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September
1999
PROFIT
LOSS
Educational Insights:
Sales rose 21 percent to $39.2 million in the latest year.
Taylor & Francis:
Sales rose 149 percent to $103 million in the latest half.
Scholastic: Sales
rose 20 percent to $180 million in the latest quarter.
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Torstar invests
in SmarterKinds.com
NEEDHAM, Massachusetts,
Sept. 1, 1999
-- An on-line retailer of home-education products, SmarterKids.com,
received a $7 million boost, an investment, from Canadian publishing
giant Torstar. SmarterKids' products are designed to reinforce learning
from school at home.
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Survey: Many
text authors overlook art rights
ST. PETERSBURG,
Florida, September 1, 1999
-- A survey of Text and Academic Authors members found they don't explicitly
retain the rights to the art in their books -- even if they provide
detailed specs and contribute to the cost of the art. Sixty-three percent
said they do not have the rights for that artwork. Authoring attorney
Steve Gillen, of Frost & Jacobs, said finished, camera-ready art can
be considered part of the "work" that is transferred to the publisher
in a publishing agreement. Another authoring attorney, Michael Lennie,
said authors should square away any ambiguity in renegotiating their
contracts.
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TAA offers New
Orleans lodging for member tips
ST. PETERBURG,
Florida, Sept. 1, 1999
-- A new membership recruiting campaign, for 1,000 members by the year
2000, was announced by Ron Pynn, TAA executive director. Members are
being asked to nominate prospective members for TAA to contact. For
everyone who signs up, the nominating author wins a chance for hotel
expanses, about $500, at the TAA national convention in New Orleans
in June, Pynn said. "The more names submitted who actually join, the
more chances members have of winning the free room," Pynn said. Kim
Pawlak, editor of the Academic Author, is handling the project.
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Geographic
photo piracy issue still in court
NEW YORK, September
1, 1999
-- Four photographers, who sued in December 1997 over a 30-disc National
Geographic set that included every photo ever published in the print
magazine, are still waiting for their day in court. Attorney Stephen
Weingrad said the judge wants to wait for a decision in another copyright
case, Tasini v. the New York Times. The Tasini case was argued
in June 1999 in the U.S. Circuit Court. A decision, he said, could take
another six months. Weingrad said the judge felt that Tasini
might affect the Geographic case. Meanwhile, other photographers
have a case against the Geographic in Maryland and in Florida.
PLAINTIFFS
Douglas Faulkner
Roger Hutchings
Louis Psihoyos
Rick Rickman
Matrix International
Claim copyright
infringement and breach of contract against National Geographic
for publishing their photos without permission.
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Fatbrain claims
secure publishing on web
SANTA CLARA,
California, Sept. 2, 1999
-- Web book retailer Fatbrain unveiled a secure digital publishing model
that allows publishers and authors to publish and sell works on-line
and earn royalties on every copy. The model, called eMatter, combines
new digital rights technologies with Fatbrain.com customers "to provide
a rich channel for the exchange of timely, valuable information between
writers and readers everywhere," the company said. Said Charlie Pesko,
managing director: "The economics of the traditional publishing process
have limited what gets printed and into consumption by the general public.
Fatbrain.com's eMatter has created an entirely new channel for books
and documents of all kinds that might not otherwise get published.
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New
score: National Geographic 1, creators 0
MIAMI, September
2, 1999
-- A federal judge granted a summary judgment to the National Geographic,"
which had been sued by photographer Jerry Greenberg for using his images
without his permission in a 30-volume CD-ROM archive of the magazine.
The judge cited the decision from a New York trial court in Tasini
v. New York Times, which was a setback for author rights. Tasini
is being appealed. Greenberg said he hasn't decided what to do next.
An appeal is possible.
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TAA newsletter
featuring David Hunger in mail
WINONA, Minnesota,
September 2, 1999
-- The September issue of the Academic Author was put in the
mail to Text and Academic Authors members. The issue features a Notable
Author installment , extracted from the TAA on-line site, on strategic
management author David Hunger.
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Egyptian
censor lifts ban on Gibran's Prophet
CAIRO, September
2, 1999
-- Responding to complaints from American University, the Egyptian information
minister removed a ban on two of 70 books that the government didn't
want on campus. Among the redeemed: The widely read in Western culture
Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. The remaining bans are justified as
offensive religiously or sexually or rendering Eygpt to "harmful foreign
infleunces."
