Bad News in the Book Biz

Perhaps it seems a bit morbid or sadistic, but I've collected stories about these dark days in the book business to show the stark contrast in electronic publishing--the one industry growth area.

CBA Survey Finds Down Market 5/20/09 PW
Writing the Future Depression 5/20/09 GC
Books Flat at Hastings 5/18/09 PW
Quebecor Has Loss, Moves Ahead with Reorg 5/18/09 PW
Bookstore Sales Dipped 4.2 Percent in Q1 of 2009 5/14/09 GC
CBA Industry Report Reveals Volatile 2008 for Christian Stores 5/14/09 ECPA
Donnelley Makes Offer for Quebecor 5/13/09 PW
Bookstore Sales Down 1.3% in March; Off 4.2% for Quarter 5/13/09 PW
First Quarter Loss at Bertelsmann 5/12/09 PW
Episcopal Publisher Halts Trade Acquisitions 5/12/09 PW
Making Information Pay Conference Charts Changes Brought by Recession 5/8/09 PW
Revenue Dips Nearly 20 Percent at Simon & Schuster 5/8/09 GC
Budget Cuts Threaten LSU Press 5/8/09 GC
Simon & Schuster Has Rough First Quarter 5/7/09 PW
Charges Result in $38 Million Loss at HarperCollins 5/6/09 PW
Marvel Publishing Dips in Quarter; Expects Better Second Half 5/5/09 PW
First-Quarter Slip for Quarto 4/29/09 PW
Source Interlink Files Pre-Packaged Bankruptcy 4/28/09 PW
Plug Pulled on Christian Consumer Book Show 4/28/09 PW
Sales Fall at McGraw-Hill Education, but Loss Cut 4/28/09 PW
New Report Sees Dip in 2009 Book Sales 4/27/09 PW
Aperture Cuts Staff, Publishing List 4/24/09 PW
Borders to Overhaul Board, Enhance Book Clubs 4/16/09 PW
Results Down at Courier, Expects Better over the Next Six Months 4/15/09 PW
February Bookstore Sales Plunge 4/14/09 PW
Quebecor Reaches Agreement with Creditors 4/9/09 PW
NavPress Cuts Nine Positions 4/7/09 PW
Amid Changes, Globe Pequot Reducing BEA Presence 4/3/09 PW
Despite Big Loss, Marshall Confident of Borders's Future 3/31/09 PW
Babylon Falling Closing 3/31/09 PW
U of New Mexico Press Downsizes 3/31/09 PW
Book Sales Off 2.8% in 2008, AAP Says 3/31/09 PW
Pershing Extends Borders 3/31/09 PW
Recession Impacts BEA’s Black Professionals Confab 3/31/09 PW
Kensington to Sit Out Smaller BookExpo America 3/30/09 PW
Quebecor Cuts Loss in 2008 3/30/09 PW
Schoenwald Up, Heim Out at Nelson 3/27/09 PW
Books Etc. Closing Old Port Outlet 3/26/09 PW
Pay Freeze for Barnes & Noble Execs 3/24/09 PW
Random Has Down Year; Sees More Challenges 3/23/09 PW
Books-A-Million Results Fall 3/19/09 PW
B&N Confirms Down Year; Bleak Sales Forecast 3/19/09 PW
Baker & Taylor Moving California Warehouse to Indianapolis 3/17/09 PW
Community Acts to Save Shaman Drum 3/17/09 PW
Borders Sets Annual Meeting; Considers Reverse Stock Split 3/12/09 PW
Bookstore Sales Flat in January 3/12/09 PW
Anderson Sues Magazine Publishers & Wholesalers 3/11/09 PW
Currency Issues, U.S. Economy Result in Down Quarter at Wiley 3/9/09 PW
Anderson's Debt May Top $200 Million 3/6/09 PW
Borders Cuts 742 Store Positions 3/5/09 PW
Anderson’s Troubles Mount 3/4/09 PW
HCI Eliminates 35 Positions 3/3/09 PW
Random House Acquires Ten Speed Press 3/2/09 PW
Book Results Flat at Donnelley 3/2/09 PW
Borders Cuts Corporate Workforce 12% 2/19/09 PW
Simon & Schuster Reports 3% Decline in 2008 2/19/09 PW
Anderson Lays Off Employees; Source Sues 2/18/09 PW
Turner Publishing Buys Cumberland Titles 2/13/09 PW
Borders Gets Another Extension 2/13/09 PW
ABA to Reduce Staff, Institutes Salary Freeze 2/13/09 PW
December Store Sales Down; Year Off 0.5% 2/12/09 PW
HarperCollins Closes Bowen Press 2/12/09 PW
S&P Gets More Negative on HMH Parent 2/11/09 PW
HC Closes Bowen Press, Downsizes Rayo; Makes U.K. Cuts 2/10/09 PW
Harper Closing Collins; Other Layoffs Planned 2/10/09 PW
Anderson News Suspends “Normal Business Activity” 2/9/09 PW
Another Bad Quarter at HarperCollins 2/5/09 PW
Rodale Trims Four in Book Group 2/5/09 PW
Armstrong, Harwood Among Those Leaving in Borders Consolidation 2/3/09 PW
Reed Drops Canadian Publishing Events 2/2/09 PW
Simon & Schuster Unites Marketing 2/2/09 PW
Borders Execs Hit New York 2/2/09 PW
Reader’s Digest Cuts 280 Positions 1/29/09 PW
Random Out of BEC Consumer Show 1/29/09 PW
Harper Offers Voluntary Retirement 1/27/09 PW
Weak School Sales Drop Results at McGraw-Hill Education 1/27/09 PW
Amid Changes, Kenney to Lead 'PW' 1/26/09 PW Note: Sara Nelson out. Boo!
