Regnery to Move to Perseus Distribution
Effective next May 1, Regnery Publishing, the conservative house long
distributed by National Book Network--and one of its major clients--will be distributed by Perseus
Distribution Services.
Marji Ross, president and publisher of Regnery, said the publisher
"chose to go with Perseus because of the focus and energy of their
management team and the state-of-the-art systems they have developed."
Jeff Carneal, president of Eagle Publishing, which owns Regnery,
acknowledged the contributions of "the hard-working team at NBN" in the
company's growth and stated that with Perseus
"we hope to enlarge our reach and expand our success even further."
Regnery, which was founded in 1947, has garnered more than 25 New York Times
bestsellers in the past five years. Its authors include Newt Gingrich,
Peggy Noonan, William F. Buckley, Jr., Laura Ingraham and David
Limbaugh.
The deal with Regnery marks yet another major move by Perseus, which this summer
bought Consortium Book Sales and Distribution and last year bought CDS,
which is the core of the newly named Perseus Distribution Services.
Perseus president and CEO David Steinberger called Regnery's decision
"gratifying" and said that Perseus's "mission is to support and work
with a range of independent publishers." He stressed, too, that under
Perseus's model, each of the companies it owns or partners with or has as a client is
"encouraged to have its own identity, to be independent and grow," as
has been the case with PublicAffairs, Basic Books, Running Press and Da
Capo, for example. "We see Consortium in that spirit, too," Steinberger
continued. "It's very important to keep and build the Consortium
identity."
Perseus will continue to expand. "We're very
much a growing successful organization," Steinberger said. "This is another step
for us and we're looking for other steps. We feel we're in vibrant part
of market--there are a lot of exciting opportunities working with
independent publishers."
Regnery to Move to Perseus Distribution
Notes: BookSense.com Adds E-Books; If I Did It Didn't Sell
BookSense.com booksellers will be able to sell e-books in Palm,
Adobe and Microsoft formats beginning sometime next year as the result
of an agreement between the American Booksellers Association and Ingram
Digital Ventures, Bookselling This Week reported.
"The association has taken a wait-and-see approach to e-books over the
past several years, but we feel now is the right time," BookSense.com
director Len Vlahos said. "We're particularly happy to be working with
Ingram Digital Ventures, as this also positions us to participate in
the Caravan Project."
Early next year, the Caravan Project (Shelf Awareness,
April 3, 2006), organized by Peter Osnos, will
begin a pilot project under which books from six publishers will be
available in hardcover, paperback, e-book and audiobook versions. The
e-book and audiobook versions will also be available for download in
their entirety or in chapters. The Project is also considering making
available a large-print POD version.
---
They Didn't Do It After All.
Yesterday's item about Nielsen Bookscan reporting the sale of some 100 copies of If I Did It, the cancelled book by O.J. Simpson, first mentioned in Media Bistro's Galley Cat,
turns out to have been highly misleading. HarperCollins informed us
that the matter involved an account erroneously reporting pre-pub orders for
the book that were never filled, not actual sales of the book.
---
More on the flap over Jimmy Carter's Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.
Kenneth Stein, who resigned from the Carter Center earlier this week
alleging unspecified factual errors and copied parts in the book,
yesterday gave a few details. According to the Los Angeles Times, he said that "at least two maps" in the book were "unusually similar" to maps in a 2004 book about the Middle East.
Simon & Schuster publisher David Rosenthal said the house stands
behind the book--and added, "the fact that there has been a divided reaction to
it is not surprising."
---
As soon as this spring, Barnes & Noble will take over
management of the Minot State University Bookstore, Minot, N.D.,
according to the Minot Daily News.
The deal runs for five years, with the option to renew another five
years, and foresees a minimum payment to the school of $175,000.
B&N will remodel the bookstore, expand the retail area and likely
run a café. Current bookstore employees will keep their jobs at the
same salary and be able to either stay state employees or become
B&N employees.
The school contracted with B&N, an administrator said, because
B&N should be able to improve bookseller training, offer better
online services support and stock a wider selection of both new and used
books.
---
Barnes & Noble yesterday reiterated that it will
delay filing its third-quarter report because of the ongoing
investigation of stock option practices, the AP reported. Once the
review by outside legal counsel is finished, the company will "as soon
as practicable" file its report with the SEC.
---
Bookmans Entertainment Exchange, which has six stores
in Arizona that buy and sell all kinds of media, particularly books,
will lose the lease on its Grant Road store in Tucson in two years, the
Tucson Citizen
reported. The store wants to find another site with at least 20,000
square feet of space, but for now has ruled out a downtown location.
Notes: BookSense.com Adds E-Books; If I Did It Didn't Sell
Holiday Hum: Events Aplenty at Clinton Book Shop
Each year the Victorian-era town of Clinton, N.J., pays tribute to
Charles Dickens on the two days after Thanksgiving with events that
include thespians in the street acting out scenes from
A Christmas Carol,
horse-drawn carriage rides, roasted-chestnut vendors, a visit from
Father Christmas, and other festivities. "It's the kickoff to the
holiday season," said Clinton Book Shop proprietor Harvey Finkel.
