Revenue

The second largest book retail chain in the United States restructured its senior management this week, a day after the company reported a higher-than-expected second-quarter loss. Borders named Cedric J. Vanzura, the president of Borders Group International, Paperchase Worldwide and information technology, as president of emerging business, strategy and technology, and Vincent E. Altruda, the president of Borders Group U.S., as president of Borders Worldwide. Both will report to new Borders Group CEO George Jones. Several other members of the management team will also now report to Jones. The company said the changes will be effective Aug. 28. The Ann Arbor, Mich.-based company said its losses in

The adult trade business has had to endure many changes in recent years. E-books are seen as a business model alternative, but while they’ve been convenient for consumers, the adult trade revenues aren’t exactly astounding. Sure, mobile content could be a savior of the future, but right now it’s an experiment of the present. With all of that in mind, we look at the present of adult trade. No Denying Technology Brian Murray, group president of HarperCollins, says digital opportunities are growing, and the adult trade market is going to be dependent on how it’s able to grab the Web-browsing consumer. “The bookstore

Despite the predictions of gray skies that have become increasingly prevalent in forecasts for the book publishing industry, a recent survey conducted by Book Business shows that the large majority of industry executives still cast an optimistic eye toward the future. In addition, most respondents foresee a lucrative long-term future for their companies and appear unconcerned that digital-format books will eventually replace print. Sixty-eight percent of those surveyed replied they feel “optimistic” about the industry’s future and another 10 percent are “very optimistic.” Just 16 percent consider themselves to be “pessimistic.” Furthermore, these executives appear to, for the most part, have high hopes

The president of a publishing company recently said to me: “It’s a terrifying and exhilarating time in publishing.” That just about sums it up. In this issue alone, the changes we’re covering are quite astounding: A Running Press book that could be the newest craze, blurring reality and fiction, with reader interaction pushed to a new high—and, oh yes, featuring product placement (see “Reality Check” page 20); and mobile content and ad-driven publishing models (see “The Era of Experimentation,” page 28). Innovation and creativity seem to be the name of the game, in all forms of media, in fact. Look at the ABC Network’s

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—North American Publishing Co. and Book Business and Publishing Executive magazines have announced their official call for nominations for the 2006 Publishing Executive Hall of Fame (formerly the PrintMedia Hall of Fame), the industry’s most prestigious award presented to individual publishing and production executives. Inductees join the ranks of leading executives in magazine, book and catalog publishing, as well as advertising production. Last year’s inductees were: - Anthony Crouch, director, design and production, University of California Press - Dora Braschi Cardinale, executive VP, print production, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia - Barry Meinerth, senior VP, production and fulfillment, Time Inc. - Ken

With a resume filled with shining examples of how to successfully combine traditional media with digital savvy-- from helping to launch Disney Interactive (now Buena Vista Games) to most recently serving as a media and entertainment expert for L.E.K. Consulting--Brian Napack seemed like a natural fit to help steer Holtzbrinck Publishers into the digital era. After month in his new role as president of the company, Napack, 44, spoke with Book Business to discuss what he has in store for the publishing giant during his tenure. Book Business: You have a long history working with both digital and traditional formats. How do you see those

The university press has always been about more than just turning a profit. There’s the contribution of enabling scholars to write about unusual subjects, professors expanding on their classroom teachings and the overall extension of the university’s mission. Still, in a time when college budgets are dealing with further cutbacks and digital publishing is becoming more of a factor, university presses have never felt more pressure to produce economically, as well as educationally. “We’ve always relied on the credibility of what we publish to keep us afloat, but we need to expand our market to the mainstream,” says Ivar Nelson, director of the Eastern

Last year, retail e-commerce totaled $88 billion, or 2.4 percent of total U.S. retail sales, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. In the first quarter of this year, U.S. retail e-sales hit $25 billion—2.7 percent of total retail sales for the quarter ($906 billion). And based on the average annual growth rate (in the mid 20-percent range) of the last few years, 2006’s year-end e-commerce totals are likely to top $110 billion. Book publishers in almost every market have launched e-commerce sites to tap the growing potential in e-sales. Major publishers such as Scholastic (ShopScholastic.com), Random House (RandomHouse.com), McGraw-Hill (Books.McGraw-Hill.com), Penguin Group

Nine hundred billion dollars. That’s the estimated buying power expected of the Latino market within the next five years. Today its buying power is $500 billion here in the United States, and it is considered the 12th largest economy in the world. Information like this can be found on www.SpanishBookMarket.com—a Web site built and maintained by Mark Wesley of Rosa + Wesley, a development firm specializing in graphic design, book production and Spanish translation located in Wheaton, Ill. For those in any business, such numbers are enough to make one’s head spin. Yet some in book publishing are just now waking to this

It’s a metamorphosis of the media. Book publishers with ad-supported content models traditionally donned by magazine publishers. Magazine publishers broadcasting live event coverage on their Web sites, and traditional broadcast news media directing consumers to their Web sites for supplemental content. The newest development on this front opens up a whole new can of worms. Amazon.com has crossed over into traditional media territory with its first online, video entertainment talk show. And I realized that not only is the media blurring into one behemoth information-blob, but the boundaries that separate the media from the rest of the world are even beginning to disappear. Amazon.com