Medium Just Laid Off 50 Employees and Shut Down Offices in New York and D.C.

Medium founder and CEO Ev Williams disclosed today in a blog post that his four-and-a-half-year-old company is eliminating 50 jobs and shutting down offices in New York and Washington, D.C. In a philosophical letter to the public, he recounted how his team's ultimate goals had gotten off course thanks to the monetization model known as advertising.  "We set out to build a better publishing platform—one that allowed anyone to offer their stories and ideas to the world and that helped the great ones rise to the top," Williams wrote. "In 2016, we made big investments in teams and technology aimed at attracting and migrating commercial publishers to Medium. And in order to get these publishers paid, we built out and started selling our first ad products. This strategy worked in terms of driving growth, as well as improving the volume and consistency of great content." While it appears Medium is doing away with its sponsored posts ads product, he wrote that 2016 was his company's best year in terms of key metrics. For instance, published posts jumped roughly 300 percent year over year, and monthly visitors reportedly reached 60 million in December, representing a 140 percent year-over-year increase. Medium, a digital storytelling platform, has even attracted scores of public figures—most notably President Barack Obama—to get their messages out.  Meanwhile, publishers of all sizes have been able to try to make money off their Medium stories, which have been sponsored in... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'

[ AdWeek | 2017-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New York bookstore figures out the perfect sideline: pickles.

Even in boomtimes it is hard to keep a bookstore afloat: the margins are razor thin and you’re in constant competition for bookbuyers with the largest monopoly in the universe (Am*zon). This is why a lot stores—particularly newer ones—build higher-margin sidelines into their business models…... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-04-12 14:51:07 UTC ]
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Powell's Books and Employee Union In Dispute Over Rehires

The management of Powell's Books in Portland, Ore., says it has hired back some 170 former employees, out of approximately 400 laid off, but argues that, with the passage of a year, it is no longer obligated to honor the seniority of former employees or to maintain a recall list of unionized... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Duke University Press Employees Look to Unionize

Employees at Duke University Press announced they have formed Duke University Press Workers Union, a new unit of The NewsGuild, in an effort to negotiate better compensation, longer family leave and other changes. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Pearson to retain office locations in Strand, Oxford and Harlow

Pearson has confirmed it will be keeping office locations at Oxford and Harlow, and at its headquarters at 80 Strand WC2, despite this week announcing a strategy of "significantly" reducing office space. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-12 23:30:26 UTC ]
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Office essentials

One year on from being sent home from our offices, from bookshops being shuttered and library buildings closed, from high streets becoming deserted, schools curtailed, and public transport locked down, we are once again being asked to think about how we reopen, and return to a new normal. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-12 20:06:45 UTC ]
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Waterstones shuts Brentwood store after lease talks fail

Waterstones is closing its branch in Brentwood, Essex, saying it was unable to renegotiate the lease. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-09 11:37:35 UTC ]
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Springboard: Watson, Little toasts 50 years in business with staunch performance in lockdown

While not celebrating its half century in exactly the manner it had planned, literary agency Watson, Little has had a solid year despite the pandemic, according to its managing director. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-05 06:27:31 UTC ]
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HarperCollins donates 50,000 books to Covid-19 support projects

HarperCollins is donating 50,000 books to organisations supporting families during the Covid-19 crisis, including titles by Michael Morpurgo, Ant Middleton and David Walliams. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-11 05:16:31 UTC ]
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When Black kids – shut out from the whitewashed world of children's literature – took matters into their own hands

At the turn of the 20th century, with few children's books featuring Black characters, one young editor implored his peers to 'Let us make the world know that we are living.' Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2021-02-05 13:08:13 UTC ]
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50 of the Best Kindle Unlimited Books You Can Read in 2021

New year, new books! It's time to check out the Best Kindle Unlimited Books you can read in 2021. More books for a cheaper price! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-02-05 11:34:00 UTC ]
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The New York Post Made a Profit. Really.

News Corp reported a decline in its overall revenue and a pretax profit of $497 million for the three months ending in December. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-02-04 23:45:40 UTC ]
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AAP Officers: Wiley CEO Brian Napack Is Chair, Hachette CEO Pietsch is Vice-Chair

'Brian Napack helms the AAP board, saying, 'A vibrant, independent publishing industry plays an essential role in our democracy.' The post AAP Officers: Wiley CEO Brian Napack Is Chair, Hachette CEO Pietsch is Vice-Chair appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-01-27 23:29:51 UTC ]
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50 years later, ‘The Monster at the End of This Book’ is still selling — and inspiring authors

The children’s book has influence out of proportion with its 24 pages and its cardboard cover devoid of medallions. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-01-27 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Small Press Distribution Begins Internal Audit Following Employee Allegations

Small Press Distribution has hired a workplace investigation and mediation firm following allegations of wage and discrimination issues by current and former employees. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Not just the Zoom happy hour’: Why publishers are adding benefits to lift employee peace of mind

Digital publishers have invested in providing employees with more virtual wellness services and career development programs in order to ease staffer stress levels. The post ‘Not just the Zoom happy hour’: Why publishers are adding benefits to lift employee peace of mind appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2021-01-22 05:01:00 UTC ]
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HQ lands kindness book featuring Haig, Sarpong and Duchess of York

HQ has landed a “beautiful” book on kindness by Hello! editor in chief Rosie Nixon featuring contributions from Fearne Cotton, Matt Haig, June Sarpong and the Duchess of York among others. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-18 03:10:24 UTC ]
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In Danielle Evans’s ‘The Office of Historical Corrections,’ the sorrows are personal but also deeply historical

The author of “Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self” delivers a magnificent, searing new story collection. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-01-15 14:00:00 UTC ]
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Duchess of York’s first novel to be published by Mills & Boon

Sarah Ferguson says historical tale Her Heart for a Compass is inspired by experiences in her own lifeThe Duchess of York has landed a book deal with the romantic fiction publisher Mills & Boon, revealing that she “drew on many parallels from my life” for the historical tale.Sarah... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-01-13 10:13:08 UTC ]
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Duchess of York's debut novel scooped by Mills & Boon

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, has penned her debut novel, a fictional account of her great-great aunt's life, to be published by Mills & Boon. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-12 22:12:59 UTC ]
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Ozark and The Office Are Among 2020’s Most-Streamed Shows

U.S. viewers spent nearly 30.5 billion minutes streaming Netflix's original drama Ozark in 2020, making it the most-watched original series on a streaming service last year. But library titles like The Office and Grey's Anatomy still deliver the biggest streaming audiences by far, according to... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2021-01-12 20:15:00 UTC ]
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