NEW YORK, NY/AUTHORLINK NEWS/9/30/2010--Ruth Reichl, James Beard Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author, and former Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet magazine, is joining the Random House imprint of the Random House Publishing Group as both author and in the newly created position of Editor-at- Large, it was announced today by Random House Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Susan Kamil.
The books she will author, which will be edited by Ms. Kamil, are two new works of nonfiction: a cookbook whose title, The Tao of Ruth, was inspired by Anthony Bourdain, and a memoir of her years at Condé Nast, the publisher of Gourmet, as well as her debut novel, DELICIOUS!
In her ten years at Gourmet, Reichl published a wide variety of writers who explored every aspect of food, from recipes to politics to culture. In her Random House capacity as Editor-at-Large, Reichl will continue to work with established and debuting authors who are expanding our food horizons. She will acquire, edit, and advise on the marketing of her list of books, with broad potential in a variety of print and digital-publishing formats. As Editor-at-Large, she reports to Susan Kamil.
Ruth Reichl began her career as the restaurant critic and food editor of San Francisco’s New West magazine. She went on to be the restaurant critic and food editor of the Los Angeles Times, and restaurant critic for The New York Times. She is the recipient of six James Beard awards. Reichl’s previous books include: Tender at the Bone, Comfort Me with Apples, Garlic and Sapphires, For You Mom, Finally, all New York Times bestsellers.
Ms. Kamil said, “I’m ecstatic to have Ruth as an author and a publishing colleague. In this one person there is a remarkable convergence of talent: Ruth is a brilliant storyteller and narrative writer, as well as an editor with the passion, knowledge, and intuitive understanding of what food lovers want to know. She will be an outstanding addition to Random House's publishing program.”
Commenting on her new position and her return to Random House, where her first books were published, Ms Reichl stated, “I’m especially excited to have the opportunity to participate in the future of food writing as both an author and a book editor. At Random House I'll have the opportunity to connect to food-lovers in print, and to participate in the ever-expanding digital world.”
Random House Publishing Group President and Publisher Gina Centrello said, “Ruth Reichl is one of today’s most beloved culinary writers. She has a sharp editorial eye for identifying talent and anticipating what is coming next. We are also very excited by the prospect of developing together book projects with digital components. I am thrilled to have her with us.”
The Random House Publishing Group is a division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Barnes & Noble Calls Yucaipa's Press Release Misleading
New York, NY/AUTHORLINK NEWS/September 24, 2010--Barnes & Noble, Inc. has responded to a press release issued earlier today by The Yucaipa Companies:
"Barnes & Noble has distributed materials from Yucaipa to its employees in full compliance with all regulatory requirements. Voting instructions supplied by both sides were distributed to employees by the Company. We have no intention of sending Burkle's insulting and misleading letter to our people. As for the letter itself, Burkle's shameless attempts to reinvent himself are contradicted by his long public record of shareholder abuse and vindictive litigation even against his own family. His latest smear proves only that he will stop at nothing in his continuing efforts to distract people from what we believe is his real agenda - gaining control of Barnes & Noble without paying a premium to other shareholders.
The Barnes & Noble Board of Directors urges that shareholders vote the WHITE proxy card FOR Barnes & Noble's three highly qualified nominees and AGAINST a shareholder proposal submitted by The Yucaipa Companies, to amend the Company's Shareholder Rights Plan. Barnes & Noble strongly urges shareholders to discard any gold proxy card sent by Mr. Burkle or Yucaipa."
Background:
On August 25, 2010, Barnes & Noble, Inc. ("Barnes & Noble") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a definitive proxy statement in connection with its 2010 Annual Meeting and has mailed the definitive proxy statement to its stockholders. The definitive proxy statement contains information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of Barnes & Noble's directors, its director nominees and certain of its officers that may be deemed, along with Barnes & Noble, to be participants in the solicitation of Barnes & Noble's stockholders in connection with its 2010 Annual Meeting. Security holders are urged to read the definitive proxy statement and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC when they become available, because they contain (or will contain) important information. Security holders may obtain a free copy of the definitive proxy statement and other documents (when available) that Barnes & Noble files with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, at Barnes & Noble's website at www.barnesandnobleinc.com and from Barnes & Noble by directing a request to Barnes & Noble, Inc., Attention: Investor Relations, 122 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10011.
"Barnes & Noble has distributed materials from Yucaipa to its employees in full compliance with all regulatory requirements. Voting instructions supplied by both sides were distributed to employees by the Company. We have no intention of sending Burkle's insulting and misleading letter to our people. As for the letter itself, Burkle's shameless attempts to reinvent himself are contradicted by his long public record of shareholder abuse and vindictive litigation even against his own family. His latest smear proves only that he will stop at nothing in his continuing efforts to distract people from what we believe is his real agenda - gaining control of Barnes & Noble without paying a premium to other shareholders.
The Barnes & Noble Board of Directors urges that shareholders vote the WHITE proxy card FOR Barnes & Noble's three highly qualified nominees and AGAINST a shareholder proposal submitted by The Yucaipa Companies, to amend the Company's Shareholder Rights Plan. Barnes & Noble strongly urges shareholders to discard any gold proxy card sent by Mr. Burkle or Yucaipa."
