The AP reports on publishers going out of their way to offer free e-books from established authors’ backlist in order to tempt buyers on frontlist items, even as they are quick to label such moves as an opportunity to experiment with pricing issues still a thorny topic. The top three Kindle bestsellers in recent days are James Patterson’s THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, Joseph Finder’s PARANOIA and Greg Keyes’ THE BRIAR KING – all free, all available a few years earlier. “I like the notion of introducing people to one book, while promoting the sales of another,” Patterson said, adding that “thousands […]
People and Announcements
Rachel Berkowitz will join Crown as associate manager, foreign rights, reporting to Linda Kaplan. She replaces Derek Rodenhausen and comes from Jutta Klein Scouting. Susan Pi has joined Heyday Books in Berkeley, CA as marketing and publicity director. The Frankfurt Book Fair will desginate part of Hall 5.0 for international food and wine publishers as its Gourmet Gallery
The September 2009 Indie Next List
Day After Night: A Novel, by Anita DiamantA Duty to the Dead: A Bess Crawford Mystery, by Charles ToddBaking Cakes in Kigali: A Novel, by Gaile ParkinWaiting for Columbus, by Thomas TrofimukSpooner, by Pete DexterStrength in What Remains, by Tracy KidderAwait Your Reply: A Novel, by Dan ChaonBenny and Shrimp, by Katarina MazettiFear the Worst: A Novel, by Linwood BarclayThe Lieutenant, by Kate GrenvilleThe Day the Falls Stood Still: A Novel, by Cathy Marie BuchananRed to Black, by Alex DrydenThe Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder: A Novel, by Rebecca WellsShakedown, by Andie RyanThe Meaning of Matthew: My Son’s Murder […]
Harper In the Red for Q4 As Sales Fall Over 20 Percent
HarperCollins swung from profit of $28 million a year ago to an operating loss of $4 million for their fiscal fourth quarter, including a $3 million impairment/operating charge, finishing the year with an operating loss of $16 million (including $33 million in impairment/operating charges), compared to $160 million in operating income a year ago. (They still show “adjusted operating income” of $17 million for the year.) News Corp. says the deterioration is “largely due to the weak retail market.” Sales for the fourth quarter fell $72 million at Harper, down 20.5 percent, at $278 million. Full-year sales for the publisher […]
Kindle Krunching: Week 3
Once again, we’ve made a comparison of the Kindle Top 10 versus the new USA Today chart, now incorporating Kindle sales data. As in previous weeks, even with the help of top 10 Kindle sales most of these titles fell in their rankings this week. What’s notable this week is that the Kindle chart was topped by a digital-only title, and also includes Thorn Queen, a new mass market release that only ranks in the 800s among Amazon’s print titles. Here’s our chart, ranking the books according to their position on the Kindle bestseller list, with their USAT ranking and […]
Bookselling: New Orleans' Maple Street to Close Children's Book Shop
The dedicated Maple Street Children’s Bookshop will turn into a section within an expanded Maple Street Book Shop. The children’s store has been in business since the 1970s. As Nola.com recalls, “A stop by Maple Street Children’s Book Shop was often a cherished part of the weekend family routine, whether it was for the storytimes held every Saturday morning or an afternoon browse.” The building next door “will become a used book store and space for periodicals and gifts,” Nola.com reports.