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 ]
Penguin Random House Audio has launched Ahab, a global online casting platform for voiceover actors in any business. The platform was originally developed as an internal tool for PRH's audiobook producers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House UK is publishing a series of essays from its authors, including Richard Dawkins and Charlie Mackesy, offering reasons to feel hopeful about the months and years ahead. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-01 14:00:07 UTC ]
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Sales at Simon & Schuster came in at an all time high in 2020 at $901m, ViacomCBS has reported. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-26 10:10:34 UTC ]
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The merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster has the potential to touch every part of the industry, including how much authors get paid and how bookstores are run. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-02-25 10:00:22 UTC ]
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As the age-old advice goes, “Write what you know.” For Hillary Clinton, apparently this means pivoting from writing dense memoirs about “hard choices” and nonfiction books about women’s empowerment to . . . political fan fiction thinly disguised as a legal thriller? Simon & Schuster has... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-23 16:42:52 UTC ]
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Literary pivot alert! Yesterday, Entertainment Weekly announced we’re getting a new novel from A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility author Amor Towles, out from Penguin Random House on October 5. Towles told EW that he “likes to mix it up,” and he has; while his previous novels centered... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-18 17:03:11 UTC ]
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Some good news: today, Publishers Weekly reported that We Need Diverse Books is partnering with Penguin Random House on a series of programs to get more books by Black writers published. The Black Creatives Fund initiative involves a “Revisions Workshop”; a mentoring program; and marketing... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-17 18:23:38 UTC ]
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Operating under the Black Creatives Fund banner, We Need Diverse Books is partnering with Penguin Random House on a series of programs designed to get more books by Black writers published. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-02-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Jonathan Karp, who took the helm at Simon & Schuster after the loss of its formidable former c.e.o. Carolyn Reidy, reveals how he intends to navigate the pandemic, a Penguin Random House takeover, and US politics Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-11 15:06:22 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster is to publish Falling by T J Newman, after a two-book global deal secured for a seven-figure sum. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-08 11:43:12 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House UK is to publish four books from Amanda Gorman, the youngest presidential inaugural poet in US history, including a special edition of “The Hill We Climb” which she read at Joe Biden's inauguration. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-08 03:19:06 UTC ]
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Today the Associated Press reported that Hunter Biden, son of famous memoirist Joe Biden, will publish a memoir of his own on April 6. The memoir will be published with Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Beautiful Things, acquired by Gallery Books in fall 2019, focuses on Biden’s... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-04 16:02:23 UTC ]
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The Authors Guild and other writers' groups in the US have written a letter to the Department of Justice to block Bertelsmann's takeover of Simon & Schuster. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-01 03:48:32 UTC ]
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Several organizations sent a letter to the Department of Justice on Friday urging it to stop Penguin Random House from purchasing Simon & Schuster. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-01-29 22:12:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House owner Bertelsmann has extended Thomas Rabe’s contract as chairman and c.e.o. for another five years. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-21 01:01:48 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster severed ties with senator after Capitol attackPublisher distributes titles by conservative imprint RegneryThe rightwing Missouri senator Josh Hawley has found a publisher for a book dropped by Simon & Schuster over his role in attempting to overturn the US election on... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-01-18 16:02:10 UTC ]
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Class action lawsuit filed in US claims the houses have colluded with the online giant to keep prices artificially highAmazon.com and the “Big Five” publishers – Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan and Simon & Schuster – have been accused of colluding to fix ebook... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-01-15 13:04:33 UTC ]
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Economic uncertainty limited merger and acquisition activity in the book business last year, but there were still a number of significant transactions, including Penguin Random House's planned purchase of Simon & Schuster Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The bookseller has hired Emily Meehan as publisher and chief creative officer of Sterling Publishing in what it called part of a relaunch of its publishing division. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Patrick Nolan has been promoted to publisher of Penguin Books, among several other role changes at Penguin Random House imprint Viking Penguin. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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