Penguin Random House aims to bookend Amazon's rule

Almost overnight, the New York book publishing landscape got a lot smaller—or bigger, if you happen to work for Random House or Penguin, which last week became the publishing industry behemoth Penguin Random House. With more than 10,000 employees, the new global publisher will control 25% of the market for general-interest books, putting out more than 15,000 titles—from Dan Brown's thrillers to Khaled Hosseini's best-sellers—from nearly 250 imprints and houses.Random House parent Bertelsmann, the German media giant, holds 53% of the new company, while Penguin's London-based parent, Pearson, maintains 47%. For the foreseeable future, Random House will stay put in midtown and Penguin will continue operating down on Hudson Street.The move to consolidate comes as publishers look for more bargaining power with Amazon, which dominates retailing while competing as a publisher. The New York houses are also looking for efficiencies in their two businesses—physical books, which require warehousing, and ebooks, which demand innovation.The Penguin Random merger was completed just days after Hachette Book Group announced its purchase of Disney's Hyperion, an essentially defunct adult general-interest imprint. Hachette gets a catalog of 1,000 titles and 25 yet-to-be published books, Disney can focus on children's books and television-related franchise titles, and Hyperion becomes a Hachette imprint. Continue reading at 'Crains New York'

[ Crains New York | 2013-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Alison Bechdel's memoir 'Fun Home' runs into trouble with the South Carolina House of Representatives

After the College of Charleston assigned the graphic memoir 'Fun Home' as summer reading, members of the South Carolina House of Representatives voted to cut funding to the school. The budget will be decided on by the general assembly in March. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Living wage petition handed to Amazon

Demonstrators will descend on Amazon’s headquarters in London later today (28th February)... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Canada Partners With Rights Agency

Penguin Canada will follow Random House of Canada's lead in contracting out foreign rights sales to the Cooke Agency International. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In appeal, Apple says ebook ruling will harm consumers

Apple had no knowledge that publishers were engaged in a conspiracy in December 2009 or at any other point, the company said in its appeal against a district court ruling which found Apple and five major U.S. publishers had conspired to fix ebook prices.The district court’s findings show that... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Amazon's Next Conquest Will Be Your Television

Amazon started as an online bookseller and transformed the entire publishing industry. Now it's assembling the pieces it needs to do the same to an even bigger medium: television.     Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon takes on Netflix with rebrand of LoveFilm video-on-demand service

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[ The Guardian | 2014-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Melville House signs Mayor of Reykjavik

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[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin India faces growing protests over withdrawal of Hinduism history

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[ The Guardian | 2014-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fallout Continues from Penguin Books India Debacle

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon extends Coin use to Android devices

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[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook must comply with German data protection law, court rules

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[ PC World | 2014-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Books India pulls controversial book on Hinduism

Penguin Books India agreed to withdraw the book from circulation in India as well as destroy every copy of the book. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How would you change Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite (2012)?

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[ Engadget | 2014-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin blames 'intolerant' Indian laws for pulping of book

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[ The Guardian | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Outcry as Penguin India pulps 'alternative' history of Hindus

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[ The Guardian | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amid Controversy, Penguin India Recalls Western Book on Hinduism

Penguin Books India has recalled American Indoligist Wendy Doniger’s book The Hindus: An Alternative History, sparking a debate about publishing freedoms. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sourcebooks Releases 'House of Cards' Today

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin's withdrawal of The Hindus causes international outcry

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[ The Guardian | 2014-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Guardian | 2014-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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10 minutes with: Joanna Prior, managing director of Penguin General

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[ The Guardian | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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