Background:
On August 25, 2010, Barnes & Noble, Inc. ("Barnes & Noble") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a definitive proxy statement in connection with its 2010 Annual Meeting and has mailed the definitive proxy statement to its stockholders. The definitive proxy statement contains information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of Barnes & Noble's directors, its director nominees and certain of its officers that may be deemed, along with Barnes & Noble, to be participants in the solicitation of Barnes & Noble's stockholders in connection with its 2010 Annual Meeting. Security holders are urged to read the definitive proxy statement and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC when they become available, because they contain (or will contain) important information. Security holders may obtain a free copy of the definitive proxy statement and other documents (when available) that Barnes & Noble files with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, at Barnes & Noble's website at www.barnesandnobleinc.com and from Barnes & Noble by directing a request to Barnes & Noble, Inc., Attention: Investor Relations, 122 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10011.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Banned Books Week 2010 Kicks Off on September 25
Washington, DC/AUTHORLINK NEWS/September 23, 2010—Members of the Association of American Publishers (AAP) are gearing up for the celebration of Banned Books Week, which will be observed this year from September 25 through October 2. A time to stop and appreciate our right as Americans to read and to think freely, this annual celebration was created in 1982 by the American Library Association, along with the American Booksellers Association and AAP, in response to the growing number of attempts to remove or restrict access to books in public and school libraries, classrooms and bookstores.
Among the activities planned by publishers to mark this year’s celebration:
Simon & Schuster is re-issuing a poster featuring a powerful “Manifesto” on censorship by author Ellen Hopkins. Hopkins is the popular Young Adult author whose invitation to speak at a teen literary festival in Texas was withdrawn after some members of the community voiced objections to the subject matter of her books. Her “dis-invitation” prompted other authors to withdraw and the event was subsequently cancelled. The poster can be found and downloaded at http://www.simonandschuster.com/admin_assets/3289_Banned_Broadside.pdf and will be made available in Chicago on September 25 at the ALA “Banned Books Readout.”
HarperCollins Children’s Books will commemorate Banned Books Week on their numerous social networks by implementing a social media outreach campaign targeting teens, teachers, librarians, bloggers and general media outlets. The Pageturn, their School & Library blog, will discuss Harper’s most frequently banned books and will also include links to discussion guides (where available) to provide tools for teachers and librarians who want to discuss banned books further with children and teens. HarperCollins Children’s will leverage their social networks on Twitter and Facebook to join in the Banned Books conversation. The Greenwillow Books blog, Under the Greenwillow, will also talk about censorship in featuring one of the most frequently challenged authors in America, Chris Crutcher, who will take part in the ALA Banned Books Read-Out in Chicago on September 25 and in a Banned Books event at the Chicago Public Library on September 27. Harper will also promote Crutcher’s appearances in Chicago and his Banned Books guide across their social networks.
Random House Children’s Books will mark Banned Books Week with a variety of events at their New York offices September 27-October 1. A dynamic toolbox site http://www.randomhouse.com/banned has been created to raise awareness of past and current banned and challenged books and to provide resources and strategies to support those who are fighting book challenges in their own communities. The site also features thoughts on censorship from Random House authors. For as long as supplies last, a free book that has been banned or challenged will be sent out during the week to anyone who posts the Random House Banned Books Awareness graphic, blogs, or tweets about Banned Books Week. They can be reached at firstamendment@randomhouse.com.
To engage educators across the country in a conversation about book banning, each school day during Banned Books Week the Random House Academic Marketing department will share notes from authors and organizations about challenges and triumphs in fighting censorship. The messages are being rolled out via Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/randomhousehighschool) Twitter (http://twitter.com/RHhighschool) and their blog (http://rhimagazine.com/)
Book challenges occur in all parts of our country and come from the entire spectrum of political and religious viewpoints. An updated map showing incidents and challenges in 2007-2010 illustrates just how pervasive book censorship is. The map was drawn from cases documented by the American Library Association and the Kids Right to Read Project, and can be found at:
http://bannedbooksweek.org/Mapofbookcensorship.html
For additional information, visit the Banned Books Week web site at: http://www.bannedbooksweek.orgthe/ Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’s more than 300 members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies. The protection of intellectual property rights in all media, the defense of the freedom to read and the freedom to publish at home and abroad, and the promotion of reading and literacy are among the Association’s highest priorities.
Among the activities planned by publishers to mark this year’s celebration:
Simon & Schuster is re-issuing a poster featuring a powerful “Manifesto” on censorship by author Ellen Hopkins. Hopkins is the popular Young Adult author whose invitation to speak at a teen literary festival in Texas was withdrawn after some members of the community voiced objections to the subject matter of her books. Her “dis-invitation” prompted other authors to withdraw and the event was subsequently cancelled. The poster can be found and downloaded at http://www.simonandschuster.com/admin_assets/3289_Banned_Broadside.pdf and will be made available in Chicago on September 25 at the ALA “Banned Books Readout.”
HarperCollins Children’s Books will commemorate Banned Books Week on their numerous social networks by implementing a social media outreach campaign targeting teens, teachers, librarians, bloggers and general media outlets. The Pageturn, their School & Library blog, will discuss Harper’s most frequently banned books and will also include links to discussion guides (where available) to provide tools for teachers and librarians who want to discuss banned books further with children and teens. HarperCollins Children’s will leverage their social networks on Twitter and Facebook to join in the Banned Books conversation. The Greenwillow Books blog, Under the Greenwillow, will also talk about censorship in featuring one of the most frequently challenged authors in America, Chris Crutcher, who will take part in the ALA Banned Books Read-Out in Chicago on September 25 and in a Banned Books event at the Chicago Public Library on September 27. Harper will also promote Crutcher’s appearances in Chicago and his Banned Books guide across their social networks.
Random House Children’s Books will mark Banned Books Week with a variety of events at their New York offices September 27-October 1. A dynamic toolbox site http://www.randomhouse.com/banned has been created to raise awareness of past and current banned and challenged books and to provide resources and strategies to support those who are fighting book challenges in their own communities. The site also features thoughts on censorship from Random House authors. For as long as supplies last, a free book that has been banned or challenged will be sent out during the week to anyone who posts the Random House Banned Books Awareness graphic, blogs, or tweets about Banned Books Week. They can be reached at firstamendment@randomhouse.com.
