Profits Rise at Random Bertelsmann reported results for the first half of the year, with Random House registering sales of 799 million euros ($994 million) and “operating EBIT” of 48 million euros. The company says the decline in sales versus 818 million euros a year ago is due to the weak dollar, though dollar softness has effected euro-denominated results for a long time now. The UK division produced “the largest gains” in both sales and profits, extra helpful to the company because they are recorded in stronger pounds; and the German division “posted notable improvements in sales of its adult […]

Helping Hands John Grisham is donating $5 million to create the Rebuild the Coast Fund Organization to help uninsured people from Mississippi (where he has a home, in Oxford) rebuild homes and businesses. He commented: “We don’t normally publicize gifts. It’s something we keep extremely private. But in these very, very rare circumstances — this tragic time — we hope the gift will get some attention and inspire other people to contribute money and help our fellow Mississippians on the Gulf Coast.” On Friday, Scholastic announced a $100,000 cash donation and indicated: “Scholastic Education and Scholastic Library Publishing divisions will […]

In Katrina’s Wake The ABA has set up a fund to help booksellers and their families following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Checks payable to ABA/Bookseller Relief Fund can be sent to the organization’s office at 200 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591. They ask that you write “Bookseller Relief” on the outside of the envelope. ABA’s director of special projects David Walker is collecting offers from stores around the country to house and/or employ displaced booksellers. BTW Writer Vicki Hinze has set up a “Hurricane check-in” page on her web site to help keep track of writers in the […]

Surprise Closing at Kepler’s Menlo Park, CA independent bookstore Kepler’s closed suddenly yesterday after just over 50 years in business, with a sign posted on the door telling customers: “As much as we love what we do and would like to continue another 50 years, we simply cannot.” Palo Alto Online reports, “Employees were left stunned and reeling from the announcement as [owner Clark] Kepler cited financial problems that had built since the dot-com bust of 2001.… Some employees had heard rumors of a financial crisis over several days, but many thought the all-staff meeting was to announce layoffs.” City […]

Janson-Smith Will Leave Transworld for Agency World Longtime Transworld publisher since 1981 Patrick Janson-Smith has had a great run, credited with founding the Black Swan imprint and bringing the house such authors as Bill Bryson, John Irving, Andy McNab, Terry Pratchett, and Carl Hiaasen, but now he will leave at the end of September to join the Christopher Little Literary Agency — which has had a great run of its own on the success of client J.K. Rowling. At Transworld, Bill Scott-Kerr (who edits Andy McNab is and credited with bringing Dan Brown and John Twelve Hawks to the house) […]

News Briefs 1. Hyperion executive editor since 1998 Mary Ellen O’Neill will join Collins as vp, publisher of Wellness and Lifestyle. Reporting to O’Neill are executive editors Kathy Huck and Toni Sciarra and editor Greg Chaput. The line publishes approximately 75 titles annually. 2. Per yesterday’s story, this morning Random House estimates that they sold over 425,000 copies of Christopher Paolini’s ELDEST in the first week on sale, a record for the children’s division. Reprints totaling 500,000 copies have been ordered. 3. Last Friday, Page Six reported that Thomas Mesereau, Michael Jackson’s defense attorney, has chosen Esther Newberg at ICM […]