In addition to participating in events sponsored by the Clinton Guild,
among them Dickens Days and an upcoming Candlelight Night, Finkel is
hosting an extensive roster of in-store gatherings this month.
The store holds events year-round, but there are several reasons Finkel
plans an ambitious line-up in December. One is to increase foot traffic
in the store during the holiday shopping season. Another is the
opportunity to send out press releases and garner mentions of the store
in local publications. And it's also a chance for authors to sign
stock. "People buy autographed books like crazy at the holidays," said
Finkel, who expects the titles promoted by author appearances to be
among the season's top sellers.
These include
The Mr. & Mrs. Happy Handbook: Everything I Know about Love and Marriage by Steve Doocy (who will appear at the store with Mrs. Doocy),
Home to Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani,
A Bit of Earth: Preserving Childhood, History, and a Sense of Place by Gordon Thomas Ward and the coffee table books
The Bridges of Central Park and
Hunterdon: A Celebration of Communities.
On December 14, the evening of the town's Candlelight Night
celebration, the Clinton Book Shop will host two local writers at an
open-house style reception: Vince Cardarelli, author of
Toward Serenity: Strategies to Attain Emotional Stability, and John Gattuso, editor of
Talking to God: Portrait of a World at Prayer.
A surprise to Finkel is that the store's bestselling trade paperback this year is a debut novel by a local, unknown author,
The Richest Season
by Maryann McFadden, who has had two signings at the Clinton Book Shop
and will be back in January to visit with the store's book club.
As for other books proving popular for gift-giving, it's a mixture of bestsellers and handsells, Finkel said.
The River of Doubt by Candice Millard,
Manhunt by James L. Swanson,
Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides and
From Baghdad, With Love by Jay Kopelman are some of his handselling favorites. He cites
From Baghdad, With Love's heartwarming and uplifting story as a particular draw.
The books in the Weird N.J. series are a hit with customers no matter
the time of year, Finkel said, "and they do even better at the
holidays."
Merry Christmas, Curious George is the frontrunner in the popular children's holiday book category.
Bad President is merchandised on the counter next to the humorous
Bush Cards: The Second Term,
and the small size of both items makes them popular choices for
stocking stuffers. "And we're in a Republican territory here," noted
Finkel.
Tonight the Clinton Book Shop is gearing up for Ladies Night Out with
romance authors Eloisa James, Kathleen O'Reilly and Dee Davis. To
inspire holiday shopping, the store will offer "surprise discounts." At
the register, customers draw a slip of paper from a bowl and receive
the designated percentage off their purchases. The quarterly Ladies
Night Out events, which always feature several authors, draw about 70
attendees, many of them repeat customers. Along with hors d'oeuvres and
desserts, "we provide wine," said Finkel, "which could be a
draw."--
Shannon McKenna
Holiday Hum: Events Aplenty at Clinton Book Shop
The Book Sense/NAIBA List
The following were the bestselling titles during the week ended Sunday,
December 3, at member bookstores of the New Atlantic Independent
Booksellers Association as reported to Book Sense:
Hardcover Fiction
1. For One More Day by Mitch Albom (Hyperion, $21.95, 1401303277)
2. Cross by James Patterson (Little, Brown, $27.99, 0316159794)
3. The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman (HarperCollins, $26.95, 0060563451)
4. Next by Michael Crichton (HarperCollins, $27.95, 0060872985)
5. Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf, $25.95, 0307262995)
6. The View From Castle Rock by Alice Munro (Knopf, $25.95, 1400042828)
7. Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon (Penguin Press, $35, 159420120X)
8. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks (Warner, $24.99, 0446528056)
9. Wild Fire by Nelson DeMille (Warner, $26.99, 044657967X)
10. Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier (Random House, $26.95, 0375509321)
11. Treasure of Khan by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler (Putnam, $27.95, 0399153691)
12. What Is the What by Dave Eggers (McSweeney's, $26, 1932416641)
13. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky (Knopf, $25, 1400044731)
14. The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud (Knopf, $25, 030726419X)
15. Echo Park by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown, $26.99, 0316734950)
Hardcover Nonfiction
1. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama (Crown, $25, 0307237699)
2. I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron (Knopf, $19.95, 0307264556)
3. You: On a Diet by Michael F.Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet C.Oz, M.D. (Free Press, $25, 0743292545)
4. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson (Broadway, $25, 076791936X)
5. Palestine by Jimmy Carter (S&S, $27, 0743285026)
6. I Like You by Amy Sedaris (Warner, $27.99, 0446578843)
7. The Innocent Man by John Grisham (Doubleday, $28.95, 0385517238)
8. The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (Houghton Mifflin, $27, 0618680004)
9. Marley & Me by John Grogan (Morrow, $21.95, 0060817089)