Layoffs at Diamond, DC Comics, Top Cow 1/23/09 PW
OUP Cuts 60 Positions 1/21/09 PW
Random Revamps Adult Sales 1/21/09 PW
BookStream to Flow No More 1/19/09 PW
Schwartz Bookshops to Close; Two Will Have New Owners 1/19/09 PW
The NeverEnding Story Reaches an End 1/16/09 PW
O’Reilly Media Eliminates 30 Jobs 1/16/09 PW
Random House Publishing Group Restructured 1/15/09 PW
B&N Cuts 4% at Corporate HQ 1/14/09 PW
Publishing Sales Sink at Courier; Closes Print Plant 1/14/09 PW
Crown Restructuring Completed 1/14/09 PW
November Bookstore Sales Plunge 1/14/09 PW
Knopf Doubleday Reorg Done 1/14/09 PW
Borders Names McGuire Head of the Board 1/13/09 PW
Books-A-Million Has Small Decline 1/9/09 PW
Small Press Sues Borders, B&T Over Returns 1/9/09 PW
B&N Holiday Sales Drop at Stores, Online 1/6/09 PW
More Cuts at McGraw-Hill Education 1/7/09 PW
Kaplan Buys Cleveland Clinic Press Assets 1/5/09 PW
As Sales Fall, Borders Gets New Leadership 1/5/09 PW
Borders Gets More Time 12/23/08 PW
Dohle Urges Random to Rethink, Reformulate Ways of Doing Business 12/18/08 PW
One-Time Charges, Currency Fluctuations Dent Scholastic Results 12/18/08 PW
Macmillan Scales Back BEA Presence 12/16/08 PW
Macmillan Eliminates 64 Positions; Forms Children’s Group 12/15/08 PW
Sourcebooks Buys Cumberland House 12/15/08 PW
October Bookstore Sales Dropped 5.6% 12/12/08 PW
Unit Sales Fall in Early December 12/11/08 PW
Perseus Suspends Raises 12/10/08 PW
Belt-Tightening in Canada 12/10/08 PW
Chronicle Books Makes Cuts 12/10/08 PW
Ten Speed Press Sale Close 12/10/08 PW
Pay Freeze at Macmillan 12/10/08 PW
Penguin Freezes Raises for Those Above $50,000 12/4/08 PW
HMH Lays Off More Staff 12/4/08 PW
Random Waits for Pending Integration 12/4/08 PW
S&S Cuts 35 Jobs 12/3/08 PW
Richter, Pfeffer to Leave S&S Kids 12/3/08 PW
Rubin, Irwyn Applebaum Step Down in RH Reorg 12/3/08 PW
Thomas Nelson Cuts 54 Positions 12/3/08 PW
Becky Saletan Quits HMH 12/2/08 PW
Borders Results Decline; Company Sale Off 11/25/08 PW
Broccoli Books Folds; Publishers Struggle in Tough Economy 11/25/08 PW
Levy Cancels 2009 Sales Conference 11/25/08 PW
HMH Places "Temporary" Halt on Acquisitions 11/24/08 PW
BAM Comps Drop Nearly 10% 11/24/08 PW
Random House Walks from BEC 2009 11/21/08 PW
Broccoli Books to Shut Down 11/21/08 PW
B&N Sales Sink; Sees Gloomy Holiday 11/21/08 PW
Layoffs at B&T 11/19/09 PW
Linda Jones Stepping Down at Borders 11/17/08 PW
September Bookstore Sales Drop 4.5% 11/14/08 PW
BookStream Slows As It Waits for Funding 11/14/08 PW
Reidy: Worse Publishing Environment May Be On the Way 11/11/08 PW
Economic Downturn Shutters Dallas-area Indie 11/7/08 PW
Profits Tumble at HarperCollins 11/5/08 PW
With Big Exception, Trade Sales Slowed in September 11/5/08 PW
Marvel Publishing Sales Slip 11/3/08 PW
Rodale to Cut 10% of its Workforce 11/3/08 PW
B&N Prepares for Terrible Holiday 11/3/08 PW
Indigo Second Quarter Results Down 10/30/08 PW
Doubleday Cuts 16 10/28/08 PW
Results Off at McGraw-Hill Education; Slashes Forecast 10/28/08 PW