According to a press release today, JK Rowling’s Tales of Beedle the Bard sold 2.6 million copies worldwide in its first week on sale, generating £4.2 million (approximately $6.5 million) in proceeds for the Children’s High Level Group charity.
Another 10 Percent Drop in the UK
Weekly sales figures from Nielsen BookScan show book sales expenditures in the UK via tracked outlets declined 10.5 percent compared to the same week a year ago, ending December 13. Unit sales fell less, by 5.4 percent, with discounting pushing down the average selling price.
Layoffs at Macmillan; Farley to Head Single Children's Division
A restructuring throughout Macmillan USA eliminates 64 positions from throughout the company’s imprints and divisions (including cuts at their college business, central services for the whole company, and Scientific American magazine), representing about four percent of staff in all. CEO John Sargent writes in the memo, “Going forward we are tightening our belts in response to the current recession, but we are also reorganizing and rethinking our business to position ourselves for the long term.” He tells the NYT, “Book sales are markedly slower this Christmas than they were last Christmas. This is a recognition of the times that we […]
Also at Macmillan, Talley Retires
Not to be overlooked in the day of news from Macmillan, Truman Talley, 84, is retiring after 11 years at his eponymous SMP imprint, and 60 years in publishing. The announcement says he “looks forward to receiving book projects from both old and new authors, while this retirement will also allow time to go fly-fishing with his wife, Susannah.” In other personnel news, Grand Central has announced promotions in their publicity department: Elly Weisenberg and Tanisha Christie have been promoted to publicity manager; Melissa Bullock and Nick Small have been promoted to associate publicist.
Harper Studio Finds a Taker for Nonreturnable Books: Borders
Borders will buy books from the Harper Studio imprint at a deeper discount of 58 percent to 63 percent off, on a nonreturnable basis. Borders evp of merchandising and marketing Rob Gruen repeats the company’s expressed position since George Jones took over: “The idea of taking inventory and then shipping it back isn’t a good idea for anybody. We’re open to all publishers to discuss alternatives to the traditional return model.” WSJ
Critics Challenge Newbery Selections
The Washington Post covers the debate over the value of the Newbery Medal, “asking whether the books that have won recently are so complicated and inaccessible to most children that they are effectively turning off kids to reading. Of the 25 winners and runners-up chosen from 2000 to 2005, four of the books deal with death, six with the absence of one or both parents and four with such mental challenges as autism. Most of the rest deal with tough social issues.” Associate professor of literacy education at St. John’s University John Beach “studied 30 years of book lists chosen […]