By Michael Cader

Plus

By Michael Cader

* What does it mean for LibraryThing, now that Amazon is taking over Shelfari entirely, and will acquire an approximately 40 percent stake in LT once their acquisition of AbeBooks closes? The site opened itself up to user suggestions and feedback while pondering the possibilities, and the extensive discussion has well over 100 posts. Meanwhile, with various web stats showing user growth at both LibraryThing and Shelfari leveling off considerably, Tim O’Reilly writes on O’Reilly Radar “I’m a bit surprised that the articles have seemingly ignored the fact that Goodreads appears to be the market leader, at least based on […]

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By Michael Cader

Amazon Takes Over Shelfari

By Michael Cader

Book social networking site Shelfari announced on their site that Amazon, which was an investor, is buying out the company: “As many of you may already know, Amazon has been a long supporter of Shelfari. They’ve worked closely with us as we introduced readers, like you, to our global community of book lovers…. And now Shelfari and Amazon will work hand in hand to continue to grow our dynamic community and create innovative new tools around the books you love. We’ve got some big plans ahead. With more resources and Amazon’s expertise in building a platform where people come to […]

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By Michael Cader

Rosenman to Algonquin

By Michael Cader

Former Houghton Mifflin executive editor Jane Rosenman will join Algonquin as an editor starting after Labor Day. Publisher Elisabeth Scharlatt says, “What a great fit. Jane’s sensibility is so well suited to Algonquin’s list of fiction and narrative non-fiction.” In other personnel news, writer and TV performer Jo Unwin, 43, is joining Conville & Walsh as an agent focosing on books for children and teens, “looking to build a quality list of both British and international writers, and also a list handling brilliant American writers into the UK.” Unwin will also continue to scout film properties for Aardman Features (Wallce […]

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By Michael Cader

Bracing for Borders

By Michael Cader

Borders reports quarterly earnings after the close of the market today and analysts are expecting a weak report–it’s just a question of how bad it will be. The consensus expectation is a loss of 29 cents a share, and the group guess on sales comes in at $783 million, which would be more than 17 percent below second quarter results from a year ago. As one site notes, however, “Borders has a very mixed earnings history – missing targets twice out of the last four quarters while exceeding them twice as well. The only obviously lesson here is expect volatility, […]

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By Michael Cader

Barefoot Path to Success

By Michael Cader

With their 1,000-square-foot boutique in the Fifth Avenue FAO Schwarz opening on Thursday, Cambridge children’s publisher Barefoot Books is the focus of a feature in the Boston Globe. “Under the deal, FAO Schwarz isn’t charging rent, but revenue from book sales will be split 50-50.” (Schwarz ceo Ed Schmults made the deal after visting Barefoot’s store in Cambridge. “The deal vindicated [owner Nancy] Traversy’s decision to keep the 7-year-old shop open. Though her company as a whole is profitable, the store has never made a profit.” With reported sales of $6.8 million last year, the company’s revenues come in a […]

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By Michael Cader

Rushdie's Day in Court

By Michael Cader

Salman Rushdie appeared in London’s High Court to hear former policeman and author of ON HER MAJESTY’S SERVICE Ron Evans apologize and admit that the first version of the book contained 11 “falsehoods.” Rushdie told the press after the hearing to settle his libel suit, “It is a very difficult thing to do, to stand up in the High Court of London and admit to be a liar. If they do that, it is enough for me.” (He did not seek damages.) An attorney for Evans and publisher John Blake still tries to insist that they “have voluntarily removed the […]

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