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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Publishers give $250m free ebooks for Obama scheme

Publishers in the US including Hachette Book Group, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster are making $250m (£163m) in free ebooks available to low-income students as part of a scheme announced today (30th April) by President Obama. The new ebook commitments, to cover a three-year... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 2015 Edgar Awards: Another Crown for A King

Stephen King, Chris Albani and Gillian Flynn were among the winners at Wednesday night's 69th Annual Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Awards, held in New York City at the Grand Hyatt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Leading America’s Newsrooms

Teri Hayt has worked for both large and small news organization during her 35-year career in the publishing industry. She’s worked for Time-Life Books, Inc., the Arizona Daily Star, Sports Illustrated, Newsday, the San Diego Union-Tribune ( ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trade figures limber up for London Marathon

Figures from across the publishing industry are limbering up for the Virgin London Marathon this Sunday (26th April). Nick Coveney, head of digital at Blink Publishing, will be running to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society and the Albert Kennedy Trust via his fundraising page. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Workflow Management that Works: Digital Solutions in India 2015

The publishing industry is constantly evolving with improved workflows and processes. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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DC Debuts Line of Super Hero Graphic Novels, Merchandise for Girls

In a new venture targeting girls ages 6-12, DC Comics is teaming with Random House, Mattel and Lego to release a multifaceted line of print and digital content and merchandise based on its female superheroes. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SoA and HC back call for more diversity in publishing

The Society of Authors has said that a “publishing industry which does not reflect society fails writers, readers and itself”. Nicola Solomon, the organisation’s chief executive, and HarperCollins’ director of people John Athanasiou have backed a new report calling for improved diversity across... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Goebbels estate sues Random House Germany

The estate of Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler’s minister for propaganda during the Second World War, is suing publisher Random House Germany for using an extract from his diaries. The biography Goebbels, published in Germany in 2010 under the Siedler imprint, is by Peter Longerich, professor of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lightning strikes 50:50 deals

A new publishing model has launched, offering authors a 50% share of revenue on book sales.  Lightning Books, the fiction imprint of the newly created Eyestorm Media, operates a co-publishing model. It was founded by Eye Books owner Dan Hiscocks, a former director of the Independent Publishers’... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Spanning the Globe

The last 10 days have been an especially busy period for all parts of the publishing industry, with major events taking place in London, Minneapolis, and Austin. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Playster Streaming Service to Offer Simon & Schuster Ebooks

Playster, a digital multimedia streaming platform, will now sell ebooks from Simon & Schuster on a subscription basis. The post Playster Streaming Service to Offer Simon & Schuster Ebooks appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S‘ six-figure Peterson poach

Novelist Alice Peterson has moved from Quercus to Simon & Schuster in a six-figure deal. S&S publishing director Jo Dickinson bought world rights to two novels from The Agency Group’s Diana Beaumont, in the latter’s first deal since joining the company from the Rupert Heath Literary Agency. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Horobin to join Bonnier Publishing Fiction

James Horobin, previously group sales, marketing and publicity director at Simon & Schuster, is to join the recently launched Bonnier Publishing Fiction division as executive director with responsibility for sales and marketing. Horobin, who left S&S last month, will take up his new... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Liz Thomson to Step Down at BookBrunch

Thomson, a founding editor of the London-based online daily newsletter and website about the publishing industry, will leave her post after the London Book Fair. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon and HarperCollins renew friendship with multi-year contract

Amazon started mending its tattered relationship with the big five publishers last year, signing deals with Macmillan, Simon & Schuster and even Hachette. Now it's HarperCollins' turn to make peace with the e-commerce giant, according to The Wall Str... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tasker to Join Readerlink

Tasker, who has held positions at Simon & Schuster and Scholastic, most recently served as v-p, product development at Disney Publishing Worldwide. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S change sales and children's staff

Simon & Schuster has promoted Gill Richardson to the role of sales director, as Elv Moody steps down from the position of editorial director of children's fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oyster launches ebook store

Oyster has launched an online ebook store in the US. The subscription company, which started out in September 2013 charging $9.95 a month for unlimited ebooks, has now expanded into online retail, launching an ebook store where customers can pay for individual titles. While only S&S,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Book Fair Unveils New Opener: Digital Spotlight 2015

Through countless discussions, experiments, challenges, and conferences, the digital transition has been front and center in the publishing industry for over a decade now. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Surprise Project Becomes S&S Big London Book

The backstory of Steven Rowley’s new nearly seven-figure book deal with Simon & Schuster is the stuff of publishing fairy tales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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