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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Another Palin Book on the Way

Howard Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced on Monday that on May 24, it would publish "Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin," an account of Ms. Palin's time as governor and as a vice-presidential candidate, written by Frank Bailey, one of her former aides. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin and Foyles lead way in Bookseller Industry Awards

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 12/04/2011 - 08:30 Penguin is topping the table with an industry-leading six nominations in the 2011 Bookseller Industry Awards. Following closely behind in the nomination league tables are HarperCollins and Hodder & Stoughton, both listed... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Four chosen for Kim Scott Walwyn shortlist

Publication Date: Tue, 12/04/2011 - 17:05 Editors from Simon & Schuster, Atlantic, Random House and Meadowside Children's Books have made it onto the shortlist for the 2011 Kim Scott Walwyn Prize. The award recently refocused its criteria, teaming up with the Society of Young Publishers... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random Creates Hogarth, a U.S.-U.K. Imprint

Two divisions of Random House that exist across the pond from each other are launching a fiction imprint that will share a close but non-exclusive editorial relationship. The Crown Publishing Group in the U.S. and Chatto & Windus, an imprint of Vintage Publishing, which is a division of The... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers back new PEN freedom initiative

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 11/04/2011 - 15:34 Penguin, Hachette Livre and Random House have all joined with PEN International for the launch of the literature-championing organisation’s latest initiative, the PEN International Publishers’ Circle. The scheme will see... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers gloomy on Borders' turnaround plan

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Thu, 07/04/2011 - 09:05 US publishers have dismissed Borders' recovery plan, which includes revamped stores and increased online sales, as unrealistic and are increasingly gloomy about its future. The New York Times reports Borders senior... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hodder and S&S' "Big Fat" scoop

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 01/04/2011 - 10:34 Hodder & Stoughton and Simon & Schuster are both capitalising on a guilty pleasure, acquiring Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and Will and Kate's Big Fat Gypsy Wedding respectively. H&S senior editor Fenella Bates... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hardie Grant buys three by Hay

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Thu, 31/03/2011 - 08:55 Independent publisher Hardie Grant has acquired three titles by Australian food editor and cookbook author Donna Hay. Stephen King, general manager of Hardie Grant London, acquired UK rights to the titles from Hollie Zondanos,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Catherine Cookson estate goes direct in ebook deal

Written By: Bookseller staff Publication Date: Mon, 28/03/2011 - 08:53 Catherine Cookson's estate has signed a deal to release 100 of her novels as ebooks directly through Amazon, cutting out her publishers Transworld and Simon & Schuster. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ten picked for Booktrust Best New Illustrators 2011

Publication Date: Tue, 22/03/2011 - 17:23 Ten young illustrators, including artists published by Walker, Simon & Schuster and Tate, have been named as the Booktrust Best New Illustrators 2011. The 10 were presented with their awards at a ceremony in central London this evening [22nd March]... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lonely Planet's Richard Samson dies

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 18/03/2011 - 14:52 Lonely Planet general manager for Asia Pacific Richard Samson has died today [18th March], following a battle with a terminal illness. Samson started in his latest role in Lonely Planet's Melbourne head office in June... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins acquires Jermaine Jackson title

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 16/03/2011 - 14:59 HarperCollins has bought a book by Jermaine Jackson about the life of his pop star brother Michael. World rights to You are Not Alone: Michael, Through a Brother's Eyes were bought by Natalie Jerome, publishing director for... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New iBooks update opens door to fully illustrated publishing

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 15/03/2011 - 15:45 Apple's latest version of its iBooks app, which allows ebooks to have a pictorial layout similar to printed books and supports full page illustrations, has been hailed by one publisher as being "the beginning of a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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McClure to set up publishing company

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Wed, 09/03/2011 - 08:43 Picture book author and illustrator Gillian McClure is setting up publishing company Plaister Press rather than conform to the "hugely cautious" picture book market. McClure hopes the company will eventually expand to include... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anjelica Huston memoir to Simon & Schuster

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 02/03/2011 - 07:54 Simon & Schuster UK will publish the memoir of Prizzi's Honour actress Anjelica Huston next year after buying her autobiography. S&S UK bought UK and Commonwealth rights including Australia from Cathryn Summerhayes in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House US to bring 17K books to iBookstore

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 02/03/2011 - 18:05 Random House US is introducing 17,000 books to the iBookstore, several days after it announced it had moved to agency pricing. At this afternoon's Apple iPad event in San Francisco, Apple c.e.o. Steve Jobs said users have... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Grisham moves from Random to Hodder

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 02/03/2011 - 08:43 John Grisham has switched publisher from Random House to Hodder & Stoughton, the publisher of his books aimed at younger readers. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House UK to stay outside of agency despite US move

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 01/03/2011 - 09:53 Random House UK has said it will continue to evaluate options for ebook pricing but will not follow its US business in adopting the agency model. A statement from Random House US issued overnight said agency would... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media Decoder: Random House Adopts New Model for Selling E-Books

Beginning Tuesday, Random House will join other major book publishers in selling its ebooks using the so-called agency model, setting its own prices for ebooks while the retailer takes a commission. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Vintage to hold open day

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 01/03/2011 - 08:22 Vintage will open its doors to 30 members of the public next month to give them a glimpse into the publishing industry, as part of its 21st birthday celebrations. The open day will be held on 18th April in Vintage's offices in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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