Publishers Weekly - August 15, 2022

92 Pages·2022·59.2 MB·English

The long-awaited third
collection from New York
Times bestselling and Eisner
Award-winning cartoonist
ASAF HANUKA!
“Often obtuse but always heartbreaking,
{Asaf} Hanuka’s work is a diverse and
fascinating portrait of what life truly
makes us.”
—Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review
The Eisner Award-winning series of Asaf
Hanuka’s one-page autobiographical
weekly comics returns to captivate, inspire,
and challenge readers, translated from
Hebrew by Yardenne Greenspan and
lettered by AndWorld Design.
Through scenes both real and imagined, the
acclaimed Israeli cartoonist examines the
joys (and pitfalls) of parenting in a politically
divisive world and the ongoing struggle
to manifest art even as real life humor and
pathos keeps getting in the way.
The internationally acclaimed and Hugo
Award-nominated cartoonist’s beautifully
drawn stories about self, family, society, and
everything in between conjure a deeply rich
and unforgettable reading experience.
THE REALIST: THE LAST DAY ON EARTH (BOOK 3) • 9781684158379
$24.99 US/$32.99 CA • 128 Pages • HC • Ages 16+ • 8/9/22
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THE REALIST ™ & © 2012 Asaf Hanuka & Steinkis. All Rights Reserved. WWW.BOOM-STUDIOS.COM
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Put Your
Volume 269 August 15,
Number 34 2022
ISSN 0000-0019 Finger
F
E AT U R E S
22
Welcome Home on the
New design and decor titles are as much about sentiment as shiplap.
30
The Great Nerdification Pulse
The crossover between tabletop gaming, comics, and book publishing
is intensifying.
40
An American Lafayette
Reza Aslan’s latest unearths the story of a young Christian missionary
who joined a revolution in Iran.
of Publishing
N
E W S
6 Round Two
The government wrapped up its presentation in its case against PRH’s
acquisition of S&S last week, giving the defense its turn.
7 Print Sales Dip in Early August
Unit sales of print books fell 2.1% in the week ended August 6 from
the similar week last year, with big gains in adult fiction and a strong
showing in YA not enough to offset losses in other categories.
8 Half Price Books at 50
With 121 stores, the Texas-based company has firmly established
itself as the nation’s third-largest bookstore chain.
10 Brian Murray on HarperCollins’s Fiscal 2022
After the release of HC’s year-end results, the CEO talks rising
costs, supply chain issues, and Amazon Prime’s Tolkien adaptation.
12 Deals
HarperOne buys a book about a French art historian who tracked
down looted artworks during WWII, Del Rey takes on a reimagining
of MacBeth from Lady MacBeth’s perspective, and more.
14 From the Archive
We look back at our 1992 interview with David McCullough, who
died August 7 at age 89.
Editorial Cover © Suesan Stovall
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from British publishers for delivery within ing Tracy Carns. SeniorReviews Editor Peter Cannon
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Reviews Editors: David Adams, Phoebe Cramer,
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News
Round Two
The government concluded its presentation in its case against PRH’s
acquisition of S&S last week, giving the defense its turn
T
he Department of Justice wrapped up its argu- against PRH’s argument that it is a made-up category that
ments Wednesday in its antitrust suit aimed at is irrelevant to the industry. He pointed to Publishers
stopping Penguin Random House’s purchase of Marketplace’s deal ranking system and noted that both
Simon & Schuster, and attorneys for PRH and PRH and S&S use the $250,000 mark as a cutoff point for
S&S began to mount their defense of the acquisition that major deals. He then explained how a PRH-S&S merger would
afternoon. The highlights of the government’s case last give the combined company such a large market share among
week were the testimony of Don Weisberg and Brian Murray, top-selling authors that, theoretically, it would depress
CEOs of Macmillan Publishers and HarperCollins, respec- advances paid to those authors. According to Hill’s analysis,
tively, as well as that of economist Nicholas Hill, the DOJ’s PRH and S&S would have a combined market share, among
expert witness. anticipated top-selling authors, of around 49% (PRH’s 37%
Weisberg and Murray agreed that the combination of plus S&S’s 12%)—well above HC’s 22%.
