Hachette Books taps editor as CEO

One of the country's top publishers has turned to a man from the editorial side to run its business. Michael Pietsch, the editor of Keith Richards' Life, David Foster Wallace's The Pale King and the many novels of James Patterson, has been named CEO of Hachette Book Group. Mr. Pietsch has headed the publisher's Little Brown and Co. division for 11 years. "I love working closely with writers, and I'm hopeful that I'll get to continue to work with them in other ways in helping them achieve whatever they want to achieve," Mr. Pietsch said Monday during a brief telephone interview. "I have always loved the business side of our business. I didn't think of myself as wanting to be a CEO, but I always wanted to learn more about the business and about bringing the right book into a reader's hands at the right moment." Mr. Pietsch succeeds David Young, who will step down March 31. The 61 year old is returning to Britain to be with his family and will become deputy chief executive of Hachette UK and CEO of the Orion Publishing Group division. Mr. Pietsch will continue to report to Mr. Young, whose reign was highlighted by the rise of Stephenie Meyer and her Twilight novels. "I have enjoyed enormously my time here and the company going from strength to strength, and I leave behind a brilliant team who work together so wonderfully, and will now be very ably led by Michael Pietsch," said Mr. Young, who has been CEO since 2006, in a statement. The 55-year-old Mr. Pietsch is known for... Continue reading at 'Crains New York'

[ Crains New York | 2012-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #pulitzer prize #casual vacancy #price fixing

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Hachette Books taps editor as CEO'


Latitude launches London Book Club

Latitude Festival is launching a monthly book club in London, with the first to be held today... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #latitude festival


Media Decoder Blog: Foer Returns to New Republic as Editor

Two months after obtaining a majority stake in the magazine, Chris Hughes, a co-founder of Facebook, is bringing back Franklin Foer as part of an ambitious plan to remake the magazine. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #majority stake #chris hughes #ambitious plan


Book review: 'Bring Up the Bodies' is a compelling re-creation

Hilary Mantel returns to the vicious world of Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell's maneuverings.Bring Up the Bodies Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book review #henry viii #thomas cromwell


New York books find foreign audience

TV shows and Hollywood blockbusters aren't America's only cultural exports. The book industry is also expanding overseas, according to a report released Friday by the Association of American Publishers that looks at book exports for the first time. Exports by U.S. publishers, which are dominated... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #greater number #smart phones #authors found #pop culture #business books


A bet on books' continuing pop-hop

At the new Pop-Hop Books & Print in Highland Park, a pair of print aficionados believes that others, like themselves, cling to the page in the age of ebooks.Like a bad love affair, they kept it a secret from their families as long as they could. Because in 2012, who can admit the thing they... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Five Puffin titles on IBW Book Awards shortlists

Andrew Miller's Costa-winning Pure (Sceptre) and five Puffin titles have been shortlisted for... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #andrew miller


Collins & Brown snips up Mollie Makes books

Collins & Brown has acquired a series of titles in a partnership with craft magazine Mollie... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #collins brown


Publisher Settles in E-book Price Fixing Case

Simon & Schuster becomes the latest publisher to settle an antitrust claim by a team of states, while Macmillan, Penguin, and Apple fight on. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #simon schuster #latest publisher


Chronicling Discovery: The Online Journals of Rare-Book Collectors

Curators of rare books are finding that blogging gives their discoveries greater exposure, an example of how virtual work can support even the most tactile of pursuits. Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2012-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rare books


Book review: 'Second Person Singular' by Sayed Kashua

A lawyer and a caretaker with similar backgrounds follow different paths in contemporary Jerusalem with the same motivation: to leave their small-town Arab lives behind and be accepted for the new personas they have created.Early in the novel, "Second Person Singular," a main character known... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book review #main character


E-book collusion case 'plausible', says judge

A US district judge has denied a motion to dismiss the civil suits filed against five publishers... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #district judge


Accent Press acquires celeb bake book

Accent Press is publishing a celebrity baking title, with a foreword by "Great British Bake... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #accent press


More Baking for BBC Books

BBC Books is adding to the roster of "Great British Bake Off" titles, with a new July... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bbc books


Granddad's diaries inspire children's book winner

The  chance discovery of diaries depicting the horrors of war through the eyes of a boy soldier inspired the book that has won this year's highest honour for children's literature. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2012-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #highest honour


Morpurgo in book festival line-up

War Horse author Michael Morpurgo and journalist John Pilger are among the guests at this year's London Literature Festival. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2012-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Judge Allows Class-Action Lawsuit on E-Book Pricing to Go Ahead

A federal judge on Tuesday denied Apple and several major book publishers’ motions to dismiss a class-action lawsuit that accuses the companies of conspiring to control the price of ebooks. In denying the request, Judge Denise Cote of the ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #federal judge #class-action lawsuit #e-book pricing


Fairfax Digital CEO Role Scrapped

Jane Huxley is leaving Fairfax after her role as chief executive officer and publisher of digital was scrapped in a company restructure. The move is part of Fairfax Metro Media’s ongoing restructure to closer align print and online. Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


AUDIO: Does booze ruin book clubs?

Ana Sampson, co-author of The Book Club Bible, tells The World At One's Martha Kearney about the do's and dont's of literary circles. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2012-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #literary circles


Apple E-Book Lawsuit: Steve Jobs Swayed Publisher, Complaint Alleges

The complaint says that Jobs was enlisted to sell high-ranking officials in the publisher’s parent company on the wisdom of the proposed pricing scheme. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


How fast can they write? E-books push writer productivity

A dozen books a year? Some writers are accelerating the pace in this brave new world of ebooks. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dozen books