Borders’ Down Quarter, As Predicted In line with warnings from a month ago, Borders reported a consolidated net loss of $5.3 million for the first quarter, compared to income of $2.3 million the same time last year. Borders superstores hit $579 million in sales (down 0.7 on a comparable-store basis); what’s now called Waldenbooks Specialty Retail (reflecting the conversions of many stores to Borders Express, plus Borders Outlet and airport stores) registered $143 million, still declining year-by-year, and down 3.1 percent on a same-store basis; and the international stores did $125 million in business. Ironically — and/or amusingly to those […]

Superstores Improve at BN Same-store sales rose 2.2 percent for the first quarter at Barnes & Noble, hitting $1.097 billion overall. Most of that ($959 billion) comes from the BN superstores, as BN.com revenue fell slightly compared to a year ago ($91.4 million) and B. Dalton continues its fade ($31.5 million). Net earnings from continuing operations came in at the high range of the company’s predictions and exceeded analysts’ expectations at $9.9 million, though consolidated earnings are lower without a contribution from the now spun-off GameStop. BN expects mid-single-digit comparable store gains next quarter, relying on the new Harry Potter, […]

Superstores Improve at BN Same-store sales rose 2.2 percent for the first quarter at Barnes & Noble, hitting $1.097 billion overall. Most of that ($959 billion) comes from the BN superstores, as BN.com revenue fell slightly compared to a year ago ($91.4 million) and B. Dalton continues its fade($31.5 million). Net earnings from continuing operations fell at the high range of the company’s predictions and exceeded analysts expectations at $9.9 million, though consolidated earnings are lower without a contribution from the now spun-off GameStop. BN expects mid-single-digit comparable store gains next quarter, relying on the new Harry Potter, and expects […]

The Personnel Section: Doubleday Reorganizes Rights; ABA Adds to Board; and Other News Citing such factors as dwindling domestic sub-rights opportunities and a more challenging environment for foreign rights (“both in acquiring rights from retentive agents and in selling them more strategically”), Doubleday Broadway deputy publisher Michael Palgon announced internally a restructuring of the rights department. Louise Quayle has been promoted to the new position of director, domestic rights, and Rebecca Gardner has been hired for the post of director, foreign rights, starting later this month. Gardner was at BBC North America, and before that worked for Maria Campbell Associates. […]

Wiley Purchases Sybex Wiley is buying computer book and software publisher Sybex, based in Alameda, CA. With revenues of over $10 million in 2004, Sybex publishes about 100 titles a year. The company’s backlist of about 450 titles focuses on graphics, digital photography, operating systems, programming, and gaming. Company release Logrolling at the Top: When Journalistic Institutions Take Care of Their Own NPR’s Scott Simon got to promote his first novel PRETTY BIRDS on the network’s Morning Edition and Fresh Air, and a number of listeners asked the NPR ombudsman if this wasn’t unseemly. VP of news Bruce Drake gives […]

Some PEN Winners Among the recipients of the just-announced PEN Literary Awards: The PEN/Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction The End of Faith by Sam Harris The PEN/Martha Albrand Award for the Art of the Memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn The PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize Fatelessness by Imre Kertész, translated by Tim Wilkinson The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship Amanda Jenkins The PEN Jerard Fund Award [for “a work in progress of general nonfiction distinguished by high literary quality by a woman at the midpoint in her career”] Stealing Buddha’s Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen […]