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Cengage Surfaces
April 2, 2014

Cengage Learning emerged from bankruptcy on Tuesday, returning to the textbook market with less debt and more funding, but also with the same challenges facing the academic publishing industry.

Saddled with $5.8 billion in debt, Cengage filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2013 as part of its restructuring efforts. The publisher reached a settlement with its creditors this February, eliminating $4 billion of the debt, and secured an additional $1.75 billion in exit funding.

Oprah 2.0: Book Club Marries Magazine, TV and Digital
January 27, 2014

Reading the original Oprah Book Club list is like throwing yourself into a dizzying cultural time machine. From Charles Dickens to Gabriel Garcia Marquez to Toni Morrison, her Book Club picks from the platform of her storied ABC television talk show imprinted a new generation of readers with classics, both new and old. When her talk show went away, her Book Club did too after a long 15-year run that spread "The Oprah Effect" across the lucky publishers of roughly 70 books.

News Corp. Buys a Media Start-Up for $25 Million
December 23, 2013

In a move highlighting the increasing role that user-generated content plays in the news business, News Corporation, owner of The Wall Street Journal, announced on Friday that it had bought Storyful, a company that calls itself a "social news" agency.

Storyful, a self-described "social news" agency, sifts online content and sends authenticated reports and videos to its clients.

Storyful monitors websites like Instagram and YouTube for compelling news and video, has its journalists confirm the material's authenticity, and distributes it to clients in newsrooms around the world.

Hachette Book Group Purchases Adult Imprint Hyperion, Backlist and Titles for Future Publication
June 28, 2013

June 28, 2013 — Disney and Hachette Book Group (HBG) announced today Hachette’s agreement to purchase Disney’s adult trade publishing imprint, Hyperion. When the acquisition is completed, HBG will become the publisher of more than 1,000 books published by the Hyperion adult trade book division since its inception in 1991, as well as approximately 25 books scheduled for future publication. Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW), the world’s largest publisher and licensor of children’s books, will retain all of its Disney and Disney-Hyperion branded children’s and young adult book titles, and will publish franchise-based titles from Disney/ABC Television Group upon completion of the transaction.

Amazon 'setting up in Russia'
April 19, 2013

Amazon is reported to be setting up in Russia, with former ABC-Atticus publishing head Arkady Vitrouk leading its Kindle content.

Techcrunch, citing an article in Russian-language publication Forbes Russia, reports that Amazon is hiring three positions in the country to work in Kindle content.

Author Nicholas Sparks Sets Up Three Cable Dramas (Exclusive)
October 31, 2012

Don't cry for Nicholas Sparks. The author of 16 New York Times best-sellers, including such tear-jerkers-turned-movie hits as The Notebook and Dear John, is expanding into TV.

Sparks, 46, has put shows into development at three cable networks through Nicholas Sparks Productions, the shingle he started in April with his longtime literary agent Theresa Park. (UTA’s Elise Henderson joined in July as head of TV.)

Sparks and Park will act as executive producers on all three projects. UTA and attorney Scott Schwimer represent Sparks and his Nicholas Sparks Productions shingle.

At Brooklyn Book Festival, a record 280 authors, 104 panels
September 14, 2012

On Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., a record 280-plus top national and international authors and participants will join bibliophiles, booksellers and literary organizations on 14 stages at Borough Hall, Columbus Park, St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights Public Library, Brooklyn Law School, the Brooklyn Historical Society and St. Ann & The Holy Trinity Church for the seventh annual Brooklyn Book Festival.

 

Sally Ride Biography Coming from Simon & Schuster
July 31, 2012

Journalist Lynn Sherr has landed a book deal for a biography of the late Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.

The book will explore “the unusually private woman beyond the spacesuit,” including recollections from her partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy–Ride’s obituary revealed that the astronaut was a gay woman.