Category: publishing

• Pentagon Warns SEAL/Penguin About Book – CNN

  Posted at 8:52 pm by Laura, on August 31, 2012

  Pentagon warns former SEAL about bin Laden book — CNN — Barbara Starr

  The Pentagon general counsel threatened legal action Thursday against a former Navy SEAL who wrote a revealing book about last year’s Osama bin Laden raid, warning him he has violated secrecy agreements and broken federal law.

  In a letter addressed to “Mark Owen,” the pen name of book author Matt Bissonnette, General Counsel Jeh Charles Johnson wrote the Pentagon is considering pursuing “all remedies legally available” against the former SEAL and his publisher, Penguin Putnam.

  When I saw plans for this book to be put on the shelves at work, I had wondered if this was really something to publish in the first place, if not so soon. Wouldn’t this be confidential? Wouldn’t this spark even more conspiracy theories?

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged books, news, publishing

• Court Accepts ABA/B&N Brief in DoJ Price Fixing Case – PW

  Posted at 8:38 pm by Laura, on August 7, 2012

  Court Accepts ABA/B&N Brief in DoJ Price Fixing Case – Publisher’s Weekly – Jim Milliot

  The ABA and Barnes & Noble joint motion to file a friend of the court brief as part of the hearing to approve the final settlement between the Department of Justice and Hachette, Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins has been granted by Judge Denise Cote who will rule on the judgment later this year. In granting the motion, however, Judge Cote determined that the two organizations’ motion would serve as the amicus brief and that no new submissions would be permitted.

  Oh boy oh boy. The DoJ drama increases!

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged ebooks, news, publishing

• NPR’s Best YA Novels

  Posted at 8:33 pm by Laura, on August 7, 2012

  I’ve moved into my teeny tiny studio apartment on the east coast, started my new (semi-new…I’m a transfer) job yesterday, and looking forward to graduate school beginning in a month!

  Enough about me – on with the book news!

  Your Favorites: 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels – NPR

  It’s almost a cliche at this point to say that teen fiction isn’t just for teens anymore. Just last year, the Association of American Publishers ranked Children’s/Young Adult books as the single fastest-growing publishing category.

  Which is why we were only a little surprised to see the tremendous response that came in for this summer’s Best-Ever Teen Fiction poll. A whopping 75,220 of you voted for your favorite young adult novels, blasting past the total for last year’s science fiction and fantasy poll at, dare we say it, warp speed.

  And now, the final results are in. While it’s no surprise to see Harry Potter and the Hunger Games trilogy on top, this year’s list also highlights some writers we weren’t as familiar with. For example, John Green, author of the 2012 hit The Fault in Our Stars, appears five times in the top 100.

  I was one of the thousands that participated in this poll, and I’m very pleased to see that all the ones I voted for had made the list! Check this out! Add them to your to-read list on Goodreads!

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 1 Comment | Tagged awards, genre: young adult, news, publishing

• Simon & Schuster is adding QR codes to all its print books – PaidContent

  Posted at 9:14 pm by Laura, on July 5, 2012

  Simon & Schuster is adding QR codes to all its print books. Will readers bite? — paidContent — Laura Hazard Owen

  Twenty-six percent of Simon & Schuster’s sales are now digital, and the QR codes are seen as a way to link digital and print. The codes “make it easy for consumers to visit our site and hopefully subscribe to one of our newsletters,” S&S chief digital officer Ellie Hirschhorn wrote in a recent email to employees. Scanning the QR code on a book ”will bring the consumer to the author’s mobile page on S&S.com where they can sign up for an email, browse the author’s other books and watch video.” Jackets will also include a printed link to the author’s website “so consumers without smartphones or QR scanners could still easily find the author’s page.”

  Personally, I’m not sure it will catch on. QR codes still remain somewhat of a mystery to most Americans – and those who are aware of it rarely whip out their smart phones to scan things. What do you think?

   

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 1 Comment | Tagged books, news, publishing, technology

• JKR’s “The Casual Vacancy” Cover Revealed!!!

  Posted at 8:19 am by Laura, on July 3, 2012

  Click here! Just click here! It’s so simple it’s brilliant!

  Thank you, Hachette Book Group / Little, Brown!

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged books, news, publishing

• Indie Publishers Back Agency Model, Criticize DoJ Deal – PW

  Posted at 8:45 am by Laura, on June 28, 2012

  Indie Publishers Back Agency Model, Criticize DoJ Deal – Publisher’s Weekly

  Nine independent publishers have combined to file joint comments objecting to the pending settlements of the Department of Justice’s lawsuit with Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster related to e-book pricing. The publishers noted that while they continue to sell e-books under the wholesale model, they have “benefitted significantly”–along with authors, booksellers and consumers,– from the ability of the Big Six publishers to adopt the agency pricing model with Amazon, since those arrangements, “contributed dramatically to increased competition and diversification in the distribution of e-books.”

  It is suggested that the ruling could ban the agency model, which then defeats all purpose of bookseller/publisher competition.