To engage educators across the country in a conversation about book banning, each school day during Banned Books Week the Random House Academic Marketing department will share notes from authors and organizations about challenges and triumphs in fighting censorship. The messages are being rolled out via Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/randomhousehighschool) Twitter (http://twitter.com/RHhighschool) and their blog (http://rhimagazine.com/)
Book challenges occur in all parts of our country and come from the entire spectrum of political and religious viewpoints. An updated map showing incidents and challenges in 2007-2010 illustrates just how pervasive book censorship is. The map was drawn from cases documented by the American Library Association and the Kids Right to Read Project, and can be found at:
http://bannedbooksweek.org/Mapofbookcensorship.html
For additional information, visit the Banned Books Week web site at: http://www.bannedbooksweek.orgthe/ Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’s more than 300 members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies. The protection of intellectual property rights in all media, the defense of the freedom to read and the freedom to publish at home and abroad, and the promotion of reading and literacy are among the Association’s highest priorities.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
New England Book Festival Entries Due in November
BOSTON, MASS/AUTHORLINK NEWS/September 21, 2010--The 2010 New England Book Festival will hold its annual awards ceremony on January 15, 2011 at the Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston for its annual competition honoring the best books of the holiday season.
One of the grand literary hotels of New England, the Omni is the former home of the famed "Saturday Club," where Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne and Longfellow met to discuss the literary achievements of the day.
The competition will accept entries in the following categories: non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, young adult, how-to, cookbooks, science fiction, photography/art, poetry, spiritual works, compilations/anthologies, gay, unpublished stories and wild card (for books that don't neatly fit elsewhere). All entries must be in English.
grand prize for the 2010 New England Book Festival winner is $1500 cash and a flight to the awards in Boston in January, 2011.
Submitted works will be judged by a panel using the following criteria:
1) General excellence and the author's passion for telling a good story.
2) The potential of the work to reach a wider audience.
FESTIVAL RULES: New England Book Festival submissions cannot be returned. Each entry must contain the official entry form, including your e-mail address and contact telephone number. All shipping and handling costs must be borne by entrants.
NOTIFICATION AND DEADLINES: We will notify each entry of the receipt of their package via e-mail and will announce the winning entries on our web site (www.newenglandbookfestival.com). Because of the anticipated high volume of entries, we can only respond to e-mail inquiries.
Deadline submissions in each category must be postmarked by midnight on November 25, 2010. Winners in each category will be notified by e-mail and on the web site. Please note that judges read and consider submissions on an ongoing basis, comparing early entries with later submissions at our meetings.
TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at www.newenglandbookfestival.com or may be faxed/e-mailed to you. Please contact our office at 323-665-8080 for fax requests. Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable entry fee of $50 in the form of a check, money order or PayPal online payment in U.S. dollars for each submission. Multiple submissions are permitted but each entry must be accompanied by a separate form and entry fee.
AWARDS: The New England Book Festival selection committee reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any project.
The 2010 New England Book Festival is part of the JM Northern Media family of festivals, which include the DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books, New York Book Festival and Hollywood Book Festival. The New England Book Festival is sponsored by The Larimar St. Croix Writers Colony, eDivvy, Shopanista and Westside Websites.
For more information: NewEnglandBookFest@sbcglobal.net
One of the grand literary hotels of New England, the Omni is the former home of the famed "Saturday Club," where Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne and Longfellow met to discuss the literary achievements of the day.
The competition will accept entries in the following categories: non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, young adult, how-to, cookbooks, science fiction, photography/art, poetry, spiritual works, compilations/anthologies, gay, unpublished stories and wild card (for books that don't neatly fit elsewhere). All entries must be in English.
grand prize for the 2010 New England Book Festival winner is $1500 cash and a flight to the awards in Boston in January, 2011.
Submitted works will be judged by a panel using the following criteria:
1) General excellence and the author's passion for telling a good story.
2) The potential of the work to reach a wider audience.
FESTIVAL RULES: New England Book Festival submissions cannot be returned. Each entry must contain the official entry form, including your e-mail address and contact telephone number. All shipping and handling costs must be borne by entrants.
NOTIFICATION AND DEADLINES: We will notify each entry of the receipt of their package via e-mail and will announce the winning entries on our web site (www.newenglandbookfestival.com). Because of the anticipated high volume of entries, we can only respond to e-mail inquiries.
Deadline submissions in each category must be postmarked by midnight on November 25, 2010. Winners in each category will be notified by e-mail and on the web site. Please note that judges read and consider submissions on an ongoing basis, comparing early entries with later submissions at our meetings.
TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at www.newenglandbookfestival.com or may be faxed/e-mailed to you. Please contact our office at 323-665-8080 for fax requests. Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable entry fee of $50 in the form of a check, money order or PayPal online payment in U.S. dollars for each submission. Multiple submissions are permitted but each entry must be accompanied by a separate form and entry fee.
AWARDS: The New England Book Festival selection committee reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any project.
The 2010 New England Book Festival is part of the JM Northern Media family of festivals, which include the DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books, New York Book Festival and Hollywood Book Festival. The New England Book Festival is sponsored by The Larimar St. Croix Writers Colony, eDivvy, Shopanista and Westside Websites.
For more information: NewEnglandBookFest@sbcglobal.net
Monday, September 20, 2010
Whidbey Island Writers Association Calls for Contest Entries
The Whidbey Island Writers Association, a program of the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, is calling for entries to its 2010 SPIRIT OF WRITING CONTEST. Deadline for entries is October 16 2010.
All Whidby Island Writers Association members, regardless of residence, are eligible.
Contest rules and entry forms are available at www.writeonwhidbey.com or in any Whidbey Island Sno-Isle branch library at Whidbey Island, Washington.
