The NYT looks at how software drives the low-margin business of selling used books online in quantity: “The state of the art in used-book selling these days seems to be less about connoisseurship than about database management. With the help of software tools, so-called megalisters stock millions of books and sell tens of thousands a week through Amazon, AbeBooks and other online marketplaces. Some sellers don’t even own their wares….” Thrift Books–with 180 employees and about 3 million books for sale–“acquires its stock literally by the ton, usually from libraries, secondhand stores and charities.” They log the ISBNs and post […]
Do You XML?
O’Reilly and the Ideal Logical Company have partnered in a new information enterprise that will include conferences, a survey, and research papers “to understand and spread the knowledge publishers need to move forward with XML.” They note: “The StartwithXML project will explore all the issues of moving to a StartwithXML workflow through interviews and case studies with publishers and with the channel partners they will be working with to reach new readers in new ways. We’ll be looking at what benefits can come to a publisher today from working this way, and what important steps to the future are enabled […]
People: Francis to Janklow, Gioia Steps Down, and More
Agent Will Francis has left Greene & Heaton to join Janklow & Nesbit UK, starting September 22. The announcement says that “a number of authors will move with him, including Tim Radford, Jonathan Jones, Jordan Goodman, Ziyad Marar, Sarah Stovell, Mark Ford and Adam Marek.” Senior partner Mort Janklow says in the release, “We have long sought an enterprising and skilled young agent to join Tif Loehnis and Claire Paterson in our London office and we believe strongly that Will is that person. We look forward to his joining us.” National Endowment for the Arts chairman Dana Gioia, “talkative poet […]
Serena's Proposal
Crain’s NY says the bidding for tennis star Serna Williams (through the uncharacteristic representation of Suzanne Gluck at William Morris) “is close to reaching a $1 million deal” for an inspirational memoir. They add, “according to one publishing executive, Ms. Williams and her agent will meet with the top remaining bidders next week.”Crains
Inside Harper Studio
Bob Miller’s start-up unit Harper Studio is blogging via the new site 26thStory.com, and they have announced their initial batch of acquisitions from almost 25 authors via the site. The imprint will launch in April 2009 with a collection of previously unpublished Mark Twain stories (see below). Among the other titles signed so far are former Disney ceo Michael Eisner writing on “great business partnerships,” including his with the late Frank Wells; actor John Lithgow’s memoir; Moosewood Cookbook author Mollie Katzen starts a series for beginning cooks; author Richard Carlson’s (Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff) widow Kris on finding her […]
A New Trend in BISG Stats
At its annual meeting held in NYC this morning, the Book Industry Study Group celebrated a year of growing membership, record revenues (up 23 percent at almost $840,000) and high-profile engagement in issues including environmentally responsible practices and the identification of electronic books and related products in the supply chain. Executive director Michael Healy and co-chair (and head of Sourcebooks) Dominique Raccah both noted in their morning presentations a major planned change in the organization’s annual compilation of statistics on the US book business, Book Industry Trends. The organization has set out to create a new methodology to “provide clear, […]