  Monopolies are never good, folks.

  The nine publishers backed their statement with statistical reports previously conducted in March. Data always helps in arguments!

  The publishers, who noted that they were never contacted by the DoJ to get their views on industry issues, concluded by stating that if the defendant publishers did indeed collude, competition should be restored in a way that does not ban the use of the agency model, something that would “harm innocent third parties such as the Independent Book Publishers, other trade book publishers, authors, booksellers and consumers.”

  Jeez.

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged ebooks, news, publishing

• DoJ ebook lawsuit set for June 2013 – Reuters

  Posted at 8:50 pm by Laura, on June 27, 2012

  US judge sets 2013 trial date for Apple ebook lawsuit – Reuters – Basil Katz

  Following a hearing in Manhattan federal court, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said a bench trial in the case will begin June 3, 2013, for Apple and two publishers who are fighting the antitrust charges.

  The U.S. Justice Department sued Apple in April, saying it colluding with five publishers to boost e-book prices in early 2010, as the Silicon Valley giant was launching its popular iPad tablet.

  As more and more information is revealed, a part of me wants to bang my head against a desk. Really, everyone?

  Posted in Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged ebooks, news

• BAM Criticizes DoJ Deal – PW

  Posted at 2:08 pm by Laura, on June 22, 2012

  Books-A-Million Adds Voice in Opposing DoJ Deal – Publisher’s Weekly – Jim Milliot

  Books-A-Million has joined the growing number of parties objecting to the Department of Justice’s agreement with Simon & Schuster, Hachette and HarperCollins to settle the department’s e-book price fixing lawsuit. BAM’s letter, signed by president and CEO Terry Finley, strikes especially hard at the provisions in the settlement that would impose restrictions on how the publishers can do business with all third parties (including BAM) that were not involved in the lawsuit.

  The agency model is a good thing. The bad thing is having everything at the same price. It’s terrible for competition purposes and for consumers: how are we going to find the best prices if we cannot search for them?

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged ebooks, magazine, news, publishing

• This Week’s News!

  Posted at 6:47 pm by Laura, on May 26, 2012

  Apologies once again for the lack of posts. I’ve accepted a job and have either been busy at work, busy sleeping, or busy looking for apartments near my grad school I’ll attend in August. Big things are heading my way, so other obligations fell through a bit.

  And now, for the news!

  1. The Shrinking of HMH – Want to hear more about the bankruptcy? Publisher’s Weekly provided a brief overview of why Houghton Mifflin Harcourt filed.  “In its filing, HMH blamed the recession and subsequent decline in school funding for what it acknowledged has been a “substantial decline” in revenue. The filing noted that despite the financial restructuring in March 2010 “due to the continuing contraction of funds for state education spending and higher deferrals of awarded business than expected,” HMH “continued to experience “financial difficulties,” which led to another round of discussions with lenders about a new restructuring.” Lots of internal struggle, financial issues, and education issues all play in this messy game.
  2. Gay Superheroes Soar into Comic Books – I think this is a very positive thing, a good step forward! The Guardian’s article talks about Marvel’s plan for a same-sex marriage between Northstar and his boyfriend, and DC plans to reveal a gay character sometime this summer.
  3. Hachette Launches Facebook Excerpt App – “The app, ChapterShare, lets Hachette publishing divisions, authors and retail partners post free chapters of books on their Facebook pages. Readers can preorder the books directly from the page and share links to sample chapters with their Facebook friends.” 
  4. Profanity in YA Books – TIME reveals a study on 40 teen novels and the use of profane language in the novels. Apparently, the characters who have the most foul language are also the most attractive characters. You can look at this study several ways: young adults are reading  things parents would prefer they didn’t, young adults are being exposed to “dangerous” things, young adults are being exposed to things they already have exposure to outside the home, young adults are finding healthier ways to escape the real world. I’m of the escapism party, and I think it is good to have teens read this sort of fiction. Not all good characters are good, not all attractive people are attractive, and issues with sex (the recent The Fault in Our Stars ban) and violence (The Hunger Games controversy) will become more difficult to parents if children aren’t exposed to these things in a much healthier form. Even still – this study’s findings is incredibly interesting. Take a look!

  For something entertaining…”celebrate” the 10 million copies of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy by watching this Funny or Die video starring Selena Gomez!

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged books, comics, genre: young adult, magazine, news, newspaper, publishing, technology

• HMH Files for Bankruptcy – PW

  Posted at 9:30 pm by Laura, on May 21, 2012

  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Files for Bankruptcy – Publisher’s Weekly

  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt officially filed for pre-packaged bankruptcy Monday morning, citing debts and liabilities of over $1 billion. The filing is part of a restructuring of its finances that will cut its debt by $3.1 billion largely by having its lenders exchange debt for equity.

  This is big news. Heavy. Loaded. Shocking.

  The package plan allows for smooth transitions and continues the current relationships with authors, agents, employees and customers.

  Posted in Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged news, publishing

• 

• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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