Book