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 ]
Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 22/09/2011 - 08:48 Simon & Schuster has signed a deal with Country Life magazine to publish a new series of tie-in books, beginning this autumn with Curious Observations: A Country Miscellany. The book will comprise writings, articles and... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 16/09/2011 - 09:21 Virago has bought rights to a satirical novel set at a top-class university. Associate publisher Ursula Doyle bought UK and Commonwealth rights to Penelope by Rebecca Harington from Jane Finigan at Lutyens &... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Although book historian Martyn Lyons has already published a half-dozen titles about books and reading, he still uncovered surprises about the subject while researching his forthcoming Books: A Living History, an illustrated overview of books in every form as well as the growth of the publishing... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 16/09/2011 - 08:25 The judge in the Google Settlement case has extended the deadline for talks between the internet giant and the publishers and authors involved. The deal, which involves a revised book-scanning agreement for out of print... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With the Google Book Search Settlement in tatters, its fragile alliance splintering, and the parties now on a pretrial schedule, the Authors Guild last week expanded its infringement claims by suing a consortium of university libraries over a digital library initiative. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 15/09/2011 - 08:30 The Red Queen author Philippa Gregory is turning her hand to young adult fiction for the first time, after signing a deal with Simon & Schuster. Ingrid Selberg, director of children's publishing at S&S UK, and Jon... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Authors Guild has sued five universities and a library partnership organization alleging copyright infringement over their use of certain digitized copies of... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2011-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House is the latest publisher to replace paper catalogues with digital editions. Random will begin the transition with its Random House Children's Books division's summer 2012 list which reps will start selling in January. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Wed, 31/08/2011 - 09:00 Hardie Grant has acquired the memoir of Italian chef and restauranteur Antonio Carluccio. World rights to the title, to be published in autumn 2012, were bought by Stephen King, general manager of Hardie Grant UK from... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Thu, 25/08/2011 - 07:10 Apple c.e.o. Steve Jobs' authorised biography, which is published by Little, Brown this November, is set to include the story of Jobs' shock resignation from the technology company on Wednesday night. The book, written by... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Wed, 10/08/2011 - 15:07 Granta Publications has put its books onto the iBookstore, with all digitised titles from Granta Books and Portobello now made available. Marketing and digital development director Iain Chapple said: "We are committed to... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 03/08/2011 - 09:20 Digital sales more than doubled at Simon & Schuster in its second-quarter but did not offset the decline in print. However, the publisher reported an increase in profits of 12% off the back of the shift to digital and... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 29/07/2011 - 11:22 Random House has acquired the memoirs of long-time US Vogue creative director Grace Coddington, in a Transatlantic deal for a reported $1.2m (£700,000). The memoirs will be simultaneously published by Random House in the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: M J Deschamps in Ottawa Publication Date: Fri, 22/07/2011 - 15:02 Canadian publishers have attacked the decision by Indigo Books & Music, the country's biggest bookshop chain, to stock fewer books and evaluate returns on a shorter time frame. They claim it is putting extra... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Since social media was identified as a relevant tool to the publishing industry, magazine publishers have devoted many resources and an abundance of energy to finding and implementing the best strategies to solidify a presence in the sphere. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams and Philip Stone Publication Date: Fri, 08/07/2011 - 09:55 Print sales across the book market have dropped by 3% in the first six months of 2011, compared to the same period last year, with Jamie Oliver the bestselling author over the period, ahead of Julia... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 08/07/2011 - 08:40 Will Sulkin will be retiring from his role as publishing director of The Bodley Head in April 2012, with Stuart Williams, editorial director at Harvill Secker, to step into the position. Sulkin's retirement in 2012 will... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Arts editor Will Gompertz's second report into the impact of technology on the publishing industry Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2011-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 17/06/2011 - 10:55 Hodder & Stoughton has acquired an eighth title in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, which has Roland Deschain of Gilead as its lead character. The Wind Through the Keyhole will be published worldwide in spring... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 10/06/2011 - 10:44 BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen is to write a book on the recent uprisings in the Middle East for publication in autumn 2012 by Simon & Schuster. Editorial director Mike Jones bought UK and Commonwealth rights excluding... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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