Disney

Naples Tapped to Head Disney Books; Gonzales to Succeed Naples at Rodale
February 12, 2016 at 2:28 pm

Disney Publishing Worldwide has named Mary Ann Naples as v-p and publisher of its Disney Book Group. Naples was most recently senior v-p and publisher at Rodale, and she will be succeeded there by Gail Gonzales, who is being promoted from within, having been v-p and associate publisher at the house. In her new role,…

Understanding the Complex World of Star Wars Publishing
December 15, 2015 at 2:10 pm

Do you know your ‘ABY’ from your ‘G-canon’? How are you with ‘retroactive continuity’ (‘retcon’)? What are ‘Infinities’? What is the EU? (clue: it has nothing to do with Brussels) and what were ‘the returns of the Jedi’? To step into the world of Star Wars publishing is to enter a very particular universe, one…

Subscription Services Strike Back
October 23, 2015 at 2:42 pm

Despite Oyster’s recent closure, subscription models are far from dead. On Wednesday, two companies announced new multimedia subscription platforms. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt shared news of its Curious World platform, a subscription service that provides interactive learning to children through ebooks, videos, and games. Disney too made headlines with the launch of its DisneyLife platform, a…

Stop The Presses: Disney Tells Court About The Importance Of The Public Domain
March 20, 2015

It's not often you see Disney out there defending the public domain -- and the importance of keeping it vibrant and supported by new things. However, that seems to be (sort of) what Disney is, in fact, arguing in a Supreme Court case known as Kimble v. Marvel. There are, of course, a bunch of caveats here. First, it's a patent case, not a copyright case. Second, it's Marvel, not technically "Disney," but Marvel is wholly owned by Disney.

Amazon’s Bezos Gambles Consumers Won’t Budge Amid Supplier Spats
August 15, 2014

Jeff Bezos is betting consumers are so hooked on Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN:US)'s easy shopping and fast delivery that they won't revolt even as negotiations with suppliers make it harder to find some items on the site.

Amazon's chief executive officer is gambling on shoppers like Paul Shi, 23, who signed up for the company's Prime fast-shipping service two years ago. Shi, a New York resident who buys products ranging from flip flops to used books on Amazon, said he's keeping his spending patterns the same even

Lagardere Reports Hit to Hachette US Ebook Sales
August 1, 2014

Hachette Book Group's e-book sales declined as a proportion of its overall business in the first half of 2014, and the impact of the Amazon/Hachette Book Group dispute may have contributed, Dominique D'Hinnin, co-managing partner of Lagardere SCA, has said. In the US, net sales of e-books were down to 29% of trade net sales as against 34% at end-June 2013 in what the company called a "zero growth digital market". 

Disney Partners with Bestselling Children's Authors for New Star Wars Adaptations
April 18, 2014

Disney Publishing Worldwide will release four new children's books tied to the original Star Wars film trilogy, starting in October 2014. Authors Tom Angleberger (The Strange Case of Origami Yoda), Tony DiTerlizzi (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Adam Gidwitz (A Tale Dark & Grimm), and R.J. Palacio (Wonder) are reinterpreting the original Star Wars saga storylines in advance of the December 2015 release of the next Star Wars film, Episode VII.


L.A. Times Book Prize Finalists
February 20, 2014

The finalists for the 34th annual L.A. Times Book Prizes were announced Wednesday morning: 50 books in 10 categories are in the running to win the L.A. Times Book Prizes, to be awarded in April. Two authors will receive special recognition: John Green with the Innovators Award and Susan Straight with the Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement.

Ebook Subscription Service Oyster Teams Up with Disney And Rolls Out Kids’ Vertical
February 13, 2014

Oyster, the New York-based startup that aims to be the Netflix for ebooks, has added about 100 titles from Disney Publishing to its service and is rolling out a new children's vertical Wednesday.

Oyster, which launched last September, charges $9.95 per month for unlimited access to a library of over 100,000 in-copyright ebooks and has iPhone and iPad apps. (The company hasn't publicly updated that 100,000 figure since launch.) Android apps are slated for later this year.

DreamWorks Animation Launches Children's Books Imprint
February 11, 2014

DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. is diversifying into children's books, creating a publishing unit that this year will issue titles based on such DreamWorks movies as "Kung Fu Panda" and "Madagascar."

DreamWorks Press, which will publish books in print and digital form, is the latest part of an effort by the animation studio to diversify beyond the high-risk movie business. Previous steps involved theme parks, a consumer-products business and the acquisition of an online video network.