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 ]

Other news stories related to: "Authors fear the worst if Penguin owner takes over Simon & Schuster"


From the Archive: July 4, 1953

On June 25, the ALA, AAP, ABA, Authors Guild, and others reaffirmed their commitment to the landmark “Freedom to Read” statement. We look back at our 1953 reporting on its publication. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Penguin Random House Launches Pop-Comics Imprint

Announced June 28, Inklore will publish manga, manhua, manhwa, webcomics adaptations and light novels, with its first project to be released early 2024. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Licensing Hotline: June 29, 2023

Read on for news about Random House Children's Books' publishing plans for Afro Unicorn; Scholastic and Insight Editions' OMG POP! books; Really Big Coloring Books' range of products featuring PBS Kids properties; MerryMakers' launch of an InvestiGators licensing program; a new licensing effort... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Report: Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Backs the Hurowitz S&S Bid

Richard Hurowitz's reported bid for Simon & Schuster is said to be backed by the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth manager Mabudala. The post Report: Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Backs the Hurowitz S&S Bid appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-06-22 17:01:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Publishing Industry Sales Fell 7.6% in April

Publishing industry sales couldn't keep up the pace in April, with all segments of the business but higher education suffering declines in the month. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Get a call or a critique from a high-powered agent AND do good in the world.

Sound too good to be true? Well I have news for you, dear aspiring writer, you can get yourself a phone call or a manuscript critique from a fancy literary agent by bidding at this year’s Literary Agents of Change Auction.  The LAOC is an organization that believes that advancing the publishing... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-15 17:12:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Frankfurt Guest of Honor Slovenia: A ‘Honeycomb of Words’

Frankfurt's Guest of Honor Slovenia program is to draw on the market's natural setting as well as its publishing industry and culture. The post Frankfurt Guest of Honor Slovenia: A ‘Honeycomb of Words’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-06-15 15:05:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this


HarperCollins, KKR Said to Be Eyeing Simon & Schuster

In a bit of déjà vu, HarperCollins and the private equity firm KRR, which both lost out to Penguin Random House when Simon & Schuster was initially put up for sale, are reported among the leading contenders to buy the publisher this time around. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Pundits Weigh in on Gilbert's Decision to Pull Russian-Set Novel Over Ukrainian Backlash

While many authors and critics condemned Elizabeth Gilbert's choice to pull her forthcoming novel 'The Snow Forest' from Riverhead's publishing schedule, two contrary statements from PEN America and the Authors Guild show there is no consensus over the controversy. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Richard Snyder, ‘warrior-king’ of publishing who presided over rise of Simon & Schuster, dead at 90

Richard Snyder, a visionary and imperious executive at Simon & Schuster who presided over the publisher’s exponential rise during the second half of the 20th century and helped define an era of growing corporate power, has died Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-06-08 01:26:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Authors Guild Issues Contract Clause Changes to Account for AI

As part of its campaign to protect its members from the rise of large language models and other artificial intelligence tools, the Authors Guild has released four new model contract clauses concerning the technology. Earlier, the Guild released a survey of members that found that 69% of those... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


This Week's Bestsellers: May 29, 2023

A new book skewers the publishing industry's race issues, the author of 'Eragon' returns to science fiction, and two new nonfiction titles take an alternate view of history on this week's bestseller list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Woodward, S&S File New Motions to Dismiss Trump Lawsuit

As expected, lawyers for Simon & Schuster and bestselling author Bob Woodward have filed two new motions to dismiss an amended $50 million lawsuit filed by former president Donald Trump alleging that Woodward and S&S breached Trump’s copyright interests by publishing 'The Trump Tapes:... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Review: ‘Yellowface,’ by R.F. Kuang

In “Yellowface,” R.F. Kuang satirizes the publishing industry with a tale of a struggling writer who passes off her recently deceased friend’s book as her own. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-05-16 09:00:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Stephen King Has 1 Simple Demand For Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene

The bestselling author urged all Republican lawmakers to stop the distractions and focus on this key issue. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2023-05-04 08:27:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this


S&S Posts Record Quarter, Could Be Sold by End of Year

Sales rose 19% and earnings were up 16% at Simon & Schuster in the first quarter, and executives at parent company Paramount Global said there is a possibility the sale of the publisher could be completed this year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


B&N CEO James Daunt to Deliver State of Bookselling Keynote at U.S. Book Show

As part of a two-day program curated by Association of American Literary Agents, Daunt will discuss how the company’s initiatives and plans for the future will impact the publishing industry during an address on Tuesday, May 23. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Where are fiction’s real working-class heroes? | Letter

Working-class lives are unlikely to be properly represented in fiction if the publishing industry is run by middle-class graduates, says Nick MossKeiran Goddard is right to say that too many novels that claim to portray working-class life just give us “recent arts graduate feels emotionally,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-30 16:40:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Dawn Davis Returns to Simon & Schuster

After a three-year stint at 'Bon Appetit,' the founder of 37 Ink will return to the imprint as senior v-p and publisher, and will also serve as an executive editor at the S&S trade imprint. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Sanyu Dillon Expands Leadership at Random House's Harmony, Rodale Imprints

In her first big move as president of Random House Publishing Group, Sanyu Dillon announced promotions to expand the leadership team of Harmony and Rodale, naming Theresa Zoro president of the two imprints. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this