Today’s Announcements: Stage Set for Prince; Harper Confirms Video Program Atria has announced publication this fall of pop star Prince’s 21 NIGHTS, a multi-media volume promising a glimpse into his life, lyrics, and mystique, constructed as a photographic essay with never-before-published images by Randee St. Nicholas that flows from his 21 concerts in 21 nights in London last year — also featuring “Indigo Nights,” a CD of Prince’s “speak-easy, after-hours, raw, live after-show sessions of pure unadulterated jams.” HarperCollins officially announced today their new in-house internet broadcast studio, which has been creating author videos from their offices for sales, marketing […]
Lunch Weekly For Monday, May 5
Deal Reports Just e-mail to deals@PublishersMarketplace if you aren’t using the online form linked below. Report a deal using the online form The Key As usual, the handy key to our Lunch deal categories. While all reports are always welcome, those that include a category will generally receive a higher listing when it comes time to put them all together. “nice deal” $1 – $49,000 “very nice deal” $50,000 – $99,000 “good deal” $100,000 – $250,000 “significant deal” $251,000 – $499,000 “major deal” $500,000 and up FICTION Debut Lisa Patton’s WHISTLIN’ DIXIE IN A NOR’EASTER, in which a Southern […]
Lunch for Friday, May 2
Coming Attractions: Barbara Walters to Hit News Cycle Look for major media with the release of Barbara Walters’ book AUDITION on Tuesday, including an Oprah Winfrey feature airing that day. In a transcript from that show given to the AP, they report that “after three decades of keeping mum, Barbara Walters is disclosing a past affair with married US Senator Edward Brooke.… The first African-American to be popularly elected to the Senate. Both he and Walters knew that public knowledge of their affair could have ruined his career as well as hers, Walters says.” She explains to an interviewer at […]
Lunch for Thursday, May 1
Personnel News Adrian Zackheim, who launched the Penguin Group’s Portfolio imprint in 2001 and their Sentinel line in 2003, has been promoted to president and publisher of both. Associate publisher and marketing director Will Weisser has been made a vice president. Doug Grad has left HarperCollins (after 22 years on the editorial side of publishing at various houses) to start the Doug Grad Literary Agency, based in Brooklyn, as of today. And Zoe Pagnamenta is leaving PFD New York next week to start the Zoe Pagnamenta Agency. Building a Big SHACK USA Today looks at the success of William Young’s […]
Lunch for Wednesday, April 30
Sales and Profits Both Fall at Harlequin Harlequin parent Torstar reported results for their fiscal first quarter, with book sales falling 12 percent to $110 million (CA), with operating profit was down 15 percent to $16 million. The company says the drops were smaller “excluding the impact of foreign exchange,” with North American retail sales flat, but the main reason cited is “the strong publishing schedule a year ago.” (But they also consider the big profit drop a “slight decline.”) They note: “We continue to expect modest growth from Harlequin for the year unless there is a major economic slowdown […]
Lunch for Tuesday, April 29
Second Drop for S&S CBS reported quarterly results this morning, with sales at Simon & Schuster dropping for the second consecutive quarter, down 12 percent to $201.6 million, with operating income down 32 percent to $14.6 million. The company says “best-selling titles… did not match contributions from prior year titles” (which is exactly what they said last quarter). CEO Carolyn Reidy says that “if it weren’t for the comparison to last year, I’d say we had a darn good quarter. (THE SECRET, still on bestseller lists though without the same velocity as a year ago, comprised $53 million of worldwide […]