2022 Year in Review
The brightest sparks of the year.
DOJ v PRH
Speculation begins on new potential buyers for Simon & Schuster
Parent company Paramount may seek or prefer a buyer that doesn’t require yet another review by the Department of Justice.
Simon & Schuster lets the Penguin Random House deal fall apart
PRH’s journey to acquire Simon & Schuster has come to an end.
IMHO: The DOJ vs PRH Decision Reflects Our Socio-Political Moment
A judge ruled that Penguin Random House cannot acquire Simon & Schuster, opening the door to similar government cases that can prove harm to workers rather than consumers.
Overlooked at the DOJ vs PRH trial: romance publishing
Editor and critic Ann Kjellberg has written an article discussing how the romance genre was largely written off or ignored during the anti-trust trial.
Publishers Lunch releases an ebook, The Trial, about the DOJ vs PRH trial
The ebook presents comprehensive day-by-day coverage and insider analysis, plus full public testimony and much more.
Marketing Math: Penguin Random House’s 2 Percent Gambit
Big publishers can leverage smaller marketing spend to greater effect than smaller publishers.
About That “One Dozen Copies” Statistic: NPD BookScan Helpfully Clarifies
NPD analyst Kristen McLean provided context for the allegation that half of the trade titles published each year sell fewer than a dozen copies.
IMHO: The Gatekeepers Have No Clothes
The unpredictable and subjective nature of publishing can look like incompetence to those outside the industry.
IMHO: The US Government Doesn’t Think Independent Publishing Matters
Publishing paths outside the Big Five are considered distinctly unattractive by the Department of Justice in its pre-trial brief.