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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Twin Cities Bookseller Dan Odegard Dies

Dan Odegard, who co-founded St. Paul's Odegard's Books in 1978, died of plasma cancer Tuesday. Odegard's was regarded as a Twin Cities literary icon until it closed in 1992. Odegard also served as director of trade publishing at Hazelden Publishing from 1995-1998. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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5 Digital Magazine Trends to Keep an Eye On in 2015

By Ron Matejko A fter speaking to numerous professionals within various segments of the publishing industry, there's a clear consensus about the key trend for digital magazines in 2015 and it can be summed up in... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2015-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing Industry Antics on April Fools

Books are a serious business, but the publishing industry had a little fun on April 1 to commemorate April Fools' Day. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S signs Sitwell

Simon & Schuster will publish a book by William Sitwell on how Lord Woolton kept Britain fed during the Second World War. Non-fiction publishing director Iain MacGregor acquired world rights for Eggs or Anarchy in a deal with Caroline Michel at PFD. The book looks at Woolton's time as the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen King to release story collection

A collection of stories from Stephen King and the autobiography of footballer Didier Drogba will be among the new releases from Hodder & Stoughton this year. The Hachette UK division last night (12th March) held its annual showcase event, unveiling its highlights for the year ahead, which... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Allende novel to S&S

Simon & Schuster UK is to publish the new novel by Isabel Allende, as well as four backlist titles by the author. Fiction editorial director Rowan Cope acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Simon & Schuster US division Atria, where v.p. and executive editor Johanna Castillo acquired... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Seafaring cat tale to S&S

Simon & Schuster will publish a novel inspired by the true story of Simon, the ship cat on HMS Amethyst, written by Lynne Barrett-Lee. Assistant editor Carla Josephson made her first acquisition buying World rights to Able Seacat Simon from Andrew Lownie at the Andrew Lownie Literary Agency. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Legality of Spotify’s lyrics feature called into question

The real-time lyrics feature that Spotify added to its desktop app this past week hasn’t impressed the U.S. karaoke industry. Joseph C Vangieri, the CEO of DigiTrax, has called it “unfair competition for us American ‘Karaoke’ companies.”Lest you think that he has a beef with Spotify, know that... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Horobin to leave Simon & Schuster

Simon & Schuster’s group sales, marketing and publicity director James Horobin is to leave the company at the end of this week. The publisher said Horobin, who joined the company in 2010, intended to “seek challenges in his career outside of Simon & Schuster.” His departure is the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paula Deen Inks Deal with Hachette

Celebrity chef Paula Deen--who was dropped, amid scandal, by Random House in 2013--has a new deal. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Puffin, Pan Mac and PRH win Marketing Society prizes

Campaigns promoting humorous safety tips for children, a book by astronaut Chris Hadfield and a guide to getting the style and attitude of Parisian women won big at the Book Marketing Society’s Best Campaign meeting for the Christmas season. The meeting was held at Simon & Schuster’s... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Roberts joins HC Children’s as art director

HarperCollins Children’s Books has hired Nia Roberts as art director, where she will be responsible for the cross portfolio design strategy. She will also develop the picture book list. Roberts is currently art director at Simon & Schuster where she has worked with authors and illustrators... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S Heads Back to Press on Carr's 'Night of the Gun'

Simon & Schuster will be reprinting 10,000 copies of revered 'New York Times' critic and columnist David Carr's 2008 memoir following his death last week. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Dr Seuss heads for US bookstores

Random House Children's Books US will this July publish a recently discovered Dr Seuss book. What Pet Should I Get? features the brother and sister characters introduced in Seuss’ One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, and is about a child’s excitement over selecting a pet. The book will be... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Dr. Seuss Book "What Pet Should I Get?" Sounds Like A BuzzFeed Quiz

WTF LOL! The siblings from One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish are back in business.Nearly 24 years after his death, Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Geisel) still has a few more rhymes to drop on the masses: Random House will publish Seuss's What Pet Should I Get? on July 28 with two more books to... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S creates new 'global digital sales' role

Simon & Schuster has created a director of global digital and online sales role based in the US to apply a global approach to sales and marketing across its businesses worldwide. Colin Shields, who headed up the publishers’ digital sales, has been promoted to the newly created position of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PRH shifts consumer social media to Penguin brand

Penguin Random House is to use the Penguin brand for its consumer activity across social media, The Bookseller has learned. From the end of tomorrow (4th February), the various Penguin social media channels will carry news about "books and authors”, with corporate news to be shared on Penguin... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Data Is Accelerating the Publishing Industry

By Denis Wilson Yes, data has become a buzzword and anyone with a little extra hot air will be eager to tell you it's the cure to what ails your business. The collection of articles in this issue of Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2015-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Murdered Lee Rigby's mother signs book deal

The mother of murdered soldier Lee Rigby has written a book, to be published by Simon & Schuster. Senior commissioning editor Kerri Sharp bought UK and Commonwealth rights to Lee Rigby: A Mother’s Story by Lyn Rigby from Robert Smith of Robert Smith Literary Agency. Lee Rigby was killed in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On Writers and Writing review – Margaret Atwood on her profession

Drawing on her panoramic reading and her experiences of the authorly life cycle, Atwood surveys her trade with a mix of seriousness and gentle fun“You may find the subject a little peculiar,” warns Margaret Atwood, before she discusses the writer’s relationship with mortality. “It is a little... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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