Authors fear the worst if Penguin owner takes over Simon & Schuster

Analysis: if Bertelsmann, owner of Penguin Random House, buys US publisher, writers expect smaller deals and less choice for readersUK watchdog investigates Penguin owner’s Simon & Schuster takeoverJokes circulated online when, in 2013, Penguin and Random House merged: would the new mega-publisher, which became the world’s biggest trade publishing group, be known as Random Penguin? Penguin House? Now, as the prosaically named Penguin Random House’s parent company Bertelsmann’s $2.17bn acquisition of Simon & Schuster comes under scrutiny in the UK, the jokes are fewer and further between.Authors have made it abundantly clear that they fear the fallout if the deal goes ahead. When it was first announced last November, the Authors Guild in the US was quick to register its objections. The acquisition, which would bring heavyweight S&S authors including Hillary Clinton, John Irving, Stephen King and Bob Woodward under the PRH umbrella in the US, would “creat[e] a huge imbalance in the US publishing industry”, it warned, calling on the US justice department to step in. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-03-22 23:24:23 UTC ]

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An Open Letter to Stephen King: Book Censorship News, January 27, 2023

No, kids CAN'T get the books being banned at libraries and bookstores, Mr. King. That, plus this week's book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-01-27 11:40:00 UTC ]
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The US Authors Guild Applauds the Google Lawsuit

Citing 'harms to content publishers and creators,' the Authors Guild throws its support behind the antitrust lawsuit of Google. The post The US Authors Guild Applauds the Google Lawsuit appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-01-27 07:35:16 UTC ]
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Book Publishers Face a Challenging Year Ahead

Following a down year for print book sales, NPD Group's publishing industry analyst, Kristen McLean, predicts that 2023 will be a year of transition for the publishing industry. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Victor Navasky, award-winning author and editor of the Nation, dies at 90

Liberal lion won National Book Award and edited leftwing Nation, with writers including Hitchens and Cockburn, from 1978 to 2005Victor Navasky, an award-winning author and journalist who presided over the liberal US weekly the Nation and wrote influential books on the anti-communist blacklist... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-01-25 15:01:09 UTC ]
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Digital Book World: Startups Are Entering 'A New Age'

DBW's final day looked at a recent study of publishing industry startups and found that innovation takes all forms, from wildly successful ideas that took time to take off, like Audible, to cutting edge innovations, like blockchain book retailing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital Book World: Startups Are Entering 'A New Age'

DBW's final day looked at a recent study of publishing industry startups and found that innovation takes all forms, from wildly successful ideas that took time to take off, like Audible, to cutting edge innovations, like blockchain book retailing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Gina Centrello Retires from Random House

Centrello, head of the Random House Publishing Group (“Little Random”) since 2003, has retired. In her memo to employees, PRH CEO Madeline McIntosh said she will take her time in developing a plan to find Centrello's successor. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-11 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Sue Alleged ‘Predatory’ Publisher Over Unpaid Royalties

Coordinated by the Authors Guild, the suit claims that Authors’ Place Press and its predecessor Motivational Press have failed to fulfill their contractual obligations and have refused to pay or properly account for royalties earned. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Spellbound: why ‘witch lit’ is the hottest new genre on our bookshelves

Vampires and ghosts have long haunted popular fiction, but now a string of new releases is focusing on marginalised women with hidden powersSomeone, or something, shadowy has put a strong spell on popular literature aimed at women, once cheekily labelled “chick lit”. This perky genre, packaged... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-01-08 12:00:47 UTC ]
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Book Deals: Week of January 9, 2023

Random House buys a memoir from Ketanji Brown Jackson, Katee Robert sells the first three in a series to Berkley, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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October Was a Rough Month for Publishing Industry Sales

With sales in the adult books and children’s/young adult categories falling 16.4% and 9.9%, respectively, total industry sales dropped 9.3% in October from a year ago for the 1,370 publishers that report results to AAP’s StatShot program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The Pandemic Still Made Its Presence Felt in Publishing in 2022

Fluctuating return-to-work policies, supply chain issues, and shifts in consumer spending were some of the ongoing issues publishing faced in 2022. And then there was the fallout from the decision by Judge Florence Pan that blocked Penguin Random House's purchase of Simon & Schuster. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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PW 2022 Notable: Florence Pan

In September, Florence Pan was confirmed as the newest judge on the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. But before she could assume that new position, she became known in publishing circles as the judge who presided over the U.S. v. Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGAA... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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PW 2022 Notable: Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover is well on the way to selling more books in 2022 than Stephen King, James Patterson, and John Grisham. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The PW Publishing Industry Salary Survey 2022

Our first salary and jobs survey in three years found that the publishing industry’s lack of racial diversity and gender pay gap haven’t improved much. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Urges New York Governor to Sign Freelance Isn’t Free Act into Law

The bill is a crucial step to protect freelancers based in New York and hired by New York-based companies from wage theft, said Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger in a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle Steps Down

The chief executive of the largest publisher in the U.S., Penguin Random House, has stepped down. Markus Dohle oversaw the attempted acquisition of Simon & Schuster. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-12-09 14:47:10 UTC ]
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Publishing Industry Sales Down 4.5% Through September

Total publishing industry sales fell 4.5% through September compared to 2021, with trade sales down 3.3%, at the 1,368 publishers who report revenue to the AAP’s StatShot program. Lower hardcover sales and higher returns were the main drivers in pushing down trade sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Lit Hub Daily: November 29, 2022

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[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-29 11:30:48 UTC ]
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In Praise of the Worker-Owned Company (OR: What to Do About Simon and Schuster)

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[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-29 09:53:56 UTC ]
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