Revenue

It was known as the Green Room, a relic of 1960s-era decorating—felt walls and all—that served for decades as prime meeting space on the first floor of Philadelphia health sciences book publisher F.A. Davis Co. While nobody mourned its passing when it was finally renovated two years ago, it was believed that the demise of the groovy grotto warranted the creation of a commemorative plaque, handed out around the office at the holidays. Amid photos and an actual mounted green wall swatch was engraved a promise to hereby “stop meeting like this.”

Stephen Rubin has been named president and publisher of Macmillan-owned Henry Holt and Co., according to an Associated Press (AP) report. Rubin, who resigned last month from Random House Inc., will begin his new position Nov. 2.

Former HarperCollins President and CEO Jane Friedman has launched Open Road Integrated Media (ORIM) in partnership with film producer Jeffrey Sharp. Financed by Kohlberg Ventures, Open Road is a content marketing company that "places the e-book in the center of a multiplatform universe which includes film, video and other forms of digital entertainment." Friedman will serve as CEO, and Sharp as president.

Christian publisher Thomas Nelson has partnered with self-publishing company Author Solutions Inc. (ASI) to launch WestBow Press—a Christian self-publishing imprint. According to an ASI press release, "The alliance will allow authors to benefit from the market leadership of Thomas Nelson, while taking advantage of ASI’s technology and services that make publishing easy, affordable and available to anyone."

While the Hispanic population in the United States is expected to expand to nearly 50 million by 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, current purchasing patterns indicate that this 16 percent of the nation may not buy books at the same rate as the remaining 84 percent.

It used to be straightforward. A publisher sent out a catalog of new releases, promoting certain titles to bookstores. Marketing proceeded through fixed channels and seasonal rituals, and, year after year, everyone knew their place in the dance. Not so anymore.

Book Business magazine announces that special guest Jane Friedman, CEO, OpenRoad Integrated Media LLC and former CEO, HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide

O'Reilly to Distribute Microsoft Press Titles and Launch New Ebook Initiatives

Department Encourages the Parties to Continue Their Ongoing Discussions to Address Class Action, Copyright and Antitrust Concerns in the Proposed Settlement

If the Internet has taught traditional media anything, it’s that valuable content should be protected or it will quickly lose its worth. Letting music, news articles or whatever fall into the hands of those who do not value it has been toppling old media companies left and right, and is likely to continue. Take newspapers: Had their stories not been copied, pasted, snarked upon and uprooted far from their original sources (and the advertisers), there wouldn’t be nearly as many journalists in the unemployment line today.