Feb 24 2012
Friday News and Deals: Harlequin Deals, Barnes & Noble Quarterly Results
News
JK Rowling has been writing, but it’s not another kids book but one for adults. She says in a statement included in a press release:
“Although I’ve enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series, which has been published so brilliantly by Bloomsbury and my other publishers around the world. The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry’s success has brought me, and with that new territory it seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher. I am delighted to have a second publishing home in Little, Brown, and a publishing team that will be a great partner in this new phase of my writing life.”
Publishers are getting into the movie business:
While books long have been prime source material for movies (six of this year’s nine best picture Oscar nominees started as books), publishers traditionally have not participated in the development process or shared in the profits. Scholastic and Little Brown, for instance, make money from Harry Potter and Twilight only through book sales, not their billion-dollar box office.
But that’s changing. Facing financial pressures from everything from the rise of self-published e-books to Amazon’s move to become a publisher, Random House and another “big six” publisher, Macmillan, have set up in-house film divisions to bolster their bottom lines.
Barnes & Noble’s 3d quarter net income falls despite increases in sales from nooks and retail book sales.
- Revenue from Nook e-readers and its digital catalog rose 38 percent to $542 million. That includes the actual selling prices for e-books, rather than the commission received on selling them, as well as all deferred e-reader device revenue. The company estimates it has a 27 percent to 30 percent share of the U.S. e-book market.
- Traditional book sales rose 4 percent in the quarter.
I recommend watching this short video. The story behind it is thus. A guy named kivakid went on reddit to ask for help on obtaining the next book of the Harry Turtledove series for his best friend who has terminal cancer. The book doesn’t come out until June and kivakid said his friend might not make it. The reedit community hooked kivakid up and Del Ray sent an early copy of the book to kivakid to give to his friend. Even better, Harry Turtledove agreed to talk to the terminally ill cancer patient and spoil the entire series for him. The internet may be about porn and gifs and bad behavior, but it is also about bringing people closer together and celebrating the joy of reading.
Deals
- Winning Over the Rancher by Mary Brady * $1.24 * A | BN | K | S
- His Bride by Design by Teresa Hill * $1.35 * A | BN | K | S
- How to Tempt a Duke by Kasey Michaels * $1.47 * A | BN | K | S
- Bachelor Dad by Roxann Delaney * $1.77 * A | BN | K | S
- Haunted by Heather Graham * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
- The CEO’s Secret Baby (Harlequin Romantic Suspense) by Karen Whiddon by Karen Whiddon * $2.27 * A | BN | K | S
- The Harbor by Carla Neggers * $2.7 * A | BN | K | S
- Bound by Honor by Diana Palmer * $2.7 * A | BN | K | S
- Expecting a Miracle by Jackie Braun * $2.74 * A | BN | K | S
- Tucker’s Claim by Sarah McCarty * $2.8 * A | BN | K | S
- Prelude to Scandal by Delilah Marvelle * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
- McKettrick’s Luck by Linda Lael Miller * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
- The Texan’s Bride by Linda Warren * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
- Hidden Summit by Robyn Carr * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
- Almost a Christmas Bride by Susan Crosby * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
Send to Kindle
Feb 24, 2012 @ 12:15:10
Wow. That video really touched my heart.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 12:17:48
Magic 8 Ball says: Bad idea.
In this alternate, but too real future, the Big 6 will see movie theater chains as their sole and only customers and will not allow theaters to discount prices for their films for early-bird viewings, matinees, Seniors or school programs. There will be no secondary film market, so those discount theaters of second-run films are SOL. Then Apple will open movie theaters that sell only their movies at full price, no discounting ever, and will insist that any film company wanting to offer movies will have to fall in line. Amazon, who won’t have theaters, will then refuse to offer for sale or on-line viewing any movie made by the Big 6 or Apple. Big 6 will wonder why movie ticket sales are off and will blame it all on viewers who obviously are pirates and suitable only for chain gangs.
I’ve read the book, I do not need to see this movie.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 12:21:01
What’s this wet stuff leaking out of my eyes?
There was another awesome reddit story a few weeks ago. A man had been attacked with a machete while defending an orphanage against intruders. Someone posted about it on reddit asking for donations to build a fence around the orphanage. They needed $2,000 dollars. The got $70,000.
The internet can be awesome.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 12:23:24
@MrsJoseph: Yeah, Del Ray.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 13:03:57
Now that I’ve watched the video and sort of pulled myself together, railing against the publishing industry seems so very unimportant. One-on-one, person-to-person, we are capable of greatness.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 13:10:55
Thanks for the video. It is easy to get caught up in the crap, but there’s a lot of good out there. And for a dying wish to be finding out what happens next in a story… damn. Okay, off to find tissues.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 14:05:57
The video was amazing…thanks for posting that. Hats off to that kid, to the editors and people who made it happen and to Harry Turtledove. How cool is that.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 14:10:08
I cant watch the video right now, but story is very touching. Squeeak, I am so reading whatever new novel JKR wrote, Harry Potter fanatic in me is so happy :)
Feb 24, 2012 @ 15:06:40
(sniffle, sniffle) Thanks for sharing the video… it really pulls the heartstrings.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 15:17:23
Thanks for sharing. That was really touching. Hope the friend pulls through…
Feb 24, 2012 @ 15:34:03
Ack, that video made me cry so hard.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 15:34:05
@MarieC: The friend has terminal cancer. Key word: terminal.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 16:17:39
Did anyone else read the letter kivakid attached to his Reddit post? So heartbreaking that the terminally ill boy also lost his dad in the past year. I’m glad he has such a good friend and that the folks on Reddit and at Del Rey as well as Harry Turtledove made this happen.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 16:41:36
That’s one awesome friend.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 17:17:58
@Darlynne: And then all the authors will start making their own indie movies.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 17:40:38
Crap. That video — I’m choking on tears. Good lads.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 18:30:34
I think my favourite part of that video is the first awkward boy-hug, followed by the longer hug towards the end.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 21:10:00
The video was amazing. There was just blind euphoria at first, then you can almost see the exact moment where the reality of what his friend has done for him hits him and he’s overcome again.
Good on Del Ray and Harry Turtledove. A spark of humanity in the world, and with no hesitation on their parts.
I was a Turtledove fan already–Household Gods, co-written w/ Judith Tarr, is one of my all-time favorite books–but this makes me like him even more.
Feb 24, 2012 @ 21:23:33
With so much bad stuff put out about publishers and authors lately it’s nice to see this hugely positive story. Never read a Harry Turtledove book before, but I think I’ll give one a try.
Feb 25, 2012 @ 03:00:32
Ah, the publishers dream up another way to make money that isn’t getting selling books people want to read at a price they want to pay.
Feb 25, 2012 @ 10:55:47
Interesting to see that Amazon has also dropped the price on the PB version of Kasey Michaels’ book to $1.55, and several of the other books on the deals list have similarly low-priced PBs. An attempt to see which one sells better at the lower price, perhaps?
Feb 26, 2012 @ 02:46:51
That video is awesome.