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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Authors on the Air July 15, 2014: Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton, author of "Hard Choices" (Simon & Schuster, 9781476751443), will appear on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" on Tuesday, July 15. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S, West Point Collaborate for New Series

The U.S. Military Academy, Simon & Schuster and Rowan Technology Solutions have announced that they will publish a series of books on military history called The West Point History of Warfare. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Special Report: Digital Printing

Welcome to a special educational series about digital printing solutions and technology. Here, we look at the value proposition of digital printing, and take stock of the current thoughts and practices in the publishing industry in implementing a hybrid printing program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's battle with Hachette is a fight for readers, writers and retailers | Hugh Howey

As things stand, Hachette is making ebook discounts impossible, and almost everybody else stands to lose, writes Hugh HoweyNews: New Amazon terms amount to 'assisted suicide' for book industry, experts claimHow much should an ebook cost? And how should that money be split? These two questions... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gallery Books in Deal with Omnific

Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books division has entered into a co-publishing agreement with Omnific Publishing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Malorie Blackman: I love gadgets, but e-reading has to be carefully handled

Childrens Laureate enthusiastic about children reading digitally but thinks publishers should proceed with cautionAuthor and Childrens Laureate Malorie Blackman is enthusiastic about the potential for children to read books digitally, but thinks the publishing industry should proceed with... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Tarted-Up Book Covers Belittle Women's Fiction

The publishing industry's packaging of women's literary fiction in stereotypically girly covers makes great books seem trashy.If you take a look at the cover of Alice Munro's latest Nobel Prize-winning short fiction collection, The View From Castle Rock, you probably wouldn't guess it includes... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is the e-reader on its way out?

Predictions that the e-reader is done seem to be everywhere. What do those forecasts really mean for the publishing industry? Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Claim Apple Order Illegally Hobbles Return to Agency Model

In appeal filings last week, lawyers for Simon & Schuster and Macmillan contend that Judge Denise Cote's injunction against Apple has made a timely return to a “no-discount” agency model for ebooks all but impossible. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Global Publishing Leaders 2014: Simon & Schuster

Simon & Schuster is owned by CBS Corporation and its imprints include Pocket Books, Scribner, and Atria. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Are authors running out of book titles?

Novels by Kate Atkinson, Stephen King and Muriel Spark have all had namesakes. Should writers adopt the imitator-proof JK Rowling approach instead?People first started to notice last year when Kate Atkinson's Life After Life coincided in the US with Jill McCorkle's Life After Life, which had... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Littlewood to leave Random House

Random House’s international sales director Simon Littlewood is to leave the company... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Steamy One Direction Fan-Fic Snags Six Figure Advance from S&S

After gaining more than 800 million reads on Wattpad, 25-year-old Anna Todd was given a six figure advance from Simon & Schuster. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Are Digital Distractions Monopolizing Reading Time?

Books do furnish a room, but according to many in the publishing industry, the fear is that emails, online video texts and tweets will prevent them being read. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Obituary: Alan Mirken

Alan Mirken, who arranged the sale of the Crown Publishing Group to Random House in 1988 when he served as president of the company, died June 12 from heart problems. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestsellers: King Hits the List

"Mr. Mercedes," Stephen King's latest novel, came in at #2 on Apple's iBooks bestseller list for the week ended June 9, behind "The Fault in Our Stars." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Obiturary: Helene Green

Helene Green, v-p, business information and data operations at Simon & Schuster, died June 10 after a long illness. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Responds to Second Circuit Ruling

The Authors Guild released a statement in response to the Second Circuit's affirmation of Judge Harold Baer's October 2012 decision in the Authors Guild v. HathiTrust. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Obituary: Helene Green

Helene Green, v-p, business information and data operations at Simon & Schuster, died June 10 after a long illness. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S buys three from Luca Veste

Simon & Schuster has acquired rights to former Avon author Luca Veste’s new crime novel... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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