Categories are:
•FICTION (up to 2,500 words)
•POETRY (up to 32 lines)
•NONFICTION ESSAY (up to 1,200 words)
•MEMOIR (up to 1,200 words)
•CHILDREN'S LITERATURE (may be prose up to 2,500 words, poetry up to 32 lines, or picture book up to 32 pages.)
• All manuscripts are returned with judges’ comments.
Winners are announced in local media and posted in Sno-Isle libraries, and their work will appear in a soft-cover booklet, In the Spirit of Writing 2010.
Winners are invited to the 2011 Whidbey Island Writers Conference Authors’
The Grand Prize Winner will receive a full scholarship to the 2011 Whidbey Island Writers Conference, and the winning manuscript will appear in the nationally circulated literary magazine of the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, Soundings Review.
All Whidby Island Writers Association members, regardless of residence, are eligible.
Contest rules and entry forms are available at www.writeonwhidbey.com or in any Whidbey Island Sno-Isle branch library at Whidbey Island, Washington.
Categories are:
•FICTION (up to 2,500 words)
•POETRY (up to 32 lines)
•NONFICTION ESSAY (up to 1,200 words)
•MEMOIR (up to 1,200 words)
•CHILDREN'S LITERATURE (may be prose up to 2,500 words, poetry up to 32 lines, or picture book up to 32 pages.)
• All manuscripts are returned with judges’ comments.
Winners are announced in local media and posted in Sno-Isle libraries, and their work will appear in a soft-cover booklet, In the Spirit of Writing 2010.
Winners are invited to the 2011 Whidbey Island Writers Conference Authors’
The Grand Prize Winner will receive a full scholarship to the 2011 Whidbey Island Writers Conference, and the winning manuscript will appear in the nationally circulated literary magazine of the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, Soundings Review.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Indy Publishers Call for Ben Franklin Award Nominations
The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) announces that entries are now open for the 23rd annual Benjamin Franklin Awards™. Publishers of books copyrighted in 2010 may enter the competition, which includes fifty-six categories recognizing excellence in both editorial and design, and is regarded as one of the highest national honors in small and independent publishing.
Administered by IBPA with the help of more than 160 judges coming from the library, bookstore, reviewer, designer, publicity and editorial industry segments, the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards™ program is unique in that every entrant receives direct feedback in writing from the judges.
“Winning that award, and having my husband and kids there with me, is one of the most special moments of my life. I will never forget it…” – Janis Gioia, Butterfly Sky Press, Benjamin Franklin Award™ winner, Education/Teaching/Academic category for The Wolf Pack Classroom Management Plan.
Former IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award™ winners include publishers as large as Sourcebooks, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., BBC Audiobooks America and Interweave Press, and as small as Quiet Light Publishing, Celtic Sunrise and Sea Turtle Publishing. Winners will be announced at a gala event celebrating all of the recipients at the 2011 IBPA Publishing University, just prior to BookExpo America.
Founded in 1983, the Independent Book Publishers Association http://www.ibpa-online.org is the largest not-for-profit trade organization for publishers in the United States, serving more than 3000 book publishers of all sizes. IBPA's mission is to help independent publishers market their titles, to provide education on all aspects of publishing, and to act as an advocate for publishers' rights.
Administered by IBPA with the help of more than 160 judges coming from the library, bookstore, reviewer, designer, publicity and editorial industry segments, the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards™ program is unique in that every entrant receives direct feedback in writing from the judges.
“Winning that award, and having my husband and kids there with me, is one of the most special moments of my life. I will never forget it…” – Janis Gioia, Butterfly Sky Press, Benjamin Franklin Award™ winner, Education/Teaching/Academic category for The Wolf Pack Classroom Management Plan.
Former IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award™ winners include publishers as large as Sourcebooks, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., BBC Audiobooks America and Interweave Press, and as small as Quiet Light Publishing, Celtic Sunrise and Sea Turtle Publishing. Winners will be announced at a gala event celebrating all of the recipients at the 2011 IBPA Publishing University, just prior to BookExpo America.
Founded in 1983, the Independent Book Publishers Association http://www.ibpa-online.org is the largest not-for-profit trade organization for publishers in the United States, serving more than 3000 book publishers of all sizes. IBPA's mission is to help independent publishers market their titles, to provide education on all aspects of publishing, and to act as an advocate for publishers' rights.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Barnes & Noble CEO Urges Shareholders to Vote Against Burkle Plan
NEW YORK, NY/AUTHORLINK NEWS/September 16, 2010--Barnes & Noble, Inc. today announced that its Chief Executive Officer, William J. Lynch, Jr., has sent a letter to all Barnes & Noble shareholders in connection with the Company's Annual Meeting on September 28, 2010. The letter details the Company's strategy to grow its business and to create shareholder value.
The Barnes & Noble Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote the WHITE proxy card FOR Barnes & Noble's three highly qualified nominees and AGAINST a precatory shareholder proposal submitted by Ronald Burkle's investment vehicle, The Yucaipa Companies, to amend the Company's Shareholder Rights Plan. Barnes & Noble strongly urges shareholders to discard any gold proxy card sent by Burkle or Yucaipa.
The text of the letter follows:
September 16, 2010
Dear Fellow Shareholder:
As you may know, I joined Barnes & Noble in 2009 and was named Chief Executive Officer of your company in March of this year. I am enthusiastic about the opportunities that lie ahead for Barnes & Noble and its shareholders, and confident that you have a superior management team and Board of Directors working on your behalf.