PRH would be bad for business. “Less competition is going In his cross-exmaination, defense attorney Randy Oppen-
to change the dynamic,” Weisberg said. “Two of the major heimer attempted to undermine the foundations of Hill’s
players becoming one... The prices, the advances, the type models and seemed to succeed to some extent, though Pan
of competition at the auctions—I think it’ll have impact also reminded Oppenheimer multiple times, after questions
across the board.” about issues specific to book publishing, that Hill was an
For his part, Murray said he does not believe that con- expert on economics, not on the book business. In particular,
solidation from five big publishers to four would be anti- the cross-exam brought to light that, though more than half
competitive in itself, but that a combined PRH and S&S would of the acquisitions Hill studied for his model were bilateral
be. He added that excluding HC’s HarperCollins Christian negotiations between publishers and agents/authors, he
Publishing Group and Harlequin, PRH is three times the size did not factor those in when looking at the impact the PRH-
of HC’s trade business and is its major competitor. He also S&S merger would have on advances. Rather, he focused on
acknowledged that HC, which lost out in the bidding for S&S, auctions in his model, the “second-score auction model,”
would still be interested in acquiring the publisher should which predicts that authors will be harmed by the merger if
the PRH merger be blocked. PRH and S&S “are the first- and second-highest bidder for
Weisberg also called PRH Macmillan’s top competitor, that author” in an auction whose result is determined by
and he dismissed the defense’s contention that Amazon the second-highest bidding party dropping out.
Publishing and self-publishing pose threats to the major Pan asked why Hill’s model did not include bilateral nego-
publishers. During Weisberg’s testimony, Judge Florence tiations if they are more common methods of acquisition,
Pan asked him about “the other 98%” of books, as opposed and Hill’s response was, in effect, that it couldn’t. He couldn’t
to those going for more than $250,000 at auction, which the create either a “first-price auction” model or an “omnibus”
government has focused on throughout the case. “The differ- model that would predict what would happen in the event
ence is primarily at the financial level,” Weisberg replied. of a PRH-S&S merger, he explained.
Perhaps in an effort to bolster the government’s case that
books with advances above this price point constitute a The defense takes the lead
dedicated submarket, he added, “It’s a different business.” The first witness called by the PRH-S&S defense team on
Weisberg’s feelings on the merger dovetailed with the Wednesday was Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, literary agent and
conclusions of Hill, who took the stand to run through the a board member at William Morris Endeavor, and other
data-driven portion of the DOJ’s case. Hill defended the agents figured prominently in Thursday’s defense witness
government’s creation of a category composed of authors list, as well. Walsh noted that agents are “honor bound to act
whose books each fetch an advance of $250,000 or more in the best interests of our clients.” Those interests include
6 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ■ AUGUST 15, 2022
The Weekly Scorecard
News
Print Sales Dipped in
Early August
finding the “perfect match” between author and editor
in an industry that she said is all about relationships. A double-digit increase in adult fi ction sales and gains in
YA were not enough to off set declines in adult nonfi ction
In her view, the proposed merger would not change
and the juvenile categories, leading to a 2.1% drop in unit
competition in publishing; “If S&S were to disappear,”
sales of print books in the week ended Aug. 6, 2022, from
she asserted, “there would still be people wanting to
the week comparable week last year, at outlets that report
edit and publish great books.” to NPD BookScan. Adult fi ction was the industry bright spot,
The three agents who appeared Thursday—Elyse with sales rising 13.1%. Colleen Hoover managed to place
seven books among the top 10 fi ction titles, led by It Ends
Cheney, Gail Ross, and Andrew Wylie—agreed with
with Us, which was #1 in the category, selling more than
Walsh that there is more to a
105,000 copies. Altogether, those seven books sold about
book deal than the size of the
378,000 copies. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune had
advance but expressed a differ- its best week since its release in May, selling nearly 21,000
ent view of the future of S&S copies, putting it in ninth place on the category ch art. The
top new release was One Piece, Vol.100 by Eiich iro Oda,
than Walsh, in that they believe
which sold more than 13,000 copies, landing it in 17th place
S&S won’t disappear but will
on the adult fi ction list. Young adult fi ction sales rose 12.7%
thrive as part of PRH. In closing
in the week. Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw
her testimony, Ross said she was the top book in the category, selling close to 39,000
“always thinks of ‘publishing copies in its fi rst week. The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer
Elyse Lynn Barnes was another new release that had a good week,
business’ as an oxymoron,” add-
Cheney
selling more than 7,000 copies—good enough for ninth place
ing that the “understaffed” S&S
on the category list. Adult nonfi ction sales dropped 7.4%.
needs “an infusion of PRH structure” in order to prosper.
Atomic Habits by James Clear was #1 again on the category
In response to a question from the government, Cheney list, selling more than 20,000 copies. The Complete Cook’s
said that when considering a deal, she cares less about Country TV Show Cookbook had the best showing among
new titles, selling more than 10,000 copies.
advances and marketing budgets than about reputation
overall. “In general, PRH has made a real commitment
TOTAL SALES OF PRINT BOOKS
(in thousands)
to books over a long period of time,” she explained.
AUG. 7, AUG. 6, CHGE CHGE
“Whereas a company like S&S that is shareholder driven
2021 2022 WEEK YTD
cannot develop the same tools as a company like PRH Total 14,141 13,845 -2.1% -5.8%
and could, postmerger.”
Wylie, who said his agency “doesn’t conduct auctions,” UNIT SALES OF PRINT BOOKS BY CATEGORY (in thousands)
said he believes a merger would have “a positive result” AUG. 7, AUG. 6, CHGE CHGE
2021 2022 WEEK YTD
for his clients, noting that the highest advances he’s
Adult Nonfi ction 5,338 4,943 -7.4% -10.1%
negotiated have been with Big Five publishers, “because
Adult Fiction 3,590 4,061 13.1% 6.7%
I think they have the broadest talent editorially, they
Juvenile Nonfi ction 1,241 1,075 -13.4% -10.0%
are generally well financed, and their production and
Juvenile Fiction 3,093 2,824 -8.7% -7.6%
distribution is expert.”
Young Adult Fiction 601 677 12.7% -0.9%
In calling Jennifer Bergstrom, publisher of S&S’s
Young Adult Nonfi ction 73 77 4.7% -2.1%
Gallery Books group, to testify on Wednesday, the
defense team seemed to be looking to reinforce the point
UNIT SALES OF PRINT BOOKS BY FORMAT
(in thousands)
that Hill’s models that rely on auctions leave out the
AUG. 7, AUG. 6, CHGE CHGE
other ways books are acquired. Noting that Gallery 2021 2022 WEEK YTD
encourages editors to be “entrepreneurial,” Bergstrom Hardcover 3,722 3,270 -12.1% -10.3%
said she loves it “when editors come up with great book Trade Paperback 8,559 8,803 2.9% -2.3%
ideas.” That means, she added, that auctions make up Mass Market Paperback 772 632 -18.1% -19.9%
only 25% of Gallery’s overall business. Board Books 675 709 5.1% -4.4%
The trial resumes Monday, when witnesses will
include PRH US CEO Madeline McIntosh.
SOURCE: NPD BOOKSCAN AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. NPD’S U.S. CONSUMER MARKET PANEL COV-
—Jim Milliot, with reporting by John Maher and ERS APPROXIMATELY 80% OF THE PRINT BOOK MARKET AND CONTINUES TO GROW.
Bethanne Patrick
7
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New Crafting
News
Titles to
Inspire You!
Half Price Books at 50
H
alf Price Books, the Texas-based bookstore chain, has been around long
enough that, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, it has become entrenched
as the country’s third-largest bookstore chain. The company began mod-
estly in a renovated laundromat i n 1972 and has since expanded to 121 stores. Its
presence is especially strong in Texas, where it has 41 outlets, but it has expanded
to 18 additional states. The two most recent stores to open were in Boise, Idaho,
and Nashville.
HPB had initially planned to
throw parties at each store to
celebrate the anniversary, but
9781399014854 $22.95 with the threat of Covid-19 still
Available Now! present, it opted to give each
employee $50 of store credit
and another $50 in cash. “We
wanted everyone to go out and
have some fun with their friends
from the store,” said CEO Sha-
ron Anderson Wright. Wright is
the daughter of Pat Anderson,
who founded the company
alongside Ken Gjemre.
“I started working at the store in 1972, when I
was 13 years old,” said Wright, who is known to staff
as Boots and has run the company for 26 years.
Today, she not-so-jokingly refers to herself as the
9781399000307 $24.95
“matriarch of the bookselling world.”
Available Now!
Alongside Wright is Kathy Doyle Thomas, who
previously served HPB as chief strategy officer
before being named president earlier this year.
Thomas has been with the company for 33 years,
and, she pointed out, loyalty runs deep there. “We
give out watches when employees have served 20 Kathy Doyle Thomas (l.) and
Sharon Anderson Wright.
years with the company,” she said. “At last count we
have given out 85 watches.”
Half Price Books has survived and thrived by being thrifty and cost conscious.
“We don’t overspend on real estate and we don’t take on debt,” Wright said.
The company has also been conservative in adopting new technologies. “We had
a long debate about computerization, which we only implemented in 2010,” Thomas
said. But the company has seen the utility of online shopping: when HPB’s stores
9781526773821 $19.95 were shut down as a result of the pandemic in 2020 and customers turned online,
November 2022 it prompted management to update HPB’s inventory database to streamline
search and shipping. In addition, a new website for the chain will launch sometime
this year.
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While HPB sells new books, including most popular bestsellers, 70% of its inven-
tory is composed of used stock purchased from local communities. The chain buys
8 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ■ AUGUST 15, 2022