The Inside Story Behind SouthComm’s Rapid-Fire Breakup

“The single hardest thing to do in business is to make a deal, whether you’re buying or selling.” Former SouthComm, Inc. COO Blair Johnson knew the magnitude of the task before him when, in November 2017, the company’s equity backer Solidus ousted CEO Chris Ferrell and indicated its desire to exit the publishing business within eight months. “At that time, Solidus had decided they wanted to liquidate their position and get out of SouthComm,” Johnson tells Folio:. “[Managing partner] Vic Gatto and the board made a decision that we needed to do it, and do it quickly, and that Chris was probably not the right person to do it. He likes to buy and build, and it’s a different strategy when you have to liquidate.” And so Solidus handed the company reins to Johnson—who took over as CEO—and CFO Bob Mahoney, and the pair immediately began the process of selling off a company that comprised alt-weeklies serving five different cities, a robust b2b media business, and hundreds of employees, among other assets. In a b2b-media space characterized by frequent mergers and acquisitions, the circumstances may have felt a bit like déjà vu all over again for Johnson, who had arrived at SouthComm from Cygnus Business Media in 2015 after four years helping transition that company from bankruptcy to breakup. “We essentially had eight different entities that we had to find a new home for,” Johnson continues. “Clearly, the biggest of these was the b2b assets from legacy Cygnus.” The relative... Continue reading at 'Folio Magazine'

[ Folio Magazine | 2018-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Greengrass wins £10k Edge Hill Short Story Prize

Jessie Greengrass has won the Edge Hill Short Story Prize 2016 for her debut collection, taking home the £10,000 main prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Unbound launches £5,000 short story prize

Crowdfunding publisher Unbound has launched a "major" new £5,000 short story prize in celebration of its fifth birthday. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Inside HMP’s Pivot from Print Publisher to Multi-Channel Events Business

A Q&A with Jeff Hennessy, chairman and CEO of the healthcare media, events, and education company. The post Inside HMP’s Pivot from Print Publisher to Multi-Channel Events Business appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2016-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Controversial Africa memoir draws fire for Louise Linton, actress, self-published author and Trump dining companion

Until last week, Louise Linton was a little-known Scottish actress living in California, whose most prominent roles were guest spots in the television shows "CSI: NY" and "Cold Case" and the movies "Intruder" and "Cabin Fever." Now, thanks to a self-published memoir she wrote about her... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Brexit is helping shape Business Insider’s Facebook Live strategy

For Business Insider, Facebook Live means more live news and events coverage. The publisher is now doing six live streams per day across its Business Insider, Business Insider UK, Tech Insider and Insider pages. The content, which is overseen by a four-person team, focuses on covering big news... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Story of 'little boy who becomes a little girl' to Headline

Headline Publishing Group has acquired Laurie Frankel’s This is How it Always Is, a book about "a little boy who becomes a little girl". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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CI 4: Telling Stories at Children's Institute

The 45-hour children's bookseller gathering in Orlando closed on a high note, in large part because of the energy and enthusiasm of booksellers and connections made thanks to the stories they brought with them and the authors presented throughout the institute. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Story of Kids Company to Biteback

Biteback is to publish the story of charity Kids Company by its founder Camila Batmanghelidjh. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Covers story: why are there so many new publishing imprints?

From Colm Tóibín’s Tuskar Rock to Fleet, One and Tinder Press, there seem to be more and more publisher subdivisions. Claire Armitstead finds out whyTowards the end of the noughties, Colm Tóibín bounced into the office of a London publisher clutching a fat Australian novel and insisting that he... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stevenson to narrate winning Royal Academy & Pin Drop short story

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[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Story of Sadiq Khan to Biteback

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[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Panama murder story to Duckworth

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[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cover Story: ‘The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047’

Welcome to Cover Story, a new PW column that looks at the art and science of book-jacket design. First up: 'The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047' by Lionel Shriver. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Illustrations, Design, and Above All Stories: China’s StoryDrive Asia 2016, Part 2

One literary agent's story at this fourth iteration of the international conference was about selling 2,000 English-language titles into the Chinese market. Going the other direction? Not so easy. The post Illustrations, Design, and Above All Stories: China’s StoryDrive Asia 2016, Part 2... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Insider is selling its newfound Facebook video expertise to brands

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[ Digiday | 2016-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Refugee Tales features stories from Smith and Cleave

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[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ALA 2016: Inside EveryLibrary's National Campaign for Local Library Support

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Selling Positivity: A Look Inside Condé Nast Aurora

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[ Folio Magazine | 2016-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The story of EE has been turned into a book

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[ Engadget | 2016-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Experiences and Story’: PRH’s Dan Franklin on ‘Strata’ of Innovation

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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