While it's still early in the execution of our strategic plan, we feel confident (based on the initial positive results) that it's the right path to maximize shareholder value for you. The Company's strategic plan is based on the following objectives:
1.) Gain Share In Our Physical Retail Bookstore Business - The book industry and, in particular, the retail bookstore model, has been under significant pressure recently, both from macro-economic factors affecting all retail and also disruptive emerging technologies in digital reading. During this difficult and dynamic period for the industry, Barnes & Noble is focusing on continuing to deliver the best retail bookstore experience in the market*. Our analysis indicates an industry shake-out that will result in a consolidation of the physical book business based on the following dynamics:
a. Fewer bookstore competitors - It's clear there will be fewer bookstores in this country and as we continue to maintain the best real estate portfolio of locations and best run retail bookstore model, our stores will be the beneficiary of this consolidation. We love our bookstores and we intend to make them even better places to shop in the future.
b. Fewer stores selling books - approximately 50% of the $21 billion U.S. book business is transacted in non-book retail outlets such as mass merchants, as well as drug and mass discounters. As the physical book market contracts over the next four years, from approximately $21 billion to $19 billion**, we see many of these non-book retailers de-emphasizing the book category with greatly reduced shelf space and in some cases eliminating it all together. This will provide an opportunity for us.
Evidence of this shake-out already exists as our share gains from our largest physical bookstore competitors have accelerated in the last year. Today, the Company owns approximately 18% of the U.S book market, and we expect that figure to grow to 20-25% over the next three years.
2.) Establish B&N as a Top Retailer of Content in the Exploding Digital Market - Barnes & Noble was the first company to launch an eReading device, the "Rocketbook" in early 2000. By 2004, it became clear the Company was too early to the market. Since re-launching our eBookstore just over a year ago, every metric we track in the digital business is exceeding our expectations. In that brief 12-month period since we began selling digital content, we've gone from zero share to capturing over 20% of the digital trade book market - a higher share than the 18% we possess of the physical book market. Over the last two quarters, these eBook sales have been driving the growth of our BN.com business, generating over 50% year-over-year comparative revenue increases. Our early success in this emerging market can be primarily attributed to a few factors:
a. The competitive advantage of our stores and our 40,000 booksellers - Our stores and our booksellers have fueled the sales of NOOK devices and NOOK reading applications for PC, iPhone and other mobile devices. Having more than 700 of the best and most heavily trafficked retail locations combined with 40,000 committed and passionate booksellers, affords us the ability to hand-sell and educate millions of people interested in digital reading, in-person every day. For most customers, making sense of emerging technologies in digital media can be confusing - particularly early in the adoption curve. No one can match Barnes & Noble's high-touch consumer reach in the emerging digital reading market, and it's our best asset as we establish ourselves as a leader in this space.
b. Our Digital Catalog - At our core, we're purveyors of books, textbooks, magazines, newspapers and other forms of content, whether in physical or digital format. Our digital strategy is to deliver content in all forms, on multiple platforms, in-store, online and wirelessly to maximize the number of digital libraries powered by Barnes & Noble. For the last several years we've been investing heavily to convert books into digital format and amass our digital catalog of eBooks. We now own one of the top two saleable catalogs of digital in-copyright books in the world, and have contracts with thousands of publishers and authors to sell those works - an asset that will be an annuity for the Company far into the future. Barnes & Noble offers a selection of over one million books that can be read on NOOK digital reading software that supports over 400 mobile devices, including our own award-winning NOOK eBook Reader. Our promise to the customer is to offer the broadest selection of books in digital form and allow them to take their digital libraries with them wherever they go, on whatever device they are currently reading.
c. Our Digital Products team - Barnes & Noble has built a best-in-class management team with expertise in retail, e-commerce, technology and digital media. Over the last few years, we've added top managers and technologists from companies such as Microsoft, Palm, Adobe, Cisco, Apple, Motorola, Travelocity and Time Warner Digital in both our New York headquarters and our recently opened B&N Digital offices in Palo Alto, California. This is the most talented team I've ever worked with, and they are 100% focused on innovation in the digital reading space and driving shareholder value for you. The release of our NOOK Wi-Fi eBook Reader this year was touted as, "the best eReading product for under $149" by technology authority CNET, and you can expect more winning products from us in the near future.
While entering the digital content market has required significant investments from the Company in the form of sizable capital outlays and expenses, our early success has emboldened us. We are ahead of our plans, have quickly become the #2 retailer of digital books in the world, and have visibility to a digital business model delivering attractive profits and returns. Through our stores, booksellers, brand and publisher relationships, we combine a unique set of competitive advantages that will allow us to continue to succeed in this large emerging digital market. We expect to capture over 25% of the market for eBooks, eTextbooks and Digital Newsstand in total by 2013, projecting to over $1 billion in digital revenue for Barnes & Noble.
3.) Grow Share of the $12 Billion Textbook Market - Acquiring Barnes & Noble College Booksellers was a critical piece of our overall strategy. First, we were able to purchase the business for what we believe was a very attractive price and use its cash flows to help fund our digital investments and other operational needs. Just as important, by re-uniting the Barnes & Noble brand and owning the Barnes & Noble College assets, the Company has been able to roll out its new comprehensive offering of textbook solutions to a critical mass of students and faculty. In fact, in the most recent back-to-school season in August, Barnes & Noble is the only major retailer to offer college students textbooks in every available format - new, used, rental and digital - across both our online channels of BN.com and to more than four million students visiting our over 633 Barnes & Noble College Bookstores.
As with our consumer retail stores, the marketing reach that the physical College bookstores provide students gives us a large advantage over competitors as the market evolves. As an illustration, Barnes & Noble recently launched NOOKstudy(TM), a feature-rich digital textbook and study tool that lets college students manage all their digital content on their chosen computing devices. Launching NOOKstudy through our Barnes & Noble College channels has resulted in it being the most downloaded Digital Textbook Reader in this back-to-school rush period, three months after its launch.
