Sales Jump, Earnings Dive At Amazon

Amazon posted huge sales increases in the third quarter ended September 30, with total revenue up 44%, to $10.88 billion. But continued investments in technology and infrastructure led to a 73% decline in earnings, to $63 million. Amazon predicts sales will increase between 27% and 44% in the fourth quarter, but also said earnings could either show a loss of as much as $200 million to a gain of $250 million. Amazon predicts record sales of digital devices, and there’s speculation the retailer could ship 2.5 million Kindle Fires when the device goes on sale November 15.

HC Buys Newmarket

HarperCollins has acquired the rights to the majority of the titles published by Newmarket Press. The press’s 200 film and entertainment titles will continue to be released under the Newmarket name, which has become part of HC’s It Books imprint, and Esther Margolis is joining It as an executive editor. The company has also released more than 100 titles in the fields of parenting, psychology, health, biography, history, business, and fiction, and those books will be published as trade paperbacks under the William Morrow Trade Paperbacks imprint.

Worthy Inks Jerry Jenkins Book Deal

Worthy Publishing has inked a seven-figure, six-book deal with Jerry B. Jenkins, coauthor of the bestselling Christian series Left Behind. The first book is slated to appear in 2013. Left Behind, one of the most popular Christian series ever published, has sold more than 70 million copies.

Hachette, RTC Ink App License

Prose and graphic nonfiction packager Round Table Companies has inked a deal with the Hachette Book Group to license its app development platform. RTC plans to launch its own iPad app with about 13 titles by the end of the year.

Thomas Nelson Opens Mexico Unit

Thomas Nelson Publishers has opened Thomas Nelson Mexico, a new division in Mexico City. TN said the new division’s goal is to “improve our distribution of Spanish content, garner access to understanding of the marketplace, and sign local authors.”

Layoffs at Marvel

In a cost-cutting move tied to soft sales over the past year, Marvel Comics laid off 11 employees. The layoffs include three editors, four in production, two in collections, and two from digital compositing. Jim Sokolowski, Marvel’s COO, was also laid off recently, and earlier this summer the director of publishing operations, Justin Gabrie, and two others from the circulation department were also let go.

Miller Moves Up at Bloomsbury

Nancy Miller, previously executive editor at Bloomsbury, has been promoted to editor-in-chief at Bloomsbury USA. Miller, who has been at Bloomsbury since 2009, is not replacing anyone. She will report to Bloomsbury USA publishing director George Gibson

Akashic to Pub Real Kids’ Book

Akashic’s Kids’ book parody, Go the F**k to Sleep, has more than 500,000 copies in print, and it plans to publish Seriously, Go to Sleep, in April next year.

Killick to MCPG

Angus Killick has been appointed v-p and associate publisher, a newly created position, at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. Killick is currently associate publisher and director of marketing of Kingfisher, a division of Pan Macmillan, an affiliated company of MCPG. He will begin making the transition to MCPG November 14. In his new role, Killick will coordinate publishing programs at all MCPG imprints and lead the division’s marketing team.