The french parent company of Hachette Livre, LAGARDERE, recently had a briefing for their investors and the english version of the slides has become available in PDF form.
http://www.lagardere.com/fichiers/fc...Publishing.pdf
The host of the Passive Voice blog has converted a few of the slides to online pics and highlighted (in red boxes) some significant LAGARDERE views and policy positions on the future of publishing in general and ebooks in particular. Some of those positions are, ahem, debatable:
http://www.thepassivevoice.com/06/20...-presentation/
Earlier, the retailer-focused THE BOOKSELLER website had a report on the briefing:
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/ha...les-share.html
This particular quote drew attention at both places:
Quote:
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Consolidation will be inevitable for the publisher, the report said, following the merger of Penguin and Random House last year, creating a big player in the US and the UK markets, and also following the acquisition of Harlequin for HarperCollins earlier this year. “Publishers need size and muscle in order to keep control over relations with authors, over pricing and distribution,” Hachette said.
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Noting that Hachette is fourth if the five remaining BPHs and the parent of #5 has shiwn no interest in selling, the question of just how Lagardere expects to grow Hachette's "size and muscle in order to keep control over relations with authors" comes to mind.
The statement drew a lot of commentary from authors who might be targets of Hachette's increased size and muscle:
http://www.thepassivevoice.com/06/20...l-sales-share/
Alas, not much of it was supportive.
I don't recall a more candid view into the world of the BPHs since the DOJ released their transcripts of conspiracy-related communications.
I find it droll and amusing...
Have at it!