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Suing authors
look for Carroll & Graf compatriots
NEW YORK, September
2, 1999
-- An attorney for five authors who filed a class-action suit accusing
publisher Carroll & Graf of failing to pay accurate royalties said he's
sending notices to 200-plus authors who may be in the class. The notices
will include information about the suit and the authors' rights and
responsibilities, said Jerome Noll. He also has begun the discovery
process and will begin scheduling depositions. Noll expects to go to
trial this spring.
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Trouble getting
to MIR text marketing site?
PRINCETON, New
Jersey, September 3, 1999
-- Text and Academic Authors members who previously had problems accessing
Monument Information Resources web site, should contact MIR through
its "contact us" link on the web site (www.facultyonline.com) to make
sure their password is correct, said Manuel Guzman, MIR president. The
company, which tallies textbook marketing data, will then search for
the user's password and e-mail it back to them.
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Efollett keeps
"get out of line" theme
EVANSTON, Illinois,
September 4, 1999
-- On-line textbook retailer efollett.com kept its national advertising
pitch from last year: "Get out of line." One spot features a herd of
buffalo in line, another penguins in single file. This year Follett
again is spending $10 million to lure students from campus bookstores.
The money is going into radio, campus television and magazines, including
ESPN, Mademoiselle, Rolling Stone and YM.
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Forecast: University
press growth ebbing a bit
NEW YORK, September
5, 1999
-- In its annual report, the Book Industry Study Group said university
presses can be expected to continue to seek profitability in niche markets,
mostly regional books, in coming years. The BISG study concluded it's
doubtful that last year's 6.5 percent growth can be sustained. A 5.3
percent annual rate to 2003, with sales reaching $507.3 million, is
more likely, the study said.
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Biologist self-publishes
first subscription web text
ALBANY, New York,
September 7, 1999--
Biology author Henry Tedeschi has self-published the first subscription-based
web book in his field. The web book, Cell Physiology: Molecular Dynamics,
is accessed through an ID and password. Being on-line means Tedeschi
can update the site just about every day, which he does. He charges
$20 for individual subscriptions and $100 for libraries and whole classes.
The book was with Wm. C. Brown publishing house until Tedeschi reclaimed
rights.
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Viacom, CBS plan
merger
NEW YORK, September
7, 1999
-- Executives of CBS, known mostly for its television network, and Viacom,
a publishing powerhouse with its Simon & Schuster subsidiary, announced
plans to merge. Textbook authors would be little affected because Viacom
sold off its Simon & Schuster educational properties last year, analysts
said. The new company would be an $80 billion-plus entity.
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Textbook industry
expected to reach $4.2 billion
NEW YORK, September
8, 1999
-- College textbook sales will grow 7.9 percent a year through 2003,
according to a new Book Industry Study Group forecast. While a bit behind
last year's 8.0 percent, the predicted growth will put the college textbook
industry at $4.2 billion in sales. How can this with only moderate enrollment
growth? The BISG report said technology add-ons are one factor. Also,
on-line stores are expected to goad sales through heavy advertising.
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Simon & Schuster
chief sees role with CBS
NEW YORK, September
9, 1999
-- The chief executive of Simon & Schuster sees a bright future for
the book publishing company in a Viacom-CBS merger. Jonathan Newcomb
noted that S&S developed synergy with Viacom stablemates in recent years,
publishing a lot of spin-off books based on products from the Paramount
movie studio and other Viacom properties, including "Star Trek" and
Beavis and Butt-Head. Newcomb said he sees the same synergy with CBS.
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Pearson seeks
sharper focus, selling Cuisenaire
LONDON, September
10, 1999
-- The publishing giant Pearson, moving to specialize further in large-pressrun
textbooks, is putting its Cuisenaire division in the United States up
for sale. Cuisenaire puts out popular math and science supplements for
lower grades -- but not textbooks. Though profitable, Cuisenaire doesn't
fit Pearson's overall plan, said Kathy Costello, a Pearson group president.
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TAA invites entries
for 2000 Textys, McGuffeys
ST. PETERSBURG,
Florida, September 13, 1999
-- The annual call for entries in Text and Academic Authors' textbook
awards was issued. The deadline for authors to request nomination is
October 15, said awards project chair Janet Tucker. The TAA Excellence
awards, called Textys, are for new books by TAA members. The McGuffeys
are for members' demonstrated being being in print at least 15 years.
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Study sees el-hi
school book sales growth
NEW YORK, September
14, 1999
-- El-hi school book sales will grow 9.5 percent annually over the coming
four years, the Book Industry Study Group predicted. Sales in 2003 will
pass 3.3 billion, the Group's annual study concluded. The report said
el-hi sales growth, now running 10.8 percent, is fueled partly by enrollment
growth. Also, the economy has fueled school funding at a time when public
interest in education is at a high, the report said. Publishers consider
the el-hi market the most favorable for them in 10 years, the report
said.
