Jewel of Medina, Sherry Jone's historical novel about Aisha, wife of Muhammad, was killed by its publisher because of a warning from a crackpot professor who though "widespread violence" could break out, Salman Rushdie-style. Satanic Verses author Rushdie told the AP yesterday that this was basically bullshit: "I am…
The people who run some of the (once) grandest institutions in print media are tumbling from their perches like so many fallen leaves, cast off in the face of a new season. It's not always their fault. Print is slowly wasting away, and as companies shrink, they cut off their own heads in a desperate bid to prove that…
The Post's Keith Kelly reports on how the literati at Random House are reacting to their new, German technocrat overlord: with abject terror. "People are panicking and saying it couldn't be worse... On the face of it, it looks like the guy is a complete production bean counter. It doesn't look hopeful that he'll share…
Meet Markus Dohle, the new CEO of Random House. His previous job was retooling Bertelsmann AG's printing plants to repair mobile phones, generate billing statements and warehouse pills. In case that's not unglamorous enough on its own, note that Dohle is following in the footsteps of Peter Olson, who while considered…
Peter Olson of Random House fixed his reputation in the publishing industry when he displayed a smirking glee at the number of editors he'd fired. (Never let Lynn Hirschberg of the Times follow you around.) However, the outgoing Random House boss may have combined the worst of all management styles: a callous public…
Peter Olson-widely reported to be stepping down from Random House after a debilitating bout of pneumonia-doesn't get much sympathy in the publishing industry. Here's how the publishing giant's chief executive will be remembered: as a money-minded philistine who's fallen victim to the same financial accountability he…
Despite his illness, it sounds like there was some schadenfreude surrounding the departure of Peter Olson: "Olson may be best remembered in the publishing industry for abruptly dismissing the president of the Random House Trade Group, Ann Godoff, in 2003. He said in a news release that she ran the only unit 'to…
Random House chief Peter Olson will step down in the next few weeks, according to an unsourced report posted to the New York Times website. An illness—said by Publishers Weekly to be double pneumonia—had left the publishing exec "distracted and unavailable" for months. Olson, who has five children including two…
To publicize the re-release of teen fiction series Sweet Valley High, Random House Children's Books sent a letter to journalists highlighting the changes made to the content of the 1980s paperbacks. New cover girl Leven Rambin (pictured) was not mentioned, but just to make sure preteen and teenaged girl readers are…
So author and daddyblogger Steve Almond's new collection of mostly previously published essays, Not That You Asked: Rants, Exploits and Obsessions, doesn't just contain a deranged yet oddly bet-hedgey open letter to Oprah. It also contains secret wisdom that will change America, reopening our eyes to the pleasures of…
The Museum of Sex seems to exist solely for 18-year-old tourists from Minnesota to come in and giggle wildly at the adult diapers and dildos on display. Because really, would you pay $14.50 plus tax to see stuff that's probably in your bedroom? But last night, duty called, and so Nikola and I headed over to the museum…
Crown/Three Rivers Press editor Jason Pinter's bloggy musings—since removed—about the relative success of Crown author Chris Bohjalian's latest effort, compared to Ishmael Beah's Starbucks-anointed memoir, seem to have gotten him canned. His last day was yesterday. (Citing Bookscan numbers on one's personal website is…
We'd always thought that, in spite of its undesirable Midtown location, Random House was the best place to work in publishing. They're owned by Bertelsmann, a German company, which means they have a more Euro-style approach to vacation days and they give you a bonus for having a baby and stuff like that. Also, they…
"Between this and James Frey, she'll never touch another Random House author," a tipster tells Galleycat. This, of course, in reference to the news yesterday that Kitty Kelley's long kicked around town unauthorized Oprah biography has finally landed at Crown, one of the publishing behemoth's zillion imprints. Though…
The Times gives us a little summary as to what Fake Writer James Frey's has added to forthcoming editions of A Million Little Pieces in his new author's note: a little "I lied," a dash of "I'm sorry," and not a pinch of Oprah. Exactly what you expected, really.
Oprah Winfrey's awesome power truly knows no bounds. After refusing for the last two-and-a-half weeks to take any responsibility for James Frey's faux-nonfiction, Doubleday & Anchor Books, the Random House division that published A Million Little Pieces finally issued an apology today — timestamped 4:51 p.m., before …
BREAKING! FAKE WRITER DAY(s) UPDATE! From the Random House website:
Ann Godoff, president of Bertelsmann's Random House division, was fired Thursday for failing to meet profitability goals and the details are just coming out. Her division generated more best-sellers than any other, but the group's net income of $2 million was $4 million short of CEO Peter Olson's target. It didn't…
