News and opinion on the changing world of book publishing
In 1995, Disney’s then-CEO Michael Eisner created the Disney Institute, his commercial homage to the Chautauqua Institution, a 135-year-old center of learning and recreation in western New York that comes alive for nine weeks every year. Disney Institute, which is located on the periphery of Disney World, never became as successful as Eisner had hoped, [...]
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May 2009
PT thanks The Licensing Letter’s Ira Mayer for his reporting. Visiting the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in March after an absence of a dozen or so years was a wonderful reminder of how vibrant an art form children’s books are. While the children’s book market is dominated by name brands (Disney, Marvel, Nickelodeon, etc., as [...]
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February 2009
PEOPLE There are so many changes to report this month that we are highlighting only some of the moves and, where available, contact information. Rebecca (Becky) Saletan has been appointed Editorial Director of Riverhead, reporting to Publisher Geoff Kloske. She was most recently SVP and Publisher of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Her appointment is effective March [...]
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October 2008
PEOPLE Little, Brown editor Reagan Arthur has received her own imprint, Reagan Arthur Books. Arthur’s title will be VP, Editorial Director, and she will continue to report to Geoff Shandler. The imprint’s first books will be published in Fall 2009. Nancy Hancock has joined HarperOne as Executive Editor, reporting directly to Mickey Maudlin. Hancock was [...]
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July 2007
During summer’s first month, the much debated future of publishing was, well, debated some more at venues across the country. The much-reported O’Reilly Tools of Change conference in San Jose, featured an array of stellar presentations running the gamut from “the book is dead,” to “the book is gloriously alive!” Back east, software producer Klopotek [...]
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PEOPLE In a reorganization of the books group, Linda Cunningham, Editorial Director at Meredith has been laid off along with 15 other people. She can be reached at 215.752.2664, or at lindacunningham1@hotmail.com. HarperCollins has hired Steve Ross as President and Publisher, Collins, reporting to Brian Murray. He had been Publisher of Crown. George Bick, SVP [...]
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Welcome to America would have made an appropriate slogan for this year’s annual Licensing Show at New York’s Javits Center. The 27th edition proved to be bigger, badder and more overwhelming than the last: complete with a free thong giveaway, real live penguins and Disney characters galore, exhibitors went to extremes to get their brand [...]
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June 2007
The distribution terrain underwent a few sizeable rumbles last year, not to mention the major quake of the AMS bankruptcy that sent PGW flying to Perseus after a tussle with NBN, resulting in Perseus’ coopting of the indie publisher distribution biz. As the dust settles, smaller distributors are poised to grab the trickle down of [...]
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PEOPLE Susan Reich is re-joining PGW where she had worked as VP Marketing from 1990 to 1995, in the role of President. Most recently she served as the President and COO of Avalon Publishing Group, one of PGW’s clients. She reports to David Steinberger. Reporting directly to Reich are Kevin Votel, Eric Kettunen, Roaxanne Schwartz, [...]
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April 2007
South by Southwest Interactive. Austin, Texas. For over ten years now the creators and users of technology’s cutting edge have gathered in the town of great Tex-Mex and live music to, well, interact, after a fashion. This is truly the realm of the ADD generation. Everywhere you looked at the convention center, at the panels, [...]
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