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TAA seeks distinguished
authors as Fellows
ST. PETERSBURG,
Florida, September 14, 1999
-- Text and Academic Authors called for nominations for distinguished
authors for the TAA Council of Fellows. Nominations are due by October
31, said Ron Pynn, the association's executive director. Nomination
forms were mailed to members last week. Said Pynn: "Any author whose
textbooks or other instructional materials have established a presence
in the marketplace over time, who has been a pioneer in an academic
field, or who has been innovative in the presentation of material, is
qualified," he said. Fellows are bestowed a medallion to wear over their
shoulders at TAA and other academic events.
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Hurricane Floyd
closes TAA office for day
ST. PETERSBURG,
Florida, September 14, 1999
-- The University of South Florida-St. Petersburg, home of Text and
Academic Authors, closed down at 5 p.m. ahead of the expected arrival
of Hurricane Floyd. Janet Tucker, office manager, said people will be
allowed back on campus at 5 p.m., Wednesday, unless the worst occurs.
In effect, TAA headquarters will be shut down Wednesday, Tucker said.
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Pearson looks
for Asia sales to grow
SINGAPORE, September
15, 1999
-- British publishing house Pearson, which operates in 11 Asian countries,
opened an office in Singapore in anticipation of growing textbook sales.
Pearson figures that rebounding economies will fuel a 10 percent increase
in English-language textbook sales in Asia between now and 2002.
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New journal Context
is hand-me-along
SPRINGFIELD,
Illinois, September 15, 1999
-- A new journal, Context, is striving to identify and publish
avant-garde works, said editor Curtis White of Illinois State University.
But you can't subscribe. Nor can anyone else. The 5,000-pressrun for
the first issue is going free to 100 select professors, who also will
receive 25 extra copies to pass along. "Trickle-down distribution,"
White called it. Select bookstore staff people also will receive copies
for themselves and friends -- but not to sell.
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McGraw exploring
phony invoice scam
MAIDENHEAD, England,
September 15, 1999
-- Using phony invoices, someone in McGraw-Hill European accounting
office made off with millions of dollars over several years, the
Financial Times reported. McGraw declined comment. but the Times
quoted inside sources that an internal investigation was in progress.
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Thomson morphs
"Learning" into name
STAMFORD, Connecticut,
September 16, 1999
-- Canada-based International Thomson Publishing has changed its name
to Thomson Learning. The new name reflects "an organizational realignment
geared to meet the needs of the higher education community," the company
said.
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College stores
launch combative ads
OBERLIN, Ohio,
September 17, 1999
-- The National Association of College Stores sent advertisements to
member stores to run in their campus newspapers to discourage students
from buying textbooks on-line. The campaign has two core messages:
DON'T TAKE THE
BAIT
DON'T BE DUPED
BY "DISCOUNTERS"
Jerry Buchs, an
association spokesperson, said research shows that prices and services
are not better on-line. The claim of 40 percent discounts has an important
qualified, he said: "Up to 40 percent." Buchs said on-line customers
have to go through cumbersome procedures when they are sent the wring
edition, which he called not uncommon.
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U.S. justice:
Education best eyeball-to-eyeball
NEW BRUNSWICK,
New Jersey, Sept. 17, 1999
-- On-line education has its place but law schools that operate only
on-line have gone too far, said U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg. "I am uneasy about classes in which students learn entirely
from home, in front of a computer screen, with no face-to-face interaction
with other students and instructors," Ginsburg said. She singled out
Concord University School of Law, opted by Kaplan Educational Centers,
out of Los Angeles. The Concord program is in its second year.
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Advice: Articles
only one productivity measure
WASHINGTON, September
18, 1999
-- In engineering and computer science, university promotion and tenure
committees need to do more than weigh journal articles, the Computing
Research Association said in a position paper. Just as important, said
the association, are convention papers and software. "Relying on journal
publications as the sole demonstration of scholarly achievement, especially
counting such publications to determine whether they exceed a prescribed
threshold, ignores significant evidence of accomplishment," the association
said.
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Houghton eyeing
acquisitions, more growth
BOSTON, September
19, 1999
-- A senior Houghton Mifflin vice president, Elizabeth Hacking, said
the company is neutral about platforms for its educational products.
Houghton, she said, will produce on any platform to reach learners --
"wherever learning takes place." She called the company "platform agnostic."
