Cengage Learning announced Thursday that it would start renting books to students this year, at 40 percent to 70 percent of the suggested retail price. The NYT reports that students using Cengage’s rental option “will get immediate access to the first chapter of the book electronically, in e-book format, and will have a choice of shipping options for the printed book.” Once the rental term (60, 90 or 130 days) expires, students have the option to buy the textbook or return it. Several hundred titles will be offered initially in December, with more to follow next July. “The Internet has […]
People
Elizabeth Mason has been promoted to Senior Publicist in the S&S publicity department. Prior to joining S&S in 2007 as a publicist, she worked at Public Affairs, Routledge Publishers, and National Geographic Society. Mandy Ferguson will take over as managing director of Harlequin Mills & Boon, effective September 1, replacing Guy Hallowes, who will retire after 20 years with the company. Previously she was managing director of Ryvita.
Judge Clears Hachette But Will Let Suit Against Rita Cosby's Book Go to Jury
Judge Denny Chin (co-star of the Google Books Settlement case) ruled that lawyer Howard K. Stern’s $60 million suit against Rita Cosby for her book about the death of Anna Nicole Smith, BLONDE AMBITION, can proceed to a jury trial. Chin wrote, “printing a claim that [Larry] Birkhead and Stern had sex would be a way to make it to the top of the bestseller list, and a reasonable jury could find that Cosby ignored the inherently improbable nature of the statement in her zeal to write a blockbuster book.” The judge also found that some statements “are so inherently […]
Dan Brown Will Have A Simultaneous eBook
Suzanne Herz at Knopf Doubleday said this morning, “Now that all of our security and logistical issues surrounding the e-book of THE LOST SYMBOL have been resolved, the e-book will be released simultaneously with the hardcover on September 15th. We will not be issuing any further comment on this.”
People: Borders Hires Norton, Shifts Paperchase US Management
PeopleFormer Simon & Schuster president of sales and distribution Larry Norton is joining as svp, merchandising and distribution on August 31, reporting to evp Anne Kubek. Norton will lead the merchandising team, “which includes the buying and planning organization for all Borders and Waldenbooks stores nationwide as well as the distribution group, which manages the company’s national logistics network.” He has been a consultant for the past two years after leaving S&S. CEO Ron Marshall says “Larry’s depth of experience within publishing and supply chain management is critical to Borders as we address our strategic priorities, including re-engaging with customers […]
Doubleday Calls Plagiarism Charges By Early Facebook Participant Against Mezrich "Mystifying"
Aaron Greenspan dispatched a letter to Ben Mezrich’s publishers asserting approximately 25 alleged similarities between Mezrich’s new book THE ACCIDENTAL BILLIONAIRES and Greenspan’s self-published AUTHORITAS: One Student’s Harvard Admissions and the Founding of the Facebook Era. Greenspan says “he may seek a court injunction,” but at the least he wants attention–“not only to what he called copyright infringement, but also to what Greenspan says is mischaracterization and embellishment of the story behind the founding of Facebook,” the Boston Globe writes. Doubleday says in a statement, “Greenspan’s chief complaint seems to be that Ben Mezrich does not endorse his view that […]