TODAY'S NEWS

Mailer's Widow to Write Memoir
by Matthew Thornton
Norman Mailer's widow Norris Church Mailer has signed a deal to write a memoir of her life with the author and their extended families; David Ebershoff at Random House acquired world rights from John Taylor "Ike" Williams at Kneerim & Williams.

Mailer has been the subject of several biographies over the years, but this is the first significant book deal struck since the two-time Pulitzer winner's death in November. Random bought the book on description only, according to Kneerim & Williams. No title or pub date is yet forthcoming.

Church Mailer, a former model, is the author of two novels, Windchill Summer and last year's Cheap Diamonds; both were published by Random House. She was Mailer's sixth wife and was married to him for 32 years.

Acquisitions Boost Donnelley Sales; Charges Dent Earnings
In its first full year report since it gobbled up several competitors, including Banta Corp. and Von Hoffmann, R.R. Donnelley had total revenue of $11.59 billion in 2007, up 24% over 2006. Excluding acquisitions, sales were ahead 2.5%. Operating income, hurt by restructuring and impairment charges, fell to $315.1 million from $750.7 million.

Company executives said they were pleased with the way the integration of the new companies into Donnelley has progressed and expect margins to improve in the future. Among the charges Donnelley took last year was $60.4 million in restructuring expenses, including $49.3 million related to employee termination costs associated with the integration of the acquired companies, which resulted in the elimination of several hundred jobs.

Dr. Seuss Goes Digital
By Karen Raugust
The Cat in the Cat, Horton Hears a Who!, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop and other Dr. Seuss classics are going digital, thanks to a partnership between Dr. Seuss Enterprises and kidthing, a new content distribution platform. Digital versions of the books—with extras such as voiceovers, sound effects and music—will roll out on kidthing.com starting in March, along with digital games based on the characters. Read on »

Long-Time Leaders Retire at Bethany House
By Lynn Garrett
It's official: completing the transition that was announced last year, Gary Johnson, president, and Carol Johnson, v-p/editorial for fiction, are retiring from their long-time leadership roles at the Bloomington, Minn.-based Christian house, Bethany House Publishers, effective Feb. 29. The couple has served the house since the 1960s.

Bethany House was founded in 1957 at Bethany College of Missions as a campus bookstore/publishing operation. Gary Johnson became manager of the store in 1960, a job that included oversight of the press and its six-title backlist. Once on board, he began acquiring Christian self-help and "deeper-life" books, many of which became classics, including Kingdom of the Cults and The Christian Family. Read on »

The PW Morning Report: A daily round-up of the latest publishing news
By Dermot McEvoy
Hot & Heavy for Tom Coughlin; Big Valerie; Penguin Launches Celebra; Holocaust Comic Book; Raymond Smith Dead; Free Random Novel; Roslyn Targ Profile; Granddaddy Al Capone; and More Kathleen Turner Read on »

Blogs

AUTHORS ON THE AIR

Authors on the Air: Family Meth-a-thon; Cancer on $5 a Day; Timmy's in the Well
Tonight, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart hosts Allen Guelzo, author of Lincoln and Douglas: The Debates that Defined America (S&S, $26), which PW called "an astute, gracefully written account of the celebrated Lincoln–Douglas debates of 1858. Guelzo's smoothly narrated history of this segment of Lincoln's career, packed full of illustrative quotes from primary sources, will become a standard." Read on »

PICTURE OF THE DAY

A 'Better Life' in NYC
Monday night the New York City Chapter of National Multiple Sclerosis Society honored what it deems the best self-improvement books of 2007 at its Books for a Better Life Awards. Please call me with any questions regarding the below release announcing tonight's Books for a Better Life Award winners. The winners of the night are pictured here (l. to r.): Amy Silverstein, Sick Girl; Elyse Schein and Paula Berstein, Identical Strangers; Elyn Saks, The Center Cannot Hold; Nell Casey, An Uncertain Inheritance (editor); MP Dunleavy, Money Can Buy Happiness; Lis Wiehl, The 51% Minority; and, Susan Piver, How Not to be Afraid of Your Own Life. Submit your pictures here »

JOB OF THE DAY

PW VIRTUAL EDITION

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