PRH Still Upbeat Despite Sales Slip
Though sales at Penguin Random House
fell 1.4% across the world in the first half of 2020, U.S. sales rose 5.2% for the period, giving CEO Markus Dohle hope. Canadian publishers also have a reason to be optimistic, as
book sales have rebounded from big losses due to Covid-19 earlier this year. In legal news, a federal judge
has cracked down on KISS Library, a notorious e-book piracy website, effectively closing down the site; and the judge in the lawsuit against Internet Archive has set a
tentative schedule for hearing motions and a possible trial. Filmmaker Naz Riahi
released 'Sincerely, Erik,' a fictional paean to bookselling during the pandemic. Finally, in Scotland, the director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which ran from August 15-31 and was entirely virtual this year, tells
The Bookseller that it
created a new "community" and events were viewed 210,000 times.
First Half Sales Slipped 1.4% at PRH
A good performance in the U.S. plus higher digital and online sales helped to soften the blow of the Covid-19 pandemic across Penguin Random House's global operations in the first half of 2020, parent company Bertelsmann said.
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Judge Issues Sweeping Order Against E-book Piracy Operation
A federal judge in Washington has issued a preliminary injunction against a major e-book piracy operation known as the KISS Library, after the operators of the site failed to show up at a hearing or to file any response to a lawsuit filed in July by the Authors Guild, Amazon Publishing, Penguin Random House, and a number of bestselling authors.
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Canadian Book Sales Recover from Covid-19 Dip
The last eight weeks of book sales in Canada have been better than the corresponding period in 2019 and the market is slowly making up for sales lost earlier in the year due to the Covid-19 crisis, says BookNet Canada's CEO Noah Genner.
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Extermination or War
In the Capitol, the corrupt Grand Inquisitor hatches a plot to kill every man, woman, and child in all of Lok. He claims the genocide will be swift and without complication. Nothing is farther from the truth. Ashok Vadal and his allies seek refuge from the corrupt Law but they will not wait meekly. If it’s war the Capitol wants, Vadal will be all too willing to give it to them.
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Win 'Tour de Force'
Historical Novel
Award-winning author Judithe Little joins Books on Tap
Live Sept. 2 to discuss her new novel, 'The Chanel Sisters,' a remarkable story of two ambitious, indomitable women who rose from poverty to create one of the world’s most iconic fashion houses. Enter to win a copy, and join us on Facebook Live or YouTube at 4 PM EDT/1 PM PDT. Get all the details!
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Covid-19 Industry Impacts
Job Moves
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Jess LaGreca
formerly Design Coordinator at Simon & Schuster,
has joined Farcountry Press as Graphic Designer and can be contacted at jess@farcountrypress.com.
Bookstore News
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click here to read
ShelfTalker, our children's bookselling blog.
Picture of the Day
Gabriela Cabezón Cámara's 'The Adventures of China Iron' (Charco Pres) was a finalist for the Booker International Prize and, though the British small press did not win, staff and other publishing professionals associated with the book celebrated with a Zoom watch party last week. (Photo: Caroline Casey)
