The failure of a recent bid to merge two large publishing companies shines a light on a central issue of cultural powerDespite a rise in self-publishing, commercial publishers are still the main gatekeepers of what arrives on our bookshelves. As such, they have great cultural and – if a book takes off – economic power. A case decided in a US court this week provided an insight into just how much of that power is now concentrated in a small handful of multinational companies.At issue was a planned merger of Simon & Schuster with Penguin Random House (PRH) – two of the so-called big five, which between them control 90% of the US publishing market, a fact not always obvious to the casual observer, as books usually carry on their spines the names of imprints, or subdivisions, of the parent company. PRH, itself the result of a mega-merger in 2013, runs about 300 imprints. Given the reach of these companies – PRH is active in more than 20 countries – the Department of Justice’s successful argument that the planned $2.2bn deal would “exert outsized influence over which books are published in the United States and how much authors are paid for their work” applies globally. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2022-11-04 18:25:28 UTC ]
Phyllis Mandel, retired senior v-p of fulfillment at Bantam, BDD, and Penguin Random House distribution facilities, died on May 20 in Cape Cod—the day after her 75th birthday. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Pankaj Mishra and Arundhati Roy attack Penguin Random House India for putting out book by a prime minister they say has mishandled Covid and persecuted writersLeading Indian authors Pankaj Mishra and Arundhati Roy have spoken out against Penguin Random House India’s decision to publish and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-05-20 12:53:37 UTC ]
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Paul Von Drasek, who worked in the sales departments at a number of publishing companies over the course of his 40-year career, died on May 16 at age 71. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Weekly's new virtual book publishing trade show, the U.S. Book Show, will feature Oprah Winfrey as its opening keynote speaker, and actor Keanu Reeves will speak on a panel about his new graphic novel. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Farshore and HarperCollins Poland have signed a joint deal for the book publishing of "CoComelon", a pre-school YouTube channel and streaming media show owned by Moonbug Entertainment. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-11 03:24:35 UTC ]
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The German digital book distributor has an autumn target for its NFT platform for the book publishing sector. The post Germany’s Bookwire Announces an NFT Marketplace for Book Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-06 19:51:29 UTC ]
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Sales and profits rose in the first quarter of 2021 over the comparable period in 2020 at Simon & Schuster, led by double-digit gains in its international and audio divisions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has written a children's book for Penguin Random House called The Bench, about the “special bond between father and son as seen through a mother’s eyes”. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-04 02:52:11 UTC ]
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For many readers growing up in the UK, the book publishing sector does not adequately serve them with books that speak to their experience of their sexuality or gender—and this must change. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-30 21:47:40 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House US CEO Madeline McIntosh said the publisher hopes to begin bringing more people back to physical offices in September, but stressed that the company's guiding principle on the future of work is to be a "remote-friendly company." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Petition signed by more than 200 Simon & Schuster employees delivered to publishing house also calls for end to deals with members of Trump administrationMore than 200 members of staff at Simon & Schuster have signed a petition calling for the publishing house to cancel its seven-figure... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-04-27 13:55:17 UTC ]
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The Book Industry Study Group's annual meeting focused on issues around book publishing’s impact on the environment, the continuing effect of the pandemic on the supply chain, and the industry’s response, examined under the theme of “Publishing for a Sustainable Future.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Canada’s government has said almost nothing about whether or not it is going to move against the Canadian portion of Penguin Random House’s acquisition of Simon & Schuster. The global deal is being investigated by regulators in the UK and US. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-23 20:08:07 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House senior v-p Skip Dye said the move to unify the publisher's library sales and library marketing groups will foster "even more mutually advantageous and enjoyable relationships with our libraries and librarians nationwide." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster president Jonathan Karp says seven-figure book deal will go ahead, after open letter from employees accuses publisher of being ‘on the wrong side of justice’Simon & Schuster has said it will not pull out of a seven-figure book deal with Mike Pence after some of its... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-04-21 12:05:44 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House has opened applications for The Scheme 2021, its traineeship to find talent from under-represented groups in publishing, and extended it into sales and publicity alongside editorial. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-19 21:12:47 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House US has restructured its international sales team with a string of promotions and two departures. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-17 08:55:38 UTC ]
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Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, one of the officers involved in the fatal shooting, has a book deal with a small press, but its distributor, Simon & Schuster, in an unusual move, said it won’t ship it. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-04-16 22:14:05 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster will not distribute a book by Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, one of two Louisville, Ky., police officers that shot six bullets that killed Breonna Taylor. The book's publisher, Post Hill Press, is a distribution client of S&S. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Doubleday division of Penguin Random House is expanding its nonfiction list to include wellness and self-help titles. The first titles are expected to be published in 2023. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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