The SF Chronicle talked to local publishers and booksellers about they view, and are dealing with, the downturn. Owner of Book Passage in Corte Madera and San Francisco Elaine Petrocelli “recently began giving priority seating at author readings to customers who purchased the book.” She notes, “we have some things happening at Book Passage that make these economic times a little less frightening for us.” They will have hosted over 700 author events in 2008, as well as hundreds of in-store classes. “Petrocelli began a membership program, where supporters contribute varying amounts, from $50 to $2,500. Members are treated to […]
European Library Site Closes as Quickly as It Opened
After a busier-than-expected first day, the EU’s Europeana web site closed back down for scaling. The home page says they will be return “in a more robust version as soon as possible. We will be back by mid-December.” Their development/preview site is still online at http://dev.europeana.eu/.
Random Freezes Pensions
We were just forwarded an internal announcement that Random House is freezing all pensions at their current levels and will not give pensions to new employees hired as of January 1, and now the news is the subject of an AP story as well. The article notes that “the company will continue to offer matching funds, up to 6 percent, for 401k plans.”AP In another Random House bulletin, their Canadian division has declined to exhibit at the next Book Expo Canada. President and CEO Brad Martin said in an e-mail they “feel the show is no longer effective in helping […]
NBA Sales: The Starting Line
By our informal online sales monitoring at Amazon and BN.com, the Obama Book Club recommendations continue to outpace Wednesday night’s National Book Award winners: Doris Kearns Goodwin: 14/17Tom Daschle: 18/49Jonathan Alter: 73/126 with Peter Mathiessen’s Shadow Country the closest contender. But, as more than one observer has pointed out via e-mail, the starting bar for sales of the award winners was pretty modest. According to Nielsen BookScan’s figures for sales through last Saturday, approximate sales for the NBA winners were: The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, by Annette Gordon-Reed: 11,000 copiesShadow Country, by Peter Matthiessen: 6,000 copiesWhat I Saw […]
Trying to "Glam Things Up" at the NBAs
Grove Atlantic publisher Morgan Entrekin and agent Lynn Nesbit chaired the National Book Awards this year, “trying to move it out a little bit for people who are interested in books but aren’t necessarily in the business” as executive director Harold Augenbraum of the National Book Foundation tells the Observer. The article explains how that translated into action: “With the help of veteran literary agent Lynn Nesbit, Mr. Entrekin did the thing the only way he knew how: by moving the dinner from a tacky hotel in Times Square to Cipriani’s Wall Street; spiking the normal guest list of editors […]
Overall Ludlum Deal at Universal
Universal Pictures will build on their Bourne adventures franchise with an overall deal with the Robert Ludlum estate, acquiring exclusive rights to the Bourne character and a first look at all other Ludlum deals not under option elsewhere. Over 25 Ludlum novels have not been developed into movies, and the estate retains contractual approval over screenplays and actors. Henry Morrison and ICM represented the estate in the deal. The Matarese Circle is already controlled by MGM and Relativity, Paramount bought The Chancellor Manuscript, and Summit Entertainment has The Osterman Weekend, while Universal is developing The Sigma Protocol under a separate […]