B&N Buys Fictionwise
Barnes & Noble has acquired Fictionwise, the independent e-book retailer, for $15.7 million. Fictionwise was founded in 2000 by Steve and Scott Pendergast, who will continue to head the company. Fictionwise will be part of B&N's overall digital strategy, which includes the launch of an e-bookstore later this year. Last month, PW reported that B&N had plans to open an e-bookstore sometime in March; the company had no comment at the time.
HCI Cuts 35
HCI Communications has laid off 35 people, mainly in its manufacturing/production segment, which prints its own titles as well as titles for outside publishers. No cuts came in the editorial and sales sides of the business, a spokesperson said, and HCI has made no cuts in its title output.
Random Buys Ten Speed
Random House has acquired Ten Speed Press. The Berkeley, Calif.—based publisher of What Color Is Your Parachute? will become part of the Crown Publishing Group; its editorial, marketing, publicity, design and production staff will remain in California. Distribution of Ten Speed will switch to Random May 1; the company currently handles its own distribution. Under its four imprints, Ten Speed Press, Celestial Arts, Crossing Press and Tricycle Press, the company publishes more than 100 new hardcovers and trade paperbacks annually and has a backlist of more than 1,000 active titles.
Borders Cuts Store Staff
After cutting more than 150 corporate jobs earlier this year, Borders eliminated 742 positions throughout its superstores and in some of its Waldenbooks Specialty outlets last week, about 3% of its workforce. At its 516 superstores, Borders cut 679 jobs, mostly at the manager and supervisor levels; all general manager spots were retained. At its 385 Walden outlets, 63 positions were eliminated in a variety of management and supervisory roles, although no GM spots were cut.
Nelson Tries NelsonFree
Thomas Nelson has launched NelsonFree, a program that allows readers to receive content in multiple formats without making multiple purchases. With NelsonFree, the price of the hardcover book includes both the audio download and the e-book. The first two NelsonFree titles will go on sale later this month, and another 10 Nelson titles will be added to the program before the end of the year. Nelson said it will not raise the cost of the hardcovers in the program.
Amazon Adds iPhone App
Amazon has become the latest company to create an app that will let consumers download e-books to their iPhones and iPods. Its new Kindle for iPhone and iPod Touch software will provide access to all e-books available on the Kindle.
Weisbach Launches Firm
Rob Weisbach, former president and CEO of Miramax Books, has launched his own management company, Rob Weisbach Creative Management. Calling the company a “new generation management company,” Weisbach will represent clients' works in the literary, TV and film worlds while also training them for media coverage.
Obituary: Stanley Greenfield, 83
Stanley Greenfield, longtime executive at Ziff-Davis and founder of Nicholas Publishing and Dial-A-Book, died March 1 after a long illness. He would have turned 84 on March 5. A graduate of Harvard Business School, Greenfield joined magazine publisher Z-D in 1955 and went on to found the reference publisher Nicholas Publishing. He was one of the first publishers to go to China. His last business, Dial-A-Book, provides excerpts to online retailers and wholesalers.
