Philip Pullman argues that authors are being shortchanged on ebook loans

Few people understand the magic of libraries better than Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials, but all is not well when it comes to digital lending. As the soon-to-be president of the Society of Authors, Pullman is leading the charge against publishing houses that may be shortchanging writers on ebook loans. In a letter to major publishers like Random House and Bloomsbury, Pullman argues that selling ebooks to libraries as single sales rather than licenses costs authors up to two-thirds the income they receive from print loans. The Society's brief calls for the industry to reconsider existing models for compensation so that writers can continue producing books with which to line library shelves. After all, without authors, there would be no books, and as Pullman himself wrote, "Without stories, we wouldn't be human beings at all." Filed under: Misc Comments Via: The Guardian, The Telegraph Source: The Society of Authors (PDF) Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2013-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]

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Pritchard appointed at Myriad

Myriad has appointed Louisa Pritchard to head up its international rights, taking over from Adrian Weston. Pritchard is the founder of LPA, which sells international rights on behalf of agencies and publishers. She previously worked as head of rights at PFD, foreign rights director at Orion and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Gatekeepers

One day about three years after I’d left the New Yorker to become a book editor, Alberto Vitale—former CEO of Random House, Inc., a genial, intelligent, and remarkably tan businessman, originally from Italy and Olivetti—stopped me in the hall outside my office. “Profesore, how are you?” Alberto... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2015-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bertelsmann buys e-learning company Relias Learning

Bertelmann is to spend "in the mid-hundreds of millions" in US dollars on American e-learning provider Relias Learning, describing it as the company's "biggest purchase in the US since it took over Random House in 1998". The buy, which will have to be approved by antitrust authorities, is... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing houses are throwing book deals at YouTube 'stars'

Let's say you can't get enough of it'sGrace (above) on YouTube but you're taking a week-long no-tech camping trip soon and aren't excited about missing her wit and charm. Well, host Grace Helbig's book Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House Offers 2-Day Transit for the Holidays

For the third year in a row, Random House (but not its Penguin side, because the warehouses aren't integrated yet) will provide express shipping, starting November 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PRH Completes Sales Group Buyout

In another step in the integration of Penguin and Random House, the company has completed the buyout process of eligible members within the PRH sales group. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Moving In Together: Canadian Publishing 2014

The merger of Penguin and Random House in Canada is beginning to taking shape in two new, concrete ways. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Four Questions for...Brooklyn Book Festival Host Johnny Temple

Publisher Johnny Temple might be Brooklyn's biggest cheerleader. In addition to overseeing one of Brooklyn's best known publishing houses, Temple is also the host of the borough's flourishing book festival. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo Goes Dutch

In its latest partnership, Kobo is now selling ebooks in conjunction with bol.com, the largest provider of ebooks in the Netherlands and Belgium. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers' portals look to inform authors

More than 700 authors and 75 agencies have registered for Random House’s Author Portal... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Penguin Publishing Group Takes Shape

Fourteen months after the completion of the Random House–Penguin Group merger, PRH CEO Markus Dohle has created the Penguin Publishing Group, which puts all Penguin adult imprints under Madeline McIntosh, who was named president of the new unit. The move is Dohle’s most aggressive yet in... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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EducaTablet: Latin America’s New Mobile-centric K-12 Content Platform

EducaTablet has launched a digital-content ecosystem where Latin American students can access textbooks from major publishers, in Spanish and English, online and off. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Obeid book to be pulped

Random House has pulled the best selling anti-corruption expose He Who Must Be Obeid from bookstores after instance of mistaken identity Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald

[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2014-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Virtual Book Festivals Run By Major Publishers Take Off in UK

HarperCollins UK's June virtual Romance Festival was a success; this week SF publisher Gollancz is hosting a festival combining online Q&As with real life events. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-08-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kindle Unlimited launches: 600,000 all-you-can-read ebooks for $10 per month

Amazon's new subscription ebook plan includes more than 600,000 titles, but no major publishers. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Littlewood to leave Random House

Random House’s international sales director Simon Littlewood is to leave the company... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Obituary: Alan Mirken

Alan Mirken, who arranged the sale of the Crown Publishing Group to Random House in 1988 when he served as president of the company, died June 12 from heart problems. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jaron Lanier to Receive 2014 Peace Prize from German Book Trade

Jaron Lanier will receive the 2014 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade for his writing and advocacy about 'the dangers involved when human beings are reduced to digital categories.' Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PRH’s New Identity: Goodbye to Some Famous Bricks and Mortar

Roger Tagholm bids a poetic adieu to Random House's iconic colophon, which has been replaced by a new text-based 'global identity.' Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Maya Angelou Dies, Aged 86

The author and activist Maya Angelou, who died at her home in North Carolina, is best known for her 1969 autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" (Random House). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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