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Pearson plans to keep stake in PRH 

Tuesday, 15 September 2015
Pearson is likely to maintain its stake in Penguin Random House (PRH) until at least 2017, according to statements from Pearson CEO John Fallon, reports Bloomberg Business. Speaking to Bloomberg TV...

Authors Guild survey reveals 24% drop in income

Monday, 14 September 2015
In the US, a new Authors Guild survey has found the median writing-related income of its members has declined 24% in the past five years, reports Publishers Weekly. According to...

Perseus exploring sale of business

Friday, 11 September 2015
In the US, Perseus Books Group (PBG) has hired investment banking firm Greenhill & Co to initiate ‘a formal process to explore a potential sale of the business’, reports Publishers...

Amazon appoints director of social responsibility

Thursday, 10 September 2015
Amazon has appointed a director of social responsibility amid recent criticism of its business practices, reports the Bookseller. Christine Bader, the author of The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: When...

Tel wins 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Wednesday, 9 September 2015
UK author Jonathan Tel has won the 2015 Commonwealth 2015 Short Story Prize for his story ‘The Human Phonograph’. The £5000 (A$10,987) prize is presented annually to the best piece...

Authors raise over £500,000 for Syrian refugees

Tuesday, 8 September 2015
A group of authors, led by Patrick Ness, have raised over £500,000 (A$1.1m) for Syrian refugees, reports the Bookseller. Ness launched the fundraising campaign on 3 September, pledging to match...

US publishers take part in staff diversity survey

Wednesday, 2 September 2015
In the US, more than 30 publishing houses, including Macmillan, Abrams, Lerner, Bloomsbury, and Chronicle have agreed to take part in the ‘Diversity Baseline’ survey, reports Publishers Weekly. The survey,...

German bookseller alliance launches ebook bestseller chart

Monday, 31 August 2015
The German bookseller alliance Tolino has introduced an ebook bestseller list, with data received from all alliance member stores, reports Publishing Perspectives. The list tracks ebooks that are traditionally published...

Amazon ebook deal with NYC schools postponed

Friday, 28 August 2015
In the US, New York City education officials have delayed a US$30m ($A41.7m) deal with Amazon for the company to provide students with ebooks after advocates highlighted the program would exclude...

Author Solutions lawsuit discontinued after out-of-court settlement

Wednesday, 26 August 2015
In the US, a lawsuit brought against Author Solutions, the self-publishing service provider owned by Penguin Random House, has been discontinued following an undisclosed out-of-court settlement, reports Publishers Weekly. The case was...

Scribd restricts access to audiobook content

Tuesday, 25 August 2015
In the US, ebook subscription service Scribd will restrict its audiobook content by introducing a two-tiered service, reports Publishers Weekly. Customers, who pay a monthly US$8.99 (A$12.55) membership fee, will...

Rahman, Benson win 2015 James Tait Black Prizes

Tuesday, 18 August 2015
In the UK, the winners of the James Tait Black Prizes for fiction and biography have been announced, with debut novelist Zia Haider Rahman winning the fiction prize for In...

Borghino appointed IPA secretary general

Tuesday, 18 August 2015
International Publishers Association (IPA) policy director José Borghino has been promoted to secretary general, replacing Jens Bammel in the position. Borghino was appointed policy director in 2013, after previous roles...

Harlequin boosts HarperCollins’ full-year sales results 

Friday, 14 August 2015
HarperCollins’ parent company News Corp has reported the publisher’s revenue and earnings rose in the fiscal year ending 30 June, reports Publishers Weekly. HarperCollins’ total global sales increased 16% to US$1.67bn (A$2.27bn) for...

Pearson sells the ‘Economist’

Thursday, 13 August 2015
Pearson has sold its 50% stake in the Economist Group for £469m (A$992m) to focus on its ‘global education strategy’, reports the Bookseller. The sale, which is split between two...

Anger at Holocaust romance novel’s award listings

Tuesday, 11 August 2015
In the US, an influential romance blogger has criticised the Romance Writers of America (RWA) for shortlisting a novel at its annual awards about the relationship between a Nazi officer and...

Ereader ownership increases to 28% in the UK 

Monday, 10 August 2015
In the UK, the number of people who own an ereader has increased by four percentage points in the past year to reach 28% of the population, reports GoodEReader. The statistics, taken...

New magazine to focus on international children’s literature

Monday, 10 August 2015
A new magazine focussing on international children’s literature will launch in 2016, reports Publishers Weekly. The Read Quarterly is co-founded by UK-based children’s book specialists, Sarah Odedina, young readers’ publisher...

Not the Booker Prize 2015 shortlist announced

Friday, 7 August 2015
The shortlist has been announced for this year’s Not the Booker Prize, which is run by the Guardian in the UK and voted on by the public. The shortlisted titles,...