TODAY'S NEWS

New iPhone E-book Apps from ScrollMotion
By Edward Nawotka
ScrollMotion, a two year old iPhone application development company, has launched Iceberg, an e-book reader for the iPhone with titles from six publishers: Random House, Hachette, Penguin, Counterpoint, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Simon & Schuster.

“What makes the software different,” said ScrollMotion’s chief literary officer Calvin Baker, “is that each book is a self-contained app. You download the book, not a piece of software.” Iceberg mimics the natural reading experience, allowing the user to “flip” the page with a swipe of the finger and uses the iPhone and iTouch’s interface to allow for scrolling, shrinking and expanding text, bookmarking and note taking. Read on »

Borders Gets More Time
Borders Group has reached an agreement with Pershing Square Capital Management, its largest shareholder, to extend the expiration date of the previously announced Borders option to sell its U.K.-based Paperchase gifts and stationery business to Pershing Square for $65 million. The “put” was due to expire Jan. 15, 2009, but has been extended until Feb. 16. The delay gives Borders extra time to find a buyer for Paperchase who may be willing to pay more than the $65 million offered by Pershing. At the same time, the deadline for repayment of the $42.5 million loan which was originally payable to Pershing by Borders on Jan. 15, 2009, has also been extended to Feb. 16. Borders is still required to pay the approximately $1 million loan repayment premium to Pershing no later than Jan. 15, 2009. The company’s stock, meanwhile, continues to sell at below $1, closing Monday at 53 cents per share, the 16th straight business day the stock has traded below $1.

Friedrich Agency Has Busy Week
Who says publishing is dead right before the holidays? Things were certainly busy at The Friedrich Agency, which closed six deals between December 15 and 19. Among the deals were two nonfiction titles about America, The Rhinestone Sisterhood, by David Valdes Greenwood, which Paul Cirone sold at auction to Rachel Klayman at Crown, and a compendium of U.S. history anecdotes by Michael Morris; Cirone also sold the Morris, to Charles Conrad at Broadway. Molly Friedrich herself sold three books: the debut mystery Shooter, by Nora McFarland, went in a three book deal to Trish Lande Grader at Touchstone Fireside; another debut, Naked Love, by Laurie Frankel, went to Lindsay Sagnette at St. Martin's Press; and, at auction, Noelle Hancock's My Year With Eleanor, which was picked up by Ginny Smith at Ecco Press. Rounding out the week, Friedrich negotiated for the next two books in Spencer Quinn's mystery series, which is slated to debut in February 2009, and which went again to Peter Borland at Atria.

Inauguration Maps from Langenscheidt
The latest company to enter the Obama sweepstakes is Langenscheidt, which has released two “limited edition” inaugural maps of Washington, D.C. Langensheidt said the two maps, American Map Washington DC, Inaugural Edition and City Streets Washington, DC, Inaugural Edition, will help visitors to the capital get around the city during the inauguration. The cover features a photo of President-elect Obama.

The PW Morning Report
By Dermot McEvoy
Booker Prize Takes Madoff Hit; iPhone Book Mania; Horace Engdahl Out at Swedish Academy; American Muslims’ Catcher in the Rye; Sir Bernard Crick Dead; Baker & Taylor U.K. Insurance Pulled; Murdoch Book Sales Flaccid; Breaking Through to White Readers; and 21st Century Les Miserables Read on »

Blogs

MORE STORIES

On Sale Next Week: Julie Garwood
Julie Garwood's latest romantic suspense novel, Fire and Ice, releases next week, with excerpts available to more than 500,000 Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users via the e-book reader Lexcycle Stanza, along with backlist titles from Garwood and eight other authors. Read on »

Happy Holidays
Today is the last issue of PW Daily for 2008; we will be returning January 5, although if events warrant we will send out PW Daily Alerts. Thanks for being part of the PW community in 2008 and best of luck in 2009.

AUTHORS ON THE AIR

Authors on the Air: American Buffalo; The History of the Snowman; Christmas Movies
This morning on The Diane Rehm Show, outdoorsman and hunter Steven Rinella discussed his new book American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon (Spiegel & Grau, 978-0385521680, $24.95; Brilliance Audio unabridged CD, $32.99). After the jump: Steve Dublanica (aka The Waiter), Karen Armstrong, and tie-ins for four movies opening on Christmas Day. Reminder: This is the final Authors on the Air for 2008. Read on »

PICTURE OF THE DAY

A Housing Works Reed-ing
Lou Reed recently stopped by Housing Works in New York City to read from his new book of lyrics, Pass Thru Fire (Da Capo Press). Submit your pictures here »

JOB OF THE DAY

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