Currently, we have approximately 15% of the $12 billion U.S. textbook market and we plan to grow that share. As the market fragments into these different formats of new, used, rental and digital, schools will find it increasingly difficult and costly to provide the content, logistics and technology required to service students and deliver course materials across the various formats. As a result, more and more they will outsource the management of their college bookstores. With our expertise and scale as a retail operator, combined with the sophisticated digital platforms and content catalogs we've built, we have positioned Barnes & Noble as the clear best-in-class partner for colleges and universities that want to modernize their offerings and offer students the maximum choice they will increasingly demand. And please remember that today's college students are tomorrow's big readers.
In summary, the Company competes in three very large and dynamic markets: the $23 billion consumer book market, the $12 billion textbook market and the $22 billion newsstand market. As the bookstore industry consolidates, and college bookstores increasingly outsource their operations, we see these markets becoming less fragmented and have solid plans to capture that business. In addition, we have empirical evidence that the exploding digital content market provides incremental opportunities for Barnes & Noble in all of these markets. While it's early in our implementation, our models indicate that we're on plan. I am confident, and you have over 40,000 Barnes & Noble booksellers working diligently every day to ensure, that the Company delivers for you.
In addition to asking for your support on our strategy, and of course your continued business in our stores, online at BN.com and with our NOOK digital products, I'd also respectfully ask you to support Barnes & Noble and vote the WHITE proxy card FOR your Board's highly qualified nominees and AGAINST the precatory shareholder proposal to amend the Shareholder Rights Plan. We greatly appreciate your support.
Very truly yours,
William J. Lynch, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer
The Barnes & Noble Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote the WHITE proxy card FOR Barnes & Noble's three highly qualified nominees and AGAINST a precatory shareholder proposal submitted by Ronald Burkle's investment vehicle, The Yucaipa Companies, to amend the Company's Shareholder Rights Plan. Barnes & Noble strongly urges shareholders to discard any gold proxy card sent by Burkle or Yucaipa.
The text of the letter follows:
September 16, 2010
Dear Fellow Shareholder:
As you may know, I joined Barnes & Noble in 2009 and was named Chief Executive Officer of your company in March of this year. I am enthusiastic about the opportunities that lie ahead for Barnes & Noble and its shareholders, and confident that you have a superior management team and Board of Directors working on your behalf.
While it's still early in the execution of our strategic plan, we feel confident (based on the initial positive results) that it's the right path to maximize shareholder value for you. The Company's strategic plan is based on the following objectives:
1.) Gain Share In Our Physical Retail Bookstore Business - The book industry and, in particular, the retail bookstore model, has been under significant pressure recently, both from macro-economic factors affecting all retail and also disruptive emerging technologies in digital reading. During this difficult and dynamic period for the industry, Barnes & Noble is focusing on continuing to deliver the best retail bookstore experience in the market*. Our analysis indicates an industry shake-out that will result in a consolidation of the physical book business based on the following dynamics:
a. Fewer bookstore competitors - It's clear there will be fewer bookstores in this country and as we continue to maintain the best real estate portfolio of locations and best run retail bookstore model, our stores will be the beneficiary of this consolidation. We love our bookstores and we intend to make them even better places to shop in the future.
b. Fewer stores selling books - approximately 50% of the $21 billion U.S. book business is transacted in non-book retail outlets such as mass merchants, as well as drug and mass discounters. As the physical book market contracts over the next four years, from approximately $21 billion to $19 billion**, we see many of these non-book retailers de-emphasizing the book category with greatly reduced shelf space and in some cases eliminating it all together. This will provide an opportunity for us.
Evidence of this shake-out already exists as our share gains from our largest physical bookstore competitors have accelerated in the last year. Today, the Company owns approximately 18% of the U.S book market, and we expect that figure to grow to 20-25% over the next three years.
2.) Establish B&N as a Top Retailer of Content in the Exploding Digital Market - Barnes & Noble was the first company to launch an eReading device, the "Rocketbook" in early 2000. By 2004, it became clear the Company was too early to the market. Since re-launching our eBookstore just over a year ago, every metric we track in the digital business is exceeding our expectations. In that brief 12-month period since we began selling digital content, we've gone from zero share to capturing over 20% of the digital trade book market - a higher share than the 18% we possess of the physical book market. Over the last two quarters, these eBook sales have been driving the growth of our BN.com business, generating over 50% year-over-year comparative revenue increases. Our early success in this emerging market can be primarily attributed to a few factors:
a. The competitive advantage of our stores and our 40,000 booksellers - Our stores and our booksellers have fueled the sales of NOOK devices and NOOK reading applications for PC, iPhone and other mobile devices. Having more than 700 of the best and most heavily trafficked retail locations combined with 40,000 committed and passionate booksellers, affords us the ability to hand-sell and educate millions of people interested in digital reading, in-person every day. For most customers, making sense of emerging technologies in digital media can be confusing - particularly early in the adoption curve. No one can match Barnes & Noble's high-touch consumer reach in the emerging digital reading market, and it's our best asset as we establish ourselves as a leader in this space.
b. Our Digital Catalog - At our core, we're purveyors of books, textbooks, magazines, newspapers and other forms of content, whether in physical or digital format. Our digital strategy is to deliver content in all forms, on multiple platforms, in-store, online and wirelessly to maximize the number of digital libraries powered by Barnes & Noble. For the last several years we've been investing heavily to convert books into digital format and amass our digital catalog of eBooks. We now own one of the top two saleable catalogs of digital in-copyright books in the world, and have contracts with thousands of publishers and authors to sell those works - an asset that will be an annuity for the Company far into the future. Barnes & Noble offers a selection of over one million books that can be read on NOOK digital reading software that supports over 400 mobile devices, including our own award-winning NOOK eBook Reader. Our promise to the customer is to offer the broadest selection of books in digital form and allow them to take their digital libraries with them wherever they go, on whatever device they are currently reading.
c. Our Digital Products team - Barnes & Noble has built a best-in-class management team with expertise in retail, e-commerce, technology and digital media. Over the last few years, we've added top managers and technologists from companies such as Microsoft, Palm, Adobe, Cisco, Apple, Motorola, Travelocity and Time Warner Digital in both our New York headquarters and our recently opened B&N Digital offices in Palo Alto, California. This is the most talented team I've ever worked with, and they are 100% focused on innovation in the digital reading space and driving shareholder value for you. The release of our NOOK Wi-Fi eBook Reader this year was touted as, "the best eReading product for under $149" by technology authority CNET, and you can expect more winning products from us in the near future.
