TODAY'S NEWS

A Quieter But Productive London Book Fair
By Lynn Andriani
For a fair that was predicted by many to be quieter than years past, the London Book Fair has been busy by many accounts (fair organizers have not released official attendance figures yet). On Wednesday, the fair's final day, attendees were walking the show floor in the early morning, and meeting tables at most stands continued to be filled. “Overall attendance may not be that great, but the quality of the attendance has been phenomenal,” said Frank Daniels, chief commercial officer of Ingram Digital. "People are very focused," he said, and those who did show up "came to do business." Read on »

Gompertz Named to New Digital Role at Simon & Schuster
Explaining that e-book sales are growing faster than anticipated and that the company is being presented with more chances to make its content available either for sale or marketing, Simon & Schuster CEO Carolyn Reidy has named Mark Gompertz to the newly created position of executive v-p, digital publishing. Reidy said Gompertz will bring an editorial perspective to digital publishing in his new role, helping to develop new business models and dealing with problems as the company broadens its digital operations. Gompertz will also originate and acquire digital content, “developing policies, working out processes, and educating and informing us so we can all learn as we seek new revenue streams,” Reidy explained. Read on »

In U.K., Sony E-Reader Says Bring It On, Kindle
By Andrew Albanese
Until now Sony has had the dedicated reading device market to itself in the U.K., where the Kindle has yet to be introduced. But Wesley Dearing, the product manager in the U.K. for the Sony Reader and part of the team who launched Reader in September 2008, knows the Kindle is coming, eventually, and even has a message: bring it on. “So far, we’ve had the market to ourselves, and that’s been okay,” Dearing told PW, “but competition will help raise awareness.” Read on »

Willen Accepts Lifetime Achievement Award
By Liz Thomson
Umberto Eco flew to London specifically to present the sixth annual LBF Lifetime Achievement Award in International Publishing to his old friend Drenka Willen, senior editor, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The Award, voted for by the Fair’s Advisory Board, lauded Croatian-born Willen's "outstanding life-long contribution to the international book world through her exceptional judgment, taste and passion in introducing foreign literature not only to an American audience but to an English-speaking audience at large." Read on »

Weisbach Makes First Sale
By Matthew Thornton
Rob Weisbach, who announced last month that he was starting his own management company, made his first book deal under the Rob Weisbach Creative Management aegis Friday; at the conclusion of a two-day auction, Jonathan Burnham and Gail Winston at Harper took world rights to Melissa Coleman’s memoir, This Life is in Your Hands, with a significant six-figure offer. Read on »

Blogs

MORE STORIES

Using SKYPE, Wiley Holds Virtual Bookstore Talk
Using technology, John Wiley’s events planners have found an inventive way to upgrade and extend the traditional author bookstore appearance. On April 16, Wiley Events used SKYPE, the internet webcam and telephone software technology, to allow editor/author Mark White to appear and talk to a live audience at a Joseph-Beth Booksellers store in Cincinnati about his new book Watchmen and Philosophy, from his home in New Jersey. Read on »

Correction: DNAML
In yesterday’s Daily story about DNAML rolling out 31,000 titles in its DNL eBook format, the wrong Web site was cited. DNMAL owns ebook.com.

The PW Morning Report
Chavez as the Next Oprah? Kite Runner makes another top ten; China opens its publishing market to foreign investors; Elements of Style turns 50; Authors sue Penguin. Read on »

AUTHORS ON THE AIR

Authors on the Air: Brooke Shields; Alec Greven; The Horse Boy
This morning, both the Today show and Live with Regis and Kelly hosted Brooke Shields, who discussed her new children's book It's the Best Day Ever, Dad! (HarperCollins, 978-0061724459, $17.99). Read on »

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Celebrating POD at LBF
John Wiley & Sons received a commemorative plaque marking the addition of the house’s 10,000th POD title to the Lightning Source Digital Library, on the floor of the London Book Fair. John Ingram (c.), chairman of the Ingram Content Companies, is shown here presenting the plaque to Wiley’s Lynn Terhune and Charly Nobbs.
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JOB OF THE DAY

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