The One-Minute Pitch: Free online class with NY Editor

Hi Everybody,

We wanted to alert you that there will be a FREE one-hour online class with New York Editor Stacey Barney, Saturday, September 13. Sign up for Stacey's FREE session, The One-Minute Pitch--Insider Insights from a New York Editor now. Space is limited! If you like it, you can stay for this outstanding editor's entire four-week course. Your choice! Our classes are live interactive audio webcasts with computer screen support!

Talk directly with these publishing pros About Your Writing, in the Unique
Interactive Authorlink Classroom!

• FREE CLASS, SEPT. 13: The One Minute Pitch--Insider Insights from a New York Editor
• Regular session starts September 20: Finding Your Voice

Instructor: Stacey Barney

Stacey Barney
Also watch VIDEO interview

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Bonnie Hearn Hill

Know What You Are Writing!
Best selling Thriller Author Shares Insights
in this VIDEO interview.

Advanced Novel Writing
Back by popular demand!
Now in progress. Eight-week course with intensive one-on-one private sessions
Instructor: Bonnie Hearn Hill
Best selling author of six thrillers for Mira
Watch for a new FREE class this fall.

Check out all classes!

Barnes & Noble Sales Decline in Second Quarter

Hi Everyone,

Second quarter financial results have just been announced by Barnes & Noble, and the report shows what probably will be a sustained decline in sales, not only for the second quarter, but in the third and fourth quarters as well. Here's our take on the report.

Barnes & Noble
Second Quarter
Sales Decline

NEW YORK, NY/8/21/2008--Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller, today reported sales and earnings for the second quarter ended August 2, 2008 have declined by 1.6% to $1.2 billion. The retailer attributed the loss largely to last year's record sales of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Barnes & Noble store sales decreased 1.6% to $1.1 billion, with comparable store sales decreasing 4.7% for the quarter. Barnes & Noble.com sales were $99.8 million for the quarter, a 3.6% comparable sales increase. Excluding prior year sales of the Harry Potter book, comparable sales decreased 1.5% in stores and increased 13.9% online.

Bestselling titles during the quarter included Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn, Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture, Lauren Weisberger's Chasing Harry Winston and David Wroblewski's The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.

Second quarter net earnings were $15.4 million or $0.27 per share.

For the third quarter, the company expects comparable store sales at Barnes & Noble stores to decline in the low single digits.

Based on first-half 2008 sales performance and current trends, the company is reducing its full-year comparable store sales guidance from slightly negative to a decrease in the low single digits.

As of August 2, 2008, the company operated 723 Barnes & Noble stores and 73 B. Dalton stores. During the second quarter, 10 Barnes & Noble stores were opened and four were closed. Ten B. Dalton stores were closed during the quarter.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. will report third quarter earnings on or about November 20, 2008.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller and a Fortune 500 company, operates 796 bookstores in 50 states. The company is the nation's top bookseller in quality, and for the fifth year in a row, the top bookseller brand, as determined by a combination of the brand's performance on familiarity, quality, and purchase intent, according to the EquiTrend® Brand Study by Harris Interactive®. Barnes & Noble conducts its online business through Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com), one of the Web's largest e-commerce sites.

Bookstore Sales Decline in June

Hi Everyone,

In the headlines this week (sneak preview below), bookstore sales were off for June but figures for the year are slightly up. A development that bears watching is whether publishers will start blocking suppliers from deep discounts on their products as the result of a court ruling. Also, watch the Book Depository. They are to the UK what Amazon is to the US, and in fact, they have ties to the giant American retailer.

PLEASE NOTE: Since we're sending this out in advance, some links may not be live just yet. If you encounter a broken link, please check back Thursday afternoon.

News Headlines
Thursday August 21, 2008
(updated each Thursday)

• Bookstore Sales Decline in June; Stay Up for Year

• Booksellers Angered Over Amazon's Jump on 'Obama' Sales

• Court Ruling May Help Publishers Block Cut-Rate Prices
  
  
• Twelve Bidders Vie for Reed Magazine Unit
  
  
• Marjorie Braman to Head Henry Holt as Editor-in-Chief
  
  

• Smith Named Managing Director of Book Depository

BN.com's Online CEO Resigns on Heels of Borders Re-launch

NEW YORK, NY/8/21/2008--Barnes & Noble Inc., the largest U.S. specialty bookseller, said on Tuesday that Marie J. Toulantis, the chief executive of its online business, has resigned, and E-Commerce vice president tom Burke and CFO Kevin Frain will assume her duties. Barnes & Noble said Toulantis, who has been with the company since 1997 and since 1999 as BN.com CEO, will remain as a consultant.

The shakeup comes only a week after rival Borders became public and launched a spectacular new web site. Reaction to Borders new site has been extremely favorable, and Barnes & Noble announced it would not be able to finance a long-rumored buyout of Borders.

"Barnes & Noble's decision not to bid reflects in part the tight lending markets that likely would make it difficult to arrange bank financing," according to Massachusettes investor and market analyst Todd Sullivan. "The retailer was also known to be concerned about the length of some of the leases that Borders has signed." he said.

Some PUblishers' Sales Looking Up

Hi Everybody,

Here's what's going on this week in the publishing world. See our news headlines below. Looks like some major publishers had a good first half of the year, while others sagged. You might be interested in borders new Video book Club. See the news link below. Also check out the new skill-building articles in our August edition, and also be sure to visit the site to see our video interview with bestselling author Christopher Reich, and other great columns. Also, don't forget to check out our FREE online classes, one August 16 with Bonnie Hearn Hill, and the other with New York Editor Stacey Barney, coming in September. See www.authorlink.com/classroom/classroom.php for details.

Skill Building
August 1, 2008

• Art of Fiction
  Crossing Disciplines
  Lisa Lenard Cook
  

• Your Life as Story: Writing Narrative Non Fiction
  Making Memoir From the Unexpected
  Lisa Dale Norton

• Op-Ed Writing
  Rochelle Jewel Shapiro

• Online Class: Advanced Novel Writing
  Bonnie Hearn Hill

• Online Class: Finding Your Novel's Voice
  New York Editor
  Stacey Barney

News Headlines
Thursday July 31, 2008
(updated each Thursday)

• Amazon Sales Soar 41%, Barons Warns of Stock Decline

• Penguin Achieves Strong Sales and Profits in First Half of 2008

• McGraw-Hill Income and Profits Decline in Second Quarter

• Hachette USA Shows Rapid Growth in Second Quarter

• Melton to Depart as Vice President of Baker & Taylor

• Borders Debuts New Video Book Club Episode