Hacking said that Houghton, the fifth largest U.S. education publisher,
is acquisition minded. Already it includes D.C. Heath and McDougal Littell,
both among acquistion in the last five years. Revenue is approaching
$1 billion a year.
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TAA-Alliance
partnership on hold
ST. PETERSBURG,
Florida, September 24, 1999
-- Some members of the TAA Council, which sets policy for Text and Academic
Authors, want more information about Alliance Press before the association
enters a partnership with the company. Ron Pynn, executive director,
said he will visit Alliance, in Carrollton, Texas, for more information
and report to the Council. Alliance publisher John Hughes may attend
the January Council meeting to answer questions, Pynn said. Pynn said
a partnership would not put TAA in the publishing business but would
give authors an outlet with favorable contracts.
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Appeals court
favors authors in Tasini
NEW YORK, September
24, 1999
-- The New York Times was told by a federal appeals court to
stop recycling the work of freelance authors in sideline digital products.
Author Jonathan Tasini of the National Writers Union, who brought the
suit, called the decision "a victory." Judge Ralph Winter, who wrote
the opinion, reversing a lower court ruling, said that copyright law
allows a publisher to revise works it purchases, but, he said, digital
recycling without a writer's permission carries the concept of "revision"
too far. Times attorney George Freeman said the newspaper may
appeal.
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Bertelsmann continues
building U.S. presence
GÜTERSLOH, Germany,
September 25, 1999
-- German media giant Bertelsmann has increased its business in the
United States according to plan. Chief executive Thomas Middelhoff said
$1.1 billion of the company's revenue came from Random House and other
U.S. properties in the latest fiscal year -- 34.7 percent of the worldwide
total.
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AAP: Book sales
up across the board
NEW YORK, September
26, 1999 --
The publishers' monthly sampling of book sales found gains in every
genre so far this year. The data, through July, included an 11.7 percent
increase in science, medical technical and business books. College texts
were up 2.9 percent, el-hi adoptions 3.2 percent.
TEXTBOOK
AND ACADEMIC BOOK SALES
THROUGH JULY 1999
From Association of American Publishers compilations
|
| STM
and business |
11.7
percent |
| University
press (hardback) |
11.3
percent |
| El-hi
adoptions |
3.2
percent |
| College |
2.8
percent |
| University
press (paperback) |
2.7
percent |
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Pearson wins
Garland interactive contract
GARLAND, Texas,
September 27, 1999
-- Garland Schools awarded a $2.4 million contract to Pearson Education
to create interactive learning software for 44 sites. The software,
from Pearson's Computer Curriculum Corporation, will be for bilingual,
language arts, reading, and math courses. The new system should be complete
within a year.
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Fatbrain's eMatter
attracts 1,400 authors
SANTA CLARA,
California, September 27, 1999
-- More than 1,400 authors have registered to post their work on the
Fatbrain web site in the first two weeks of its eMatter program, the
company said. Works on the password-protected site generate 50 percent
royalties for authors and publishers.
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Granada acquires
Letts textbook company
NEW YORK, September
27, 1999
The Granada Group, an educational and on-line company, acquired the
textbook publisher Letts Educational.
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TAA receives
$83,100 in repatriated funds
ST. PETERSBURG,
Florida, September 27, 1999
Text and Academic Authors received $83,100 in reprography moneys from
the Authors Coalition for 1999. TAA Treasurer Mike Sullivan said sum
was slightly less than his projected $85,000. Other major recipients:
- Authors Guild,
$180,200.
- Dramatists
Guild, $130,900.
- National Writers
Union, $104,200.
Lesser amounts went
to the American Society of Authors and Journalists, Artists Rights Society,
Garden Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Novelists Inc.,
Romance Writers of America, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers, Sisters
in Crime, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Songwriters
Guild.
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Survey: Most
teachers favor nannyware
WASHINGTON, September
28, 1999
-- Most middle-grade and upper-grade school teachers favor Internet
filters on computers to shield pupils from inappropriate material, the
magazine Media and Methods reported. Seventy-six percent of survey
respondents favor filters.
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Pennsylvania
rapped for royalty "confiscation"
ST. PETERSBURG,
Florida, September 29, 1999
-- A Pennsylvania plan to confiscate royalty income from faculty is
ill-conceived, said Ron Pynn, executive director of Text and Academic
Authors. "Institutions ought to be encouraging the communication of
knowledge among faculty and students, not scrounging for dollars off
their success." The plan, favored by Governor Tom Ridge and the state
higher-ed board, is "extracting flesh from the hides of its faculty,"
Pynn said.
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