Richter Exits S&S Kids
Rick Richter, president of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, and Rubin Pfeffer, senior v-p and publisher, stepped down from their posts last week. Richter joined S&S in 1996 as publisher of the children’s division, was named president of the S&S sales and distribution division in 1999, and became president at S&S Children's in 2003. Pfeffer joined S&S in 2005 from Pearson Education. S&S CEO Carolyn Reidy said that she was conducting a search for Richter’s successor, and Dennis Eulau, executive v-p, operations, will run the division on an interim basis. Pfeffer's position has been eliminated; he will not be replaced.
Wiley in Deal With Meredith
Meredith has signed a licensing agreement with John Wiley giving Wiley exclusive rights to publish and distribute books based on various Meredith brands, including Better Homes & Gardens. The agreement, effective March 1, also makes Wiley the distributor for all existing Meredith titles to all channels. Wiley plans to publish about 20 Meredith titles annually in cooking, gardening, crafts, do-it-yourself and home decorating categories that tie into Meredith magazines.
RDR Drops Appeal; Has New Book
Just weeks after submitting an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals, RDR Books has withdrawn its challenge to Judge Robert P. Patterson’s September ruling in J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment’s copyright infringement suit against the publisher. Patterson’s ruling blocked RDR’s planned publication of The Harry Potter Lexicon by Steven Vander Ark. Instead, the company has announced plans to publish The Lexicon: An Unauthorized Guide to Harry Potter Fiction and Related Materials. The book, set for a January 12 release, will include a mix of new commentary and material from Vander Ark’s site.
Penguin Pay Freeze
The Penguin Group is instituting a companywide pay freeze for 2009 for employees who earn more than $50,000. The freeze affects all operating units of Pearson, Penguin’s parent company. Penguin chairman John Makinson said he hopes the freeze and other cost-saving measures will help the company avoid layoffs.
EDC Buys Kane/Miller
Educational Development Corp. has acquired Kane/Miller Publishers, the La Jolla, Calif., publisher of translated children’s titles. The company has a backlist of about 150 titles, and EDC plans to retain the Kane/Miller name as an imprint. Editorial offices will remain in California under the direction of Kira Lynn, the daughter of the Kane/Miller founder, and all other operations will be moved to EDC’s Tulsa, Oklas., headquarters; EDC will assume distribution of Kane/Miller starting at the beginning of the year.
Amazon Completes AbeBooks Buy
Amazon has completed its previously announced acquisition of AbeBooks, the British Columbia—based online marketplace for books. AbeBooks, which has more than 110 million books for sale listed by independent booksellers, will continue to function as a stand-alone operation based in Victoria, B.C. , and will continue to provide country-specific content.
NBN Digital Programs
National Book Network is preparing to offer digital services to its publishing clients. In the coming weeks, NBN begin providing its publishers with digital, short-run and POD options and is negotiating with a digital asset management company to arrange distribution of titles through various online channels. Initially digital editions will be sold through netLibrary and the Kindle.
Potter Breach Suit Resolved
Scholastic, Infinity Resources Inc. and DeepDiscount.com have resolved a lawsuit filed by the children’s publisher against Infinity last year charging that its DeepDiscount subsidiary had shipped Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to customers ahead of the book’s embargoed July 21 release. Scholastic said that the suit had been “satisfactorily resolved.”
