourage the conversations with your child that will better ensure he or she becomes a life-long giver. As you consider the non-profit organizations […]
Now Joining the Publishing Math-Challenged: Yes, the New Yorker
Ken Auletta dramatically “reports” a portion of that which already happened–the emergence of Apple as a seller of ebooks and the introduction of the agency model–and he and the magazine’s vaunted fact-checking department join the ranks of those who misconstrue the economics of publishing. This one is a whopper, erasing all the margin in hardcover publishing by misunderstanding how returns work: “Traditionally, publishers have sold books to stores, with the wholesale price for hardcovers set at fifty per cent of the cover price. Authors are paid royalties at a rate of about fifteen per cent of the cover price. On […]
Quiet London Book Fair Opens As Those Who Made It Worry About Getting Home
The London Book Fair officially opened today to lighter crowds and many empty booths as a result of the extraordinary air travel restrictions due to the spreading cloud of volcanic ash from the eruption in Iceland. UK airspace was closed throughout the weekend, and according to the latest update it will remain closed at least until 1:00 am local time on Tuesday. For all those who were triumphant in getting over to London in time for the fair, now comes the substantial question of when they’ll be able to return home. (In the meantime, Bloomsbury Press publisher Peter Ginna recounts […]
People, Etc.
Ayesha Pande has officially announced the change of what’s left of Collins Literary to Ayesha Pande Literary, now with a new mailing address and web site as well. Westwood Creative Artists agent John Pearce is relocating to Victoria, BBC in May 2010, where he will establish a new presence for the agency. Pearce also become a shareholder in the company. Curtis Brown svp Emilie Jacobson, 85, died April 14 “after a short illness.” A brief notice says “a fall memorial service is to be announced.” Emily St. John Mandel remembers Jacobson at The Millions. Kendra Harpster is joining the Random […]