Magazine Chronicles Dylan Newsweek has the first serial from Bob Dylan’s “remarkably candid” memoir CHRONICLES, VOLUME ONE, along with an interview with the author. Dylan says, “When you write a book like this, you gotta tell the truth, and it can’t be misinterpreted.” He observes, “I had very little in common with and knew even less about a generation that I was supposed to be the voice of.” Describing the book’s scope, Dylan says “It’s like I had a full deck, and I cut the cards and whatever you see you go with that. I realize there’s a great gap […]

Holy Blood Authors Contemplating Lawsuit in UK PN reports that the authors of THE HOLY BLOOD AND THE HOLY GRAIL Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln are “considering” a suit against Dan Brown for “breach of copyright of ideas and research.” The magazine opines that if such an action is filed in the UK, it “is likely to jeopardize Columbia’s planned film of The Da Vinci Code.… Settlements would be costly, though perhaps Bertlesmann, which publishes both titles in both the UK and the US, would attempt to broker a peace.” Lewis Perdue, who is preparing his response to […]

Apologies After a busy week, it’s a really meager news day. I’m trying not to take it personally, but sorry. At least we have a meaty BlogWatch for you below. Personnel News Scholastic has promoted editorial director of reference and nonfiction Ken Wright, giving him the additional title of associate publisher. His new responsibilities include “overseeing the publishing process, co-ordinating cross-channel communication across Scholastic’s Trade/Clubs/and Fairs and directing Custom Publishing.” Marketing and editorial consultant Jazan Higgins has been hired full-time as vp, publishing director. She will “define the balance and direction of Scholastic’s hardcover publishing, overseeing Scholastic Press, Arthur A. […]

Potter Comparison Pulls Q1 Down at Scholastic, Though Other Trade Sales Improve Scholastic reported a net loss for their first quarter of $50.3 million, up sharply from a loss of $24.8 million a year ago in what is historically their weakest quarter. Revenues fell to $324 million, from $475 million a year ago. Comparisons suffer mightily next to last year’s summer release of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” which produced approximately $170 million in sales during the quarter. The children’s book division recorded sales of $122 million and an operating loss of $65 million, versus Potter-pumped sales […]

RH and Da Vinci Author Seek to Pre-empt Author Perdue’s Accusations with Suit of Their Own In early September an attorney for author Lewis Perdue told Random House and DA VINCI CODE author Dan Brown that Perdue was preparing to sue for copyright infringement unless a settlement was reached by September 13. As a response, Random House and Brown have filed a pre-emptive suit in a Manhattan District Court, seeking “a declaration that THE DA VINCI CODE does not infringe Perdue’s copyright [in such books as the DA VINCI LEGACY and DAUGHTER OF GOD] or any other interests in his […]

Kirkus for Hire Kirkus Reviews is putting their 71 years worth of “credibility, integrity, and pedigree” up for sale to “self-published, e-published and POD authors. Any publisher seeking greater exposure for a title can gain awareness through our network of influential readers and buyers.” Under a new program called Kirkus Discoveries, authors and publishers are invited to “commission a review,” for $350. Those reviews will be displayed at KirkusDiscoveries.com (which currently points to the main Kirkus home page), and “the best submissions” also will get included in monthly e-mail newsletters. The site description is unclear on whom these newsletters will […]