Linda Jones Stepping Down at Borders
Linda Jones, senior v-p of merchandising for the children’s, multimedia (music and movies), newsstand, calendar and game categories, will retire from Borders Dec. 19. Jones joined Borders in 1995 as a merchandising director for Waldenbooks. She was promoted to v-p of non-book merchandising in 1997, and took over the children’s and newsstand categories in 2002. In 2006, the multimedia category was added to her responsibilities and she was named senior v-p. Those who report to Jones, including Diane Mangan, director, Children’s; Patti Russo, director, Multimedia; and Joanna Goldstein, director, Newsstand, Calendars and Games, will report directly to Borders executive v-p of merchandising and marketing Rob Gruen until a replacement is named.

Sourcebooks Scores with Obama Calendar
by Claire Kirch
Sourcebooks took a big risk by releasing the 2009 Barack Obama Wall Calendar: Words of Hope and Inspiration earlier this season, when the presidential election seemed to be a dead heat. The Naperville, Ill., company's gamble is now paying off. The Obama calendar has shipped 100,000 units since its August release, with 6,300 sold the week ending Nov. 9 -- the week Obama was elected president. Not only is the Sourcebooks Obama calendar currently ranked as the #1 bestselling calendar on Amazon.com and at Barnes & Noble, but specialty Internet retailer Calendar Club recently ordered 50,000 units to sell on its site, calendars.com. Read on »

Stories Opens in Los Angeles
Wendy Werris
Defying the economic downturn in order to live out their dream of having a bookstore, Liz Garo and business partner Claudia Colodro hosted the grand opening of Stories Books and Café in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles on Saturday, November 15.

Both women are former booksellers, Garo at Book Soup and Colodro at Dutton’s. “We’ve been planning this for two years,” Garo said, “and when we found this space the timing just felt right to us.” The 1,700 square foot store on Sunset Boulevard has cathedral ceilings and exposed brick walls, and utilizes many of the store fixtures and café equipment the two bought from Doug Dutton when his bookshop closed this year. Read on »

BN.com Adds Holiday Web Content
By Lynn Andriani
Barnes&Noble.com is launching a “Holiday Channel” at its Barnes & Noble Studio that will feature exclusive new content, including videos and audio clips from bestselling authors and their favorite books of the season, tips on holiday preparations, and holiday tales.

The programming will include an exclusive dramatized audio production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol from The Night Kitchen Radio Theater. There will also be videos for The 12 Dogs of Christmas, The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas, The Spy Who Came for Christmas, Cole Family Christmas and other books. Video demos from the Joy of Cooking will explain techniques for making holiday cookies and carving a turkey.

Also among holiday-themed offerings at BN.com are Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark discussing their latest book, Dashing Through the Snow, in the December 8 episode of Barnes & Noble Tagged!. Read on »

Blogs

MORE STORIES

Harper to Publish Third Custom Book for Saks
HarperCollins will do a third custom, limited-edition hardcover children’s book for luxury department store Saks Fifth Avenue this holiday season. A Flake Like Mike will be available exclusively in all 53 Saks stores, Off Fifth stores and at Saks.com. The book’s illustrations, by artist Chris Capuozzo, will be used as the design for the windows in Saks’ flagship New York City store and in stores nationwide. Read on »

On Sale Next Week: Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis returns with a title and subtitle that are right on the money—Panic: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity—but will his look at financial crises from the crash of 1987 to the current subprime mortgage catastrophe compel readers to invest $27.95 in the book when this subject is in the news every day? Read on »

The PW Morning Report
Is Palin the $7-Million "Saviour" of the Publishing Industry?; Mike Huckabee Gets Even; Queen Sofía of Spain Steps in It; Obama’s "First 100 Days" Mystery; Judge OKs Google Deal; and Ted Turner’s Ghost Read on »

AUTHORS ON THE AIR

Authors on the Air: Higgins Clark Holiday Mystery #5; Jessica Lange; Christopher Plummer
Today, Imus in the Morning hosted mother-daughter bestsellers Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark, whose fifth holiday mystery Dashing Through the Snow (S&S, 978-1439129173, $23; S&S Audio CD, $29.99) pubs today. After the jump: Jessica Lange, Christopher Plummer, Valerie Bertinelli, Denis Leary and others. Read on »

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Daughters' In Conversation
Last Thursday night, at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City, author Stephen P. Huyler signed copies of his new book, Daughters of India: Art and Identity (Abbeville Press). The event, which was sponsored by SAJA (South Asian Journalists Association) and AIA (Association of Indians in America), also featured a discussion between Huyler and Indian author Meera Nair. Submit your photos here »

JOB OF THE DAY

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