While entering the digital content market has required significant investments from the Company in the form of sizable capital outlays and expenses, our early success has emboldened us. We are ahead of our plans, have quickly become the #2 retailer of digital books in the world, and have visibility to a digital business model delivering attractive profits and returns. Through our stores, booksellers, brand and publisher relationships, we combine a unique set of competitive advantages that will allow us to continue to succeed in this large emerging digital market. We expect to capture over 25% of the market for eBooks, eTextbooks and Digital Newsstand in total by 2013, projecting to over $1 billion in digital revenue for Barnes & Noble.
3.) Grow Share of the $12 Billion Textbook Market - Acquiring Barnes & Noble College Booksellers was a critical piece of our overall strategy. First, we were able to purchase the business for what we believe was a very attractive price and use its cash flows to help fund our digital investments and other operational needs. Just as important, by re-uniting the Barnes & Noble brand and owning the Barnes & Noble College assets, the Company has been able to roll out its new comprehensive offering of textbook solutions to a critical mass of students and faculty. In fact, in the most recent back-to-school season in August, Barnes & Noble is the only major retailer to offer college students textbooks in every available format - new, used, rental and digital - across both our online channels of BN.com and to more than four million students visiting our over 633 Barnes & Noble College Bookstores.
As with our consumer retail stores, the marketing reach that the physical College bookstores provide students gives us a large advantage over competitors as the market evolves. As an illustration, Barnes & Noble recently launched NOOKstudy(TM), a feature-rich digital textbook and study tool that lets college students manage all their digital content on their chosen computing devices. Launching NOOKstudy through our Barnes & Noble College channels has resulted in it being the most downloaded Digital Textbook Reader in this back-to-school rush period, three months after its launch.
Currently, we have approximately 15% of the $12 billion U.S. textbook market and we plan to grow that share. As the market fragments into these different formats of new, used, rental and digital, schools will find it increasingly difficult and costly to provide the content, logistics and technology required to service students and deliver course materials across the various formats. As a result, more and more they will outsource the management of their college bookstores. With our expertise and scale as a retail operator, combined with the sophisticated digital platforms and content catalogs we've built, we have positioned Barnes & Noble as the clear best-in-class partner for colleges and universities that want to modernize their offerings and offer students the maximum choice they will increasingly demand. And please remember that today's college students are tomorrow's big readers.
In summary, the Company competes in three very large and dynamic markets: the $23 billion consumer book market, the $12 billion textbook market and the $22 billion newsstand market. As the bookstore industry consolidates, and college bookstores increasingly outsource their operations, we see these markets becoming less fragmented and have solid plans to capture that business. In addition, we have empirical evidence that the exploding digital content market provides incremental opportunities for Barnes & Noble in all of these markets. While it's early in our implementation, our models indicate that we're on plan. I am confident, and you have over 40,000 Barnes & Noble booksellers working diligently every day to ensure, that the Company delivers for you.
In addition to asking for your support on our strategy, and of course your continued business in our stores, online at BN.com and with our NOOK digital products, I'd also respectfully ask you to support Barnes & Noble and vote the WHITE proxy card FOR your Board's highly qualified nominees and AGAINST the precatory shareholder proposal to amend the Shareholder Rights Plan. We greatly appreciate your support.
Very truly yours,
William J. Lynch, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
New England Book Festival Awards Due in January
BOSTON, MASS/AUTHORLINK NEWS/September 7, 2010--The 2010 New England Book Festival will hold its annual awards ceremony on January 15, 2011 at the Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston for its annual competition honoring the best books of the holiday season.
One of the grand literary hotels of New England, the Omni is the former home of the famed "Saturday Club," where Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne and Longfellow met to discuss the literary achievements of the day.
The competition will accept entries in the following categories: non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, young adult, how-to, cookbooks, science fiction, photography/art, poetry, spiritual works, compilations/anthologies, gay, unpublished stories and wild card (for books that don't neatly fit elsewhere). All entries must be in English.
Our grand prize for the 2010 New England Book Festival winner is $1500 cash and a flight to the awards in Boston in January, 2011.
Submitted works will be judged by a panel using the following criteria:
1) General excellence and the author's passion for telling a good story.
2) The potential of the work to reach a wider audience.
FESTIVAL RULES: New England Book Festival submissions cannot be returned. Each entry must contain the official entry form, including your e-mail address and contact telephone number. All shipping and handling costs must be borne by entrants.
NOTIFICATION AND DEADLINES: We will notify each entry of the receipt of their package via e-mail and will announce the winning entries on our web site (www.newenglandbookfestival.com). Because of the anticipated high volume of entries, we can only respond to e-mail inquiries.
Deadline submissions in each category must be postmarked by midnight on November 25, 2010. Winners in each category will be notified by e-mail and on the web site. Please note that judges read and consider submissions on an ongoing basis, comparing early entries with later submissions at our meetings.
TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at www.newenglandbookfestival.com or may be faxed/e-mailed to you. Please contact our office at 323-665-8080 for fax requests. Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable entry fee of $50 in the form of a check, money order or PayPal online payment in U.S. dollars for each submission. Multiple submissions are permitted but each entry must be accompanied by a separate form and entry fee.
