TODAY'S NEWS

Marvel Publishing Dips in Quarter; Expects Better Second Half
By Jim Milliot
Marvel Entertainment had an overall strong first quarter, although results in its publishing segment fell in the period ended March 31. Revenue in the segment declined 2.6%, to $25.8 million, which the company attributed to lower advertising revenue that was only partially offset by modest improvement in the mass market channel and higher prices. Operating income declined 29% due to lower ad sales and $1 million in investment in its digital media operations. Marvel said it expects publishing sales to improve in the second half of 2009. Read on »

Warning of Abuse of Monopoly, Library Groups Ask Court To Closely Monitor Google Settlement
By Norman Oder
Three major library groups, in comments filed today in federal district court, say they don’t oppose the pending Google Book Search Settlement, but warned that high costs and opaque controls “could compromise fundamental library values such as equity of access to information, patron privacy, and intellectual freedom.”

Given that the Settlement might “also lead to a restructuring of the publishing industry and a dramatic change to the nature of libraries,” the American Library Association (ALA), Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), and Association of Research Libraries (ARL) asked the court to “vigorously exercise”—perhaps for years—“its jurisdiction over the interpretation and implementation of the Settlement.” Read on »

Dial's Big Push for Guernsey Paperback
By Lynn Andriani
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows which Dial Press published in hardcover last year, has more than 550,000 copies in print. It has spent more than seven months on bestseller lists and was named a best book of the year by Time, USA Today and a number of other outlets. And Dial is trying to make the paperback, which pubs today, even bigger. Read on »

PW's Review of The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson’s fifth and final adventure begins with a blast and gets increasingly more explosive. It reads less like a novel than a 400-page battle scene set in Manhattan, pitting Percy, Annabeth, Grover & Co. against a pantheon of monsters intent on reaching the portal to Mount Olympus (located on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building). In other words: fans will not be disappointed. Read on »

SharedBook Partners with Nelson
By Lynn Andriani
SharedBook Inc., which already has partnerships with Random House, Penguin, HarperCollins, Sterling, Bloomsbury, DK, Hachette and Regnery Publishing has added Thomas Nelson to the list of publishers it works with to sell personalized books to consumers. The announcement coincides with SharedBook’s fifth anniversary and follows its entrance into the Christian market last year. Read on »

Blogs

MORE STORIES

Michelin Unveils iPhone Apps for New York, San Francisco and More European Cities
While Michelin restaurant guide iPhone apps already exist for France and Europe, the company has now launched apps in markets that may be home to the highest number of iPhone owners: New York and San Francisco. It’s also rolling out apps in Germany, Spain & Portugal, Italy and the United Kingdom. The apps list all the restaurants selected by the Michelin guide and were developed by ViaMichelin, a subsidiary of the Michelin Group that designs, develops and markets digital travel assistance products and services. Read on »

Job Moves
Former Scholastic editor Sheila Keenan has been named senior editor at Harry Abrams, working on the Abrams ComicsArts imprint. She will report to Abrams ComicsArts executive editor Charles Kochman. Keenan is a veteran editor with more 20 years of experience working with children’s books and with young adult trade books, in both fiction and nonfiction. Keenan also helped launch Graphix, Scholastic’s graphic novel imprint.

Thom O’Hearn has been promoted from editorial assistant to assistant editor at Potter Craft. O’Hearn’s expanded responsibilities will include acquiring, developing and editing a list of titles for the home crafter.

Gretchen Koss and Meghan Walker have formed a book marketing and publicity firm, Tandem Literary. Koss and Walker worked together at Random House until this past December; Koss was director of publicity for Spiegel & Grau and Walker was Spiegel & Grau’s director of marketing. They can be reached at info@tandemliterary.com.

The PW Morning Report: May 5, 2009
A daily roundup of book and publishing news from across the Web: A New Boston Book Fest; Patterson Collaborator Flies Solo; US Checks Google-Apple Links; A Book by Obama’s Mama; A New Strategy for Borders; An Interview with Christopher Tolkien. Read on »

AUTHORS ON THE AIR

Authors on the Air: Bobby Flay; Whoopi Goldberg; Emeril Lagasse
This morning on The Early Show, chef Bobby Flay served up Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes (Clarkson Potter, 978-0307460639, $25.95). In its starred review, PW declared “Flay makes a simple and wholly effective statement: A cheeseburger with fries and a shake. Done right, it doesn't get much better than that. Another reason why this collection is so satisfying: put the word milkshake in the name of any recipe and there is no turning away.” Read on »

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Scholastic Kicks Off Summer Reading Campaign
Author and children’s books “national ambassador” Jon Scieszka hosted the book-trivia game show Scholastic Summer Challenge LIVE! on April 30 at Scholastic Headquarters in New York City, kicking off the publisher’s summer reading campaign. Four teams from NYC schools competed, and more than 100,000 students nationwide watched and participated in the live webcast. Danisabel DelaCruz and Delroy Brockett from P.S. 135 in Queens Village, N.Y., took home the trophy as this year’s Summer Challenge Reading Stars.
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