Hachette Book Group, publisher of JK Rowling and Stephen Colbert, announces layoffs
NEW YORK, N.Y. – J.K. Rowling’s publisher is laying off some employees amid a dispute with the industry’s biggest book seller. Hachette Book Group cites a “changing marketplace” for layoffs that will affect less than 3 per cent of its staff.
Hachette also publishes Stephenie Meyer, Stephen Colbert and other authors. It released a statement Thursday saying staff reductions were necessary for it to improve “resilience” in difficult times.
Hachette says the layoffs were planned before its recent standoff with Amazon.com. The Seattle-based online retailer has been restricting the availability of many Hachette books, reportedly because of a disagreement with the New York-based publisher over terms for e-books.
Hachette is owned by the French conglomerate Lagardere, which in May reported a 6.2 per cent drop in worldwide sales for the first quarter of this year.
News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Join the Conversation!
Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.