AWARDS: The New England Book Festival selection committee reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any project.
The 2010 New England Book Festival is part of the JM Northern Media family of festivals, which include the DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books, New York Book Festival and Hollywood Book Festival. The New England Book Festival is sponsored by The Larimar St. Croix Writers Colony, eDivvy, Shopanista and Westside Websites.
One of the grand literary hotels of New England, the Omni is the former home of the famed "Saturday Club," where Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne and Longfellow met to discuss the literary achievements of the day.
The competition will accept entries in the following categories: non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, young adult, how-to, cookbooks, science fiction, photography/art, poetry, spiritual works, compilations/anthologies, gay, unpublished stories and wild card (for books that don't neatly fit elsewhere). All entries must be in English.
Our grand prize for the 2010 New England Book Festival winner is $1500 cash and a flight to the awards in Boston in January, 2011.
Submitted works will be judged by a panel using the following criteria:
1) General excellence and the author's passion for telling a good story.
2) The potential of the work to reach a wider audience.
FESTIVAL RULES: New England Book Festival submissions cannot be returned. Each entry must contain the official entry form, including your e-mail address and contact telephone number. All shipping and handling costs must be borne by entrants.
NOTIFICATION AND DEADLINES: We will notify each entry of the receipt of their package via e-mail and will announce the winning entries on our web site (www.newenglandbookfestival.com). Because of the anticipated high volume of entries, we can only respond to e-mail inquiries.
Deadline submissions in each category must be postmarked by midnight on November 25, 2010. Winners in each category will be notified by e-mail and on the web site. Please note that judges read and consider submissions on an ongoing basis, comparing early entries with later submissions at our meetings.
TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at www.newenglandbookfestival.com or may be faxed/e-mailed to you. Please contact our office at 323-665-8080 for fax requests. Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable entry fee of $50 in the form of a check, money order or PayPal online payment in U.S. dollars for each submission. Multiple submissions are permitted but each entry must be accompanied by a separate form and entry fee.
AWARDS: The New England Book Festival selection committee reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any project.
The 2010 New England Book Festival is part of the JM Northern Media family of festivals, which include the DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books, New York Book Festival and Hollywood Book Festival. The New England Book Festival is sponsored by The Larimar St. Croix Writers Colony, eDivvy, Shopanista and Westside Websites.
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Literary Revenge Lies Behind J.A. Jance's Bestselling Thrillers
Authorlink Audio Interview: J.A. Jance on Literary RevengeNew York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance, hailed as the undisputed mistress of the mystery novel, talks to Authorlink about her newest novel, Queen of the Night, a multilayered thriller set in the breathtaking Arizona desert that connects and devastates three separate families.
With more than 15 million copies of her books in print, how exactly did Jance follow her lifelong dream of becoming a novelist to become an incredible success?
When her agent couldn't sell her very first novel, what did she do? Fire the agent or fire her manuscript? Listen in.
She reveals the story behind what she calls her "literary revenge" and gives some practical advice for writers trying to break into publishing.
See the full story and interview plus many more interviews like this at http://www.authorlink.com/
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Borders Second Quarter Slumps, Web Sales Soar
ANN Arbor, MICH/AUTHORLINK NEWS/September 1, 2010--Borders Group today reported an 11.5% decline in sales in the second quarter ending July 31, 2010, compared to a year ago. Comparable store sales declined 6.8% over the previous year, but sales on its web site, Borders.com, soared 56.2% for the period to $15.5 million.
The company generated a loss from continuing operations in the second quarter of $51.6 million for the same period a year ago.
"While we continue to succeed in strengthening our financial structure, we are highly focused on driving profitable sales and increasing market share," said Mike Edwards, CEO of Borders. "Based on extensive consumer research, we are doing a number of things to excite our customers going into the critical holiday shopping season, including launching our new Borders Rewards program, which includes the new paid Borders Rewards Plus. Recognizing that online and digital will be a significant part of our business moving forward, we are focused on increasing our share of the eBook market by growing our digital offerings to position Borders as the preferred destination for digital reading. Yet as we grow our online and digital business, we cannot underestimate the importance of our brick and mortar presence. This will be top of mind as we work on improving the in-store experience by shifting our product mix to include additional non-book products that are both compelling and relevant, and providing an escape for our customers though an inspirational in-store environment and consistent customer service."
Expanding Digital, Online and Social Media
The company is leveraging its strong brand recognition among book lovers -- particularly its millions of Rewards members -- to position Borders as the preferred destination for both digital content and devices. Borders' recently launched eBook store has been well received by customers. The company is now offering six e-reading devices including the Kobo eReader, Aluratek "Libre" eBook Reader Pro, Velocity Micro Cruz(TM) Reader and Velocity Micro Cruz(TM) Tablet as well as two Sony devices. Sales of the Kobo as well as pre-orders for the Aluratek and Velocity Micro devices have exceeded expectations. The company expects to announce additional devices in the coming weeks.
The company announced this week that it had lowered the price of the Kobo unit to $129.99 and the Libre Pro to $99.99, which will make it among the most aggressively priced devices in the industry. Borders will complete its digital initiative with the roll out of its Area-e digital shops, which will conclude in early October. The shops will provide let customers experience a variety of different eReaders, guided by knowledgeable staff, who can demonstrate the devices and answer questions.
"Borders is now an industry authority on digital content and devices," said Edwards. "We offer a large assortment of eReaders at price points that fit with most budgets and we are exploring adding new devices and brands in the fourth quarter as part of our device neutral strategy. As our newly launched eBook store and mobile apps gain traction, we believe we hold a strong growth position within a digital ecosphere that is rapidly evolving and expanding."
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