BTW News Briefs

Perseus Announces New Distribution Service Model

This week, the Perseus Books Group announced a new distribution model that gives independent publishers a choice of options. Under the plan, prospective clients will have the choice of being a client of Consortium, which offers a comprehensive, full-service sales and marketing partnership, or being a client of the newly-named Perseus Distribution Services, which will offer an unbundled menu of services in the tradition of CDS.

Both Consortium and Perseus Distribution Services clients will be physically distributed from the Perseus Books Group's facility in Jackson Tennessee, as will all in-house Perseus publishers and joint venture partners.

The new model will be effective March 1, 2007. As of that time, Consortium's warehousing, customer service and finance will be handled out of the Jackson facility. Consortium's sales and marketing operations will remain in St. Paul.

Perseus also announced that Don Linn, CEO of Consortium, had made the decision to leave the company on January 1, 2007, to pursue other interests.

Rep. Sanders Successful in Bid for Senate Seat

Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was victorious in his bid for a Senate seat on Tuesday, November 7. According to the Burlington Free Press, Sanders' victory was never in doubt as he opened a 2 - 1 lead as soon as votes began to be counted. Over the last few years, Sanders led the charge, along with booksellers, librarians, and publishers, to amend Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act.

The Free Press reported that, at a victory rally in downtown Burlington, Sanders vowed that, "together, we are going to turn this nation around." He also stated, "I believe that destiny has suggested that this small state of Vermont is in fact going to lead America in a very different direction and that the day is going to come when all over America people are going to say, 'Thank you, Vermont.'"

Alan Zweibel Wins Thurber Prize

On November 6, at the Algonquin Hotel, five-time Emmy winner Alan Zweibel won The 2006 Thurber Prize for American Humor for his novel, The Other Shulman (Villard). The annual prize is presented by Thurber House, the national literary center for writers and readers, based in Columbus, Ohio, the boyhood home of author, humorist, and New Yorker cartoonist James Thurber.

An original writer for Saturday Night Live, Zweibel is the winner of five Emmy Awards and two Writer's Guild Awards for his television work. He was the creator and producer of It's Garry Shandling's Show, and he has written television specials for the Beach Boys, Paul Simon, and Steve Martin.

Forecasters Predict a Very Happy Holiday for Consumers

According to BusinessWeek online, a number of forecasters are predicting a good holiday shopping season this year. Ernst & Young is predicting that, due in part to low gas prices and consumer's increasing confidence in the economy, holiday shopping will increase by 6.5 percent this year, compared to last year's gain of 6.7 percent. In addition, the article noted, consultant BDO Seidman found in its survey that chief marketing officers at leading U.S. retailers predict a 7.8 percent growth in 2006 holiday sales; and Deloitte & Touche's survey, released November 1, found that American consumers are so bullish about the economy that 63 percent of them will pay for holiday purchases by using cash or cash equivalents like checks or debit cards.