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 ]
Simon & Schuster's new science fiction imprint, Simon451, has launched a writing contest for college students. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For the first time the Zee Jaipur Literary Festival (JLF) has introduced a professional program to discuss the ongoing challenges to book publishing in India. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After entering the library ebook market last April with a pilot, Simon & Schuster is expanding its program to more libraries, and adding OverDrive as a vendor. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Christine Shubert, the trustee overseeing the Chapter 7 proceedings of Good Enterprises, has asked the bankruptcy court to give Good Books’ distributor, Simon & Schuster, the authority to continue to sell the company’s titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Despite the controversy stirred up Wednesday afternoon by critical remarks of "homosexual behavior" by Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson in a GQ interview, Simon & Schuster has no plans to pull Phil Robertson's bestselling book, Happy, Happy, Happy. The title has sold nearly 600,000... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster has teamed with AARP and The Huffington Post on a contest open to memoirists 50 and older. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster has launched a new social media community, The Hot Bed, to promote the "New Adult" genre complete with a "chili chart" to gauge hotness. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There are dozens of content management systems for sale, but publishing companies like ours are building their own. What's so complicated about a CMS, anyway?It's impossible to say this comprehensively, but most people in publishing hate the CMS, or content management system, they're forced to... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Staff from Simon & Schuster, Pan Macmillan and Red Lemon Press are calling on employees from... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At the New York Times' Drafts blog, comedian Steve Macone offered a helpful, humorous glossary of terms for the modern book business. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-11-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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James Horobin has been appointed as group sales, marketing and publicity director at Simon &... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon and Schuster Children’s Books is to publish a book based on internet sensation The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster has acquired a memoir by James ‘Arg’ Argent, star of reality TV... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster has reported a third quarter revenue rise, said to reflect the rise in... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Format has been a long-simmering topic of debate in book publishing, and the question of when, and if, a title is published in hardcover, paperback, and/or digital has become even more pressing as bricks-and-mortar bookstores dwindle and ebook sales grow. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Earlier this month, Simon & Schuster and Yilin Press announced a new distribution and publishing agreement that will expand the availability of electronic editions for works in Mandarin for readers worldwide. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster will distribute Yilin Press ebooks to Chinese readers around the world. The distribution agreement was signed at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While digital distribution has roiled the newspaper, book publishing and music industries, a different story may be playing out in the world of comic books. Continue reading at Knowledge@Wharton
[ Knowledge@Wharton | 2013-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster has signed a two-book deal with Paige Toon for her first YA novels. Toon... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gains in its educational technology group were not enough to offset declines in the children’s book publishing and distribution unit resulting in a 5.8% decline in total sales at Scholastic for the first quarter ended August 31. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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