TODAY'S NEWS

Charges Widen Loss at Reader’s Digest
By Jim Milliot
Over $300 million in one-time charges resulted in an operating loss of $337 million at Reader's Digest in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008 on sales of $2.79 billion. The weakest performer was the School & Education group where results in Books Are Fun and QSP were down significantly. Read on »

Macmillan Inks Movie/TV Rights Pact With RWSH
By Rachel Deahl
In another move by a publisher to exploit the book-to-film connection, Macmillan has inked a partnership with the L.A.-based literary agency Rabineau Wachter Sanford & Harris. The move, which allows RWSH to exclusively sell film and TV rights to unagented titles on Macmillan's list, follows on the heels of a number of publisher-driven attempts to exploit intellectual property more skillfully (and lucratively) in Hollywood. Read on »

Friedman Talks to New School Crowd, Demurs on Next Move
By Lynn Andriani
Jane Friedman gave her first public interview last night since stepping down as head of HarperCollins this spring. In front of a group of about 75 New School MFA students in New York, Friedman fielded mostly friendly questions from Knopf v-p and associate publisher Victoria Wilson which provided the SRO crowd with a glimpse of Friedman’s long career. "No one has had a better life than I have had in publishing," Friedman told the audience. She talked about how she got started in publishing, learned from the masters and rejuvenated Harper, but was vague when Wilson asked her what’s next. Read on »

Some Bright Spots in Northern California
by Wendy Werris
When Cody’s Bookstore abruptly closed this summer in Berkeley, it was difficult to imagine any upside to one of the most wrenching events in Northern California bookselling history. At this weekend’s NCIBA trade show in Oakland, however, there were a couple of pieces of good news. Laura Tibbals, senior buyer at Moe’s Books in Berkeley, reported that sales of new books in their store have increased by 25% every month since Cody’s shut its doors. “That’s been great for us, although admittedly at the same time our used books have had flat sales,” Tibbals said. “Of course we never thought this would happen, that sales on the smallest part of our inventory would increase so much, but the economic anxiety is global now. We have to keep changing the formula.” Moe’s carries and is doing well with several Obama titles, and has also increased its sidelines inventory since the economic downturn began. Read on »

Good Times At 2008 Small Press Expo
By Calvin Reid
Switching to two days from its previous three-day format seemed to work well for the 13th annual Small Press Expo, aka SPX, held just outside Washington, D.C. at the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center in Bethesda, Md, October 4 and 5. By every measure, this year's SPX looked to be a success, drawing an impressive number of attendees to its new Saturday/Sunday format. SPX director and exhibitor coordinator Karen Flage said the show featured more than 400 publisher and artist exhibitors and unofficially attracted more than 1,700 people with about 1000 on Saturday and solid crowds on Sunday. Exhibiting publishers and artists approached by PW were all very happy with both the attendance and sales for the weekend. Read on »

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AUTHORS ON THE AIR

Authors on the Air: Isaac Mizrahi; Goldman Sachs, Unwrapped; Richard Paul Evans
Both Today and The Leonard Lopate Show hosted fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, whose How to Have Style (Gotham, $30). Both Good Morning America and The View hosted their colleague Robin Roberts, whose From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By (Hyperion, $14.95; abridged Hyperion Audio CD, $19.98) now in paperback. After the jump: Richard Paul Evans and Billy Collins. Read on »

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Quiz Show Champs
Flanked by the members of her team, Cincinnatus, bookseller Cary Boswell of the Bookshelf in Cincinnati, Oh., accepted on Saturday night at GLBA the Quiz Bowl trophy from Quiz Bowl convener Carol Besse of Carmichael's Books in Louisville, Ky. This is the third year Cincinnatus has won the Quiz Bowl trophy; next year they will replace the Carmichael's Books group in organizing the Quiz Bowl tournament of book knowledge. Submit your pictures here »

JOB OF THE DAY

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