How Elf On The Shelf Went From Family Tradition To The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

From self-publishing and selling out of the trunk of a car to millions of dollars in sales and a blue-sky spot in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the creators of Elf on the Shelf discuss how they packaged up a new American tradition. Innovators often have those “blue sky” moments, times where they close their eyes and conjure ideas on the grand scale. But for three business owners, the actual sky was the backdrop for their biggest dream: to see a 46-foot tall inflatable elf sailing through the air during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Not just any old elf, though. Twins Christa Pitts and Chanda Bell and their mom Carol Aebersold wanted to see that North Pole scout from Elf on the Shelf become the first storybook character selected from an independent publisher fly in the parade since Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit (self-published in 1901) sailed down Sixth Avenue on the way to Herald Square.Read Full Story Continue reading at 'Fast Company'

[ Fast Company | 2012-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #business owners #chanda bell #beatrix potter

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First-Ever Canadian Authors for Indies Day Set for May

After hearing about the Indies First campaign in the U.S., Canadian author Janie Chang decided a similar initiative should be brought to Canada. The result is Canadian Authors for Indies Day, which will take place May 2, 2015. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #indies day #canadian authors


How three Harvard students created Her Campus, a media company profitable from day one

They were three college students reading magazines like Cosmo, Marie Claire and Vogue. And they just knew: Something was missing. They were craving content geared specifically to college women, and as they investigated further, they realized they had found a hole in the media... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2015-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #marie claire #media landscape #print magazine


Questions Raised at First Hearing for Family Christian Stores Bankruptcy

At the February 17 Family Christian Stores bankruptcy hearing in Grand Rapids, Mich., attorneys representing a number of Christian publishers--who are among the creditors owed a total of $40 million--were in attendance. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #grand rapids #creditors owed


Valentine's Day: Bookstores take part in celebrations

One store is having staff act out famous rom-com bookstore scenes, while another is giving a prize to someone with a great love story. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indie Book Day backed by bookshops and publishers

Indie Book Day is set to make a mark on the UK this year after starting in Germany two years ago and quickly spreading across Europe. The campaign – which hopes to become comparable to the American Record Store Day event, but for books – wants readers to flock to independent bookshops on 21st... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent bookshops #independent publisher


Beyoncé writes foreword for 22-Day Revolution diet book

Yellow Kite is to publish The 22-Day Revolution, a book about the benefits of a plant-based diet, with a foreword written by Beyoncé. Founded on the principle that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit, The 22-Day Revolution by exercise physiologist and nutrition expert Marco Borges is a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #yellow kite #foreword written #practical guide #lose weight #health concerns


Family Christian Stores Files for Bankruptcy, Will Restructure

The nation's largest Christian bookstore chain has filed for bankruptcy and plans to reorganize. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital Love Stories for Valentine’s Day from Africa

Nigerian romance publisher Ankara Press has produced a free digital Valentine’s Day Story Anthology featuring several of Africa's top writers. The post Digital Love Stories for Valentine’s Day from Africa appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #africa appeared


Do you love Amazon? There's a Valentine's Day sale going on

Amazon, originally known as a book seller, has become an all-around retail super store with a growing list of its own electronics. Sales are not infrequent as the company tries to push its devices, in many cases selling them at a loss with plans to make up the money once the customer is... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2015-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #day sale #book seller #growing list #special gift


Cardiff's 'strong message' on National Libraries Day

Library campaigners in Cardiff believe they "sent a strong message" to the city council with a National Libraries Day protest against planned cuts to the service. More than 200 people gathered outside the city's Central Library on Saturday (7th February) to hold a mass "read-in", with people... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #city council #library campaigners #planned cuts #central library #favourite books


Celebration and protest marks National Libraries Day

Around 700 events took place to celebrate National Libraries Day on Saturday (7th February), 100 more than the previous year, according to CILIP, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, which now organises the day. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #chartered institute #information professionals


Panel Mania: Ba and Moon Explore Home and Family in ‘Two Brothers’

Dark Horse has provided an exclusive first look at the new work by the acclaimed creators of Daytripper. 'Two Brothers' adapts Milton Hatoum's 'Dois Irmãos'—an intense look at family relations viewed through the experience of twin brothers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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National Libraries Day to see Birmingham cuts protest

Protesters will use National Libraries Day on Saturday as a chance to campaign against planned cuts at the Library of Birmingham. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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National Readathon Day: Here's what you need to know

National Readathon Day is being held for the first time on Jan. 24. It's sponsored by publisher Penguin Random House and the National Book Foundation, among others. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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James Patterson donates funds for first World Book Day Award (+video)

Through the award, five schools in Britain and Ireland will receive funds for their libraries. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #receive funds


James Patterson donates funds for first World Book Day Award

Through the award, five schools in Britain and Ireland will receive funds for their libraries. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #receive funds


We love the Gruffalo, what other books are great for our bilingual family?

The Book Doctor seeks out books for a German-English couple who want children’s books that reflect their duel heritage I’m German and my wife is English. We are bringing their children up bilingually. I especially like the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s picture books because they bring... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beautiful Day!

The Fall of Language in the Age of English, by the Japanese novelist and scholar Minae Mizumura, has all the ingredients of a rage-read. Indeed, when it was published in Japan in 2008, it infuriated commentators, who dismissed Mizumura as “reactionary,” “jingoistic,” or “elitist” and swarmed... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2015-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #basic premise #wider world


IDW Acquires Indie Comics House, Top Shelf

In a major acquisition in the comics marketplace, IDW Publishing has acquired Top Shelf Productions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #top shelf #major acquisition #idw publishing


'Dylan Day' to be marked every year

Poet Dylan Thomas will be commemorated each year with a new "Dylan Day", to be celebrated on 14th May. The announcement comes at the end of the year-long Dylan Thomas 100 Festival, which has celebrated the centenary of the poet's birth. Dylan Day, beginning in 2015, will be funded for three... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #welsh government #educational resources