Pearson Company

Book Publishing in Boston
July 1, 2013

In many ways, Boston's publishing industry is a mirror on the iconic city. Though relatively small, the city and its publishing are known for history; for being a center for academics, thought and innovation; and for being a hub of independence and rebellion that triggers change. In these times of rapid transition in the industry, Boston just might be the place to see big changes happen in publishing.

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.

Penguin Random House merger expected to be completed in July following approval in China
June 3, 2013

The merger of Penguin and Random House is expected to be completed next month, following the approval of the proposed merger by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce  this week. Penguin parent company Pearson said in a statement that MOFCOM ‘has cleared the planned merger ... without conditions’ and that Pearson and Random House parent company Bertelsmann now ‘expect to close the transaction in July’.

Book Publishers Poised for M&A, Says Providence Equity's Napack
May 31, 2013

The book industry, rattled by the surge in e-book sales through online retailers, is poised for consolidation, said Brian Napack, a former Macmillan president and senior advisor at Providence Equity Partners.

"We're in a major battle right now for the future of the industry," Napack said Wednesday at BookExpo America, the industry's annual convention held at the Javits Center in New York. "It will be very difficult for the existing major players to stand alone in the face of growing scale because they are competing for the same authors and competing for the same distribution channels. There are only so

Pearson's Penguin Settles States' Ebook Antitrust Claims
May 22, 2013

Pearson Plc’s Penguin unit said it reached a $75 million settlement of antitrust claims by 33 states and consumers over electronic-book pricing.

Penguin, which was sued last year for allegedly participating in a conspiracy with other publishers and Apple Inc. (AAPL) to fix the price of e-books, announced the settlement in a statement today. The company resolved related claims with the U.S. Justice Department in December.

IDPF Digital Book 2013 Reveals an All-Star Lineup
May 15, 2013

New York, NY, May 8, 2013 – From May 29-30, 2013, the best minds in digital publishing will convene in the Javits Center in New York City for the highly-anticipated, perennially sold-out at IDPF Digital Book 2013 conference (http://idpf.org/db13). This year’s theme, Advancing Publishing in a Digital World, has already drawn an enormous crowd, with seats expected to sell out soon.

Some featured speakers and session insights include:

  • Otis Chandler, Co-founder and CEO of Goodreads will share an update and tackle questions from the crowd, including: what’s next for Goodreads now that it’s owned by Amazon? What does the recent sale mean for the 17 million members, 530 million books and 23 million reviews?
  • Malcolm Gladwell, bestselling author and staff writer for The New Yorker will speculate on the digital future with Brad Stone, Bloomberg Businessweek writer and author of the upcoming The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Microsoft's Nook Media buy would give it e-book heft
May 9, 2013

Microsoft is reportedly interested in buying the digital assets of Barnes & Noble's Nook Media for $1 billion. But analysts are divided over whether the deal makes sense.

Microsoft already has a 16.8% equity stake in the Barnes & Noble subsidiary, which includes the bookseller's digital book and college book businesses. Microsoft invested $300 million in Nook Media in April 2012, valuing the new company at $1.7 billion at the time. Microsoft and Barnes & Noble completed their strategic partnership last October. Education and news publisher Pearson  subsequently took a 5% stake

The Penguin Random House Book Powerhouse Is Coming Very Soon
April 26, 2013

 It was not so many months ago, in October of last year, when we learned that publishers Random House and Penguin would merge, per their parent companies Bertelsmann and Pearson. Today it appears that the merger is on schedule, and may even happen more quickly than anticipated, reports Crain's Matthew Flamm: An internal memo went out to Penguin staffers Friday morning in which Penguin Group CEO John Makinson said the merger will close early in the second half of the year. So, soon!