TODAY'S NEWS

Donnelley Makes New Pitch for Quebecor
By Jim Milliot
With Quebecor creditors set to vote on the printer’s reorganization plan June 18, R.R. Donnelley has upped its unsolicited offer for the company. Donnelley’s new offer is worth over $1.5 billion, up from its original bid valued at about $1.3 billion. The company has increased its cash offer from $700 million to $800 million and will continue to add in cash on Quebecor’s balance sheet, which has increased by $78 million. Although Donnelley is still offering 30 million Donnelley shares, the value of those share has risen by $21.6 million since its May proposal. In addition, Donnelley will assume “significant” pension liabilities. Read on »

Shaman Drum Silenced as of June 30
By Claire Kirch
Karl Pohrt, the owner of Shaman Drum, the highly-renowned 29-year-old bookstore located on the edge of the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor that specialized in scholarly works, announced on the store Web site Tuesday afternoon that “on the advice of [his] accountant and business manager,” he is closing his store June 30. Pohrt intends to continue running the nonprofit center for the literary arts, the Great Lakes Literary Center, that he founded more than a year ago. Read on »

Rowman and Littlefield Acquires Aussie Bestseller
By Rachel Deahl
Rowman and Littlefield Publishing has acquired North American rights to In Heaven and Earth: Global Warming: The Missing Science, by leading Australian geologist Ian Plimer. In the book, Pliner makes the scientifically controversial argument that carbon dioxide has an insignificant role in affecting climate. Heaven and Earth, which was originally released in Australia in May by Connor Court Publishing and has already gone through five printings, after hitting local besteller lists in the country. According to R&L, as of May 15, Plimer's title was #1 on Bookdata, the Australian equivalent of BookScan. Read on »

Sourcebooks Adds to New York, Connecticut Offices
By Claire Kirch
Sourcebooks, the independent publisher headquartered in Naperville, Ill., is expanding its satellite offices in New York and Connecticut with some new hires in both locations. The company has added three new people in New York, bringing the total number of employees there to four, with another hire in children’s marketing still in the works: Rebecca Frazer, a publishing industry veteran who’s acquired and edited children’s books for HarperCollins, S&S, and Random House, has been hired as acquisitions editor for the publisher’s Jabberwocky children’s book imprint. April Sirianni, who most recently promoted lifestyle, health, fashion, and parenting titles for HarperCollins, has been hired as senior publicist, and Aubrey Poole, who has a background in copy-editing, administration, and book marketing, has been hired as editorial assistant. Read on »

Osprey Up in 2008
By Jim Milliot
Oxford-based military history publisher Osprey reported that sales last year rose 16%, to £6.5 million, while operating profit before interest and tax jumped 132% to £220,000. Managing director Rebecca Smart attributed the results to the ongoing strength of the niche military history market, and Osprey’s ability to nurture a sense of community within its customer base. In the U.S, revenue rose 4% overall, led by a 15% increase in sales through trade retailers.

The publisher is off to a strong start in 2009 despite the recession in most of its major markets. In addition to higher sales in the quarter, Osprey said it has already met its full year licensed income budget for 2009 and is expecting growth of 50% over 2008, reflecting the strong appetite for specialist content across a range of territories.

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MORE STORIES

The PW Morning Report
In California, Will Paper Books ‘Be Back?’; U.S. Takes Steps in Google Probe; John Freeman’s Official Granta Interview; Twilight Reunites; Cheaper Sony Readers; Lost Hughes Poem Found. Read on »

AUTHORS ON THE AIR

Authors on the Air: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane; Charlie Todd; Eduardo Galeano
Today, Good Morning America hosted Katherine Howe, a descendant of women who faced the Salem witch trials and author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (Hyperion/Voice, 978-1401340902, $25.99; HarperAudio CD, $39.99). Read on »

PICTURE OF THE DAY

'Forgetting' In Chi-Town
On Saturday, at the Printer’s Row Lit Fest in Chicago, Leonard Pitts, author of Before I Forget (Agate Publishing), signed books for fans at his publisher’s booth. Submit your pictures here »

JOB OF THE DAY

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