TODAY'S NEWS

Amazon Completes Audible Acquisition
Amazon’s promise to complete the purchase of Audible as soon as possible following the completion of its tender offer last week turned out to be a couple of days. This morning, the growing e-tailer announced it had finalized its $300 million acquisition of the digital audio distribution, making Audible a wholly-owned Amazon subsidiary. Amazon’s $11.50 per share offer had been criticized by some shareholders, but in the end the overwhelming majority of stockholders accepted the deal.

OverDrive Goes DRM-Free
OverDrive, one of the main suppliers of audio content to libraries and other institutions, is adding DRM-free titles to its catalog, and going direct-to-consumer. Through a retail partnership with Borders that launches in May, OverDrive will begin offering its catalog of audiobooks and e-books to customers at Borders.com and in "digital centers" in the chain's stores.

The new DRM-free titles, which can be downloaded to any number of MP3 devices, will pad the company's current catalog of nearly 20,000 DRM-protected audiobooks and 10,000+ ebooks.

Speaking to the move, the company's senior licensing counsel, Erica Lazzaro, said it will "dramatically increase the market for download spoken word titles."

McNally Robinson to Change Name, Expand
by Judith Rosen
Four months from now bookseller Sarah McNally, who opened McNally Robinson bookstore in New York City in December 2004, hopes to have two new babies—a son and a renamed store, both of which will share the same last name, “Jackson,” after her husband, Spiegel & Grau executive editor Chris Jackson. “I’m doing it more in honor of my son,” says McNally, adding that she has had to struggle against a perception that the store’s not independent, since it has the same moniker as her parents’ chain in Canada. “Robinson isn’t even anybody. It was my mother’s partner for a year, 25 years ago.” Read on »

Sandra Brown’s Husband Sets Up Scholarship
By Lynn Andriani
On February 20, Pocket Books bestselling author Sandra Brown thought she was attending a black-tie dinner party at the City Club in Fort Worth, Tex., for pianist Van Cliburn. But when she arrived at the event, she received two surprise gifts: an honorary degree from Texas Christian University, and notification that a $50,000 scholarship had been established by her husband, Michael Brown, in her name. Sandra Brown now has an honorary Doctorate of Human Letters degree from TCU, and the Sandra Brown Excellence in Fiction Writing Scholarship Award will be awarded to young writers annually (the start date has not yet been determined). CBS News's Bob Schieffer was master of ceremonies and TCU chancellor Victor Boschini conducted the hooding ceremony. Read on »

Spring Book Show to Hilton
Due to tornado damage to the Georgia World Congress Center, the Spring Book Show has been moved to the Atlanta Hilton. The remainder event will take place as scheduled, March 28-30. The new locale, which hosted last year’s Southern Independent Booksellers Association Convention, was already serving as the host hotel for Spring Book Show conventioneers.

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AUTHORS ON THE AIR

Authors on the Air: Richard Price’s Life; Scott Spencer’s Willing; Monday Night Jihad
Today’s Bob Edwards Show hosted Richard Price, whose new book is Lush Life (FS&G, $26; Macmillan Audio unabridged CD, $44.95). PW starred its review: “With its perfect dialogue and attention to the smallest detail, Price's latest reminds readers why he's one of the masters of American urban crime fiction.” Read on »

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Chicago Shel
On Tuesday commissioner of the Chicago Public Library, Mary Dempsey, hosted an event to celebrate the re-release of Shel Silverstein’s Don’t Bump the Glump! (HarperCollins Children’s) and the launch of a series of “Shelebrations” happening through April 30th in over 70 branches of the Library. In for the event were members of Silverstein’s family along with employees from HarperCollins Children’s Books. Pictured (l. to r.) are: Dempsey; Peg Myers; Mitch Myers; Antonia Markiet, senior executive editor; John Vitale, v-p and director of production; and Andrea Pappenheimer, senior v-p, director of sales, associate publisher. Submit your pictures here »

JOB OF THE DAY

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