10. Joy of Cooking (75th Anniversary Edition) by Irma S. Rombauer,
Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker (Scribner, $30, 0743246268)
11. French Women for All Seasons by Mireille Guiliano (Knopf, $24.95, 0307265234)
12. Point to Point Navigation by Gore Vidal (Doubleday, $26, 0385517211)
13. Culture Warrior by Bill O'Reilly (Broadway, $26, 0767920929)
14. The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (Penguin Press, $26.95, 1594200823)
15. Thunderstruck by Erik Larson (Crown, $25.95, 1400080665)
Trade Paperback Fiction
1. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (Penguin, $14, 0143037145)
2. Snow by Orhan Pamuk (Vintage, $14.95, 0375706860)
3. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (Random House, $13.95, 0812968069)
4. Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan (Ballantine, $14.95, 034546401X)
5. The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult (Washington Square, $15, 074349671X)
6. March by Geraldine Brooks (Penguin, $14, 0143036661)
7. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (Norton, $13.95, 0393328627)
8. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead, $14, 1594480001)
9. The Lighthouse by P.D. James (Vintage, $13.95, 0307275736)
10. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (Grove, $14, 0802142818)
11. On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Penguin, $15, 0143037749)
12. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (Back Bay, $15.99, 0316154547)
13. Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Vintage, $11.95, 1400095948)
14. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (Washington Square, $14, 0743454537)
15. Limitations by Scott Turow (Picador, $13, 0312426453)
Trade Paperback Nonfiction
1. Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama (Three Rivers, $14.95, 1400082773)
2. The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2007 by World Almanac (World Almanac, $12.99, 0886879957)
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Scribner, $14, 074324754X)
4. Bad President by R.D. Rosen, Harry Prichett, Rob Battles and James Friedman (Workman, $8.95, 0761146202)
5. 1491 by Charles C. Mann (Vintage, $14.95, 1400032059)
6. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (S&S, $19.95, 0743270754)
7. The Old Farmer's Almanac by Old Farmer's Almanac (Old Farmer's Almanac, $6.95, 1571983902)
8. Zagat Survey: New York City Restaurants 2007 (Zagat, $14.95, 1570068151)
9. The River of Doubt by Candice Millard (Broadway, $14.95, 0767913736)
10. Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8 by Rachael Ray (Clarkson Potter, $19.95, 1400082560)
11. Teacher Man by Frank McCourt (Scribner, $15, 0743243781)
12. The Places in Between by Rory Stewart (Harvest, $14, 0156031566)
13. The Onion Presents Homeland Insecurity edited by the Onion staff (Three Rivers, $18.95, 030733984X)
14. The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt (Penguin, $15, 0143036939)
15. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (Vintage, $14.95, 0375725601)
Mass Market
1. The Cell by Stephen King (Pocket, $9.99, 1416524517)
2. S Is for Silence by Sue Grafton (Berkley, $7.99, 0425212696)
3. The Christmas Thief by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark (Pocket, $7.99, 0743272250)
4. The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury (Signet, $9.99, 0451219953)
5. Mary, Mary by James Patterson (Warner, $9.99, 0446619035)
6. Death and Judgment by Donna Leon (Penguin, $7.99, 0143035827)
7. Turning Angel by Greg Iles (Pocket, $9.99, 0743454162)
8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Warner, $6.99, 0446310786)
9. Forever Odd by Dean R. Koontz (Bantam, $7.99, 0553588265)
10. False Impression by Jeffrey Archer (St. Martin's, $9.99, 0312939779)
Children's Titles
1. The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13) by Lemony Snicket,
illustrated by Brett Helquist (HarperCollins, $12.99, 0064410161)
2. Eragon by Christopher Paolini (Laurel-Leaf, $6.99, 044023848X)
3. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd (HarperCollins, $7.99, 0694003611)
4. Your Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton (Workman, $6.95, 0761143726)
5. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (HarperCollins, $16.95, 0060254920)
6. Blizzard of the Blue Moon (Magic Tree House #36) by Mary Pope
Osborne, illustrated by Sal Murdocca (Random House, $11.95, 0375830375)
7. Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser (HarperCollins, $15.99, 0060542098)
8. Pirateology by Captain William Lubber (Candlewick, $19.99, 0763631434)
9. Mommy? by Arthur Yorinks, Maurice Sendak (Michael Di Capua, $24.95, 0439880505)
10. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss (Random House, $14, 0394800796)
11. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, illustrated by Eric Carle (Holt, $7.95, 0805047905)
12. Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne,
illustrated by Sal Murdocca (Random House, $3.99, 0679824111)
13. Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (Candlewick, $15.99, 0763622621)
14. Who Will Guide My Sleigh Tonight? by Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by David Biedrzycki (Cartwheel, $5.99, 0439853699)
15. The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, #5) by Eoin Colfer (Miramax, $16.95, 0786849568)
[Many thanks to Book Sense and NAIBA!]
The Book Sense/NAIBA List
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