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Publishers Weekly News
Tomorrow Is National Bookstore Day
More than 140 independent bookstores around the country have signed up to participate in National Bookstore Day, a PW-sponsored initiative to get customers into bookstores tomorrow. The PW Morning Report: Friday, November 6, 2009
Book and publishing news from across the Web: Publishing as Economic Bright Spot; A Self-Pub How-To; PW’s Top Ten Controversy; A New Indie Press Blog; ‘Going Rouge’. Results Rise at Simon & Schuster
Third-quarter sales rose 2.4% at Simon & Schuster and earnings increased 13.6%. Though heartened by the improved performance, CEO Carolyn Reidy said she is disappointed that sales for the entire market have not shown more of an increase so far this fall. Borders to Close 200 Walden Outlets in January
Borders has announced that it will close approximately 200 stores in its Waldenbooks Specialty Retail group in January. The store closings will leave Borders with about 130 mall-based outlets. About 1,500 positions will be eliminated in the downsizing, most of which are part-time jobs. Riordan Sets His Sights on Egypt
Like his Lightning Thief star Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan is a demigod—at least in the eyes of his readers. With the release next May of the first title in his new middle-grade fantasy series, about ancient Egypt, he is set to become a pharaoh, too. In The Kane Chronicles, Book One: The Red Pyramid, kids will meet Carter Kane, 14, and his sister, Sadie, 12, descendants of Egyptian magicians who battle gods accidentally released in the present... Friedman Leaves Hampton Roads
Robert Friedman, a fixture in the New Age publishing community and the cofounder and president of Hampton Roads Publishing, is leaving the company. With Yankees Win, Triumph Books Goes to Press
Triumph Books plans to have copies of The Best in New York area stores by the weekend. The Lone Star State of Books
The 14th annual Texas Book Festival drew more authors, including lots of novelists, than last year and large crowds eager to discuss books. Weiss to St. Martin's
Veteran publishing exec Dan Weiss has a new job as publisher at large at St. Martin’s, reporting to Matthew Shear, who is senior v-p and publisher of the house’s paperback and consumer reference groups. Weiss will work on developing content for Gen Y readers—“emerging adults who are navigating career, love and family in a 24/7 connected world,” explained Shear. Courier Corp. Reports Loss for Fiscal 2009
With sales down in both its publishing and printing businesses, Courier Corp. reported an 11.1% decline in revenue for the fiscal year ended September 26, with sales falling to $248.8 million. The company had a net loss of $3.1 million in fiscal 2009 compared to a loss of $370,000 in fiscal 2008. Hachette Book Group Drives Gains at Lagardère
Sales in the U.S. division rose 15% in the third quarter, with a number of titles joining the Twilight series in pushing sales. The company warned, however, that growth in the fourth quarter could be considerably slower than in the last period of 2008. The PW Morning Report: Thursday, November 5, 2009
Publishing News from Across The Web: Obama Books in U.K.; Holiday E-Book Hopes; McSweeney’s Newspaper; Palin’s Book Tour; Utah Univ. Press Goes Online; Looks at 2010 Books. Holt Wins Auction for New Elizabeth Kolbert Book
Henry Holt executive editor Gillian Blake has won a hotly contested auction for New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert's new book, The Sixth Extinction. Blake beat out eight other houses for the book, which will be expanded from the author's May 2009 New Yorker piece of the same name. Profits Bounce Back at HarperCollins
First quarter operating profits rose to $20 million from $3 million in the comparable period in fiscal 2009 at HarperCollins, although revenue was roughly flat. Cost reductions and a return to more normal buying patterns for backlist were among the reasons cited for the profit improvement. Simon & Schuster Unveils Internal E-galley System
Simon & Schuster has unveiled an e-galley program to provide digital ARCs to the media. Galley Grab, which is still in beta at www.galleygrab.com, offers DRM protected downloads of S&S titles, for review and feature coverage, which can be read on varioues e-readers, including the Sony eReader and the Nook. Tantor Audio Readies Four Sherlock Holmes Titles
Tantor Audio will release four Sherlock Holmes audiobooks November 23, a month ahead of the new Sherlock Holmes movie. Sourcebooks PoetrySpeaks to Sell Poems by the Work
Sourcebooks has begun PoetrySpeaks.com, a site that features information about poets, their works, with the ability to buy a poem for 99 cents. Third-Quarter Profits Jump at Harlequin
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Third-quarter sales rose 22.5% at Harlequin on a 3.7% sales gain. Earnings were helped by lower costs and foreign exchange.
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