Top US/UK Trade Talk: Searching for Superheroes; Earnings Reports

By Edward Nawotka

The Wall Street Journal looked at the shifting focus of movie producers at this weekend’s Comic-Con. They are moving away from mainstream superheroes (who are all accounted for) and looking toward the fringes for new, unheard of talent.

PW focused on earnings reports: Lagardere Publishing was up 11% in the first half of 2009, to just over 1 billion euros. The top earning author was…you guessed it…Stephenie Meyer. Amazon’s North American media group had flat sales in the second quarter, holding steady at $1.15 billion; Scholastic’s year-end results, accounting for sales up to May 31, showed total revenue that fell by 14.3%, to $1.85 billion.

The Bookseller has heard from publishers that Amazon is planning to launch the Kindle in the UK this October. “I think we are looking at October for launch,” said one. “Amazon is gathering a head of steam for launch,” another confirmed. (Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…)

About the Author

Edward Nawotka

A widely published critic and essayist, Edward Nawotka serves as a speaker, educator and consultant for institutions and businesses involved in the global publishing and content industries. He was also editor-in-chief of Publishing Perspectives since the launch of the publication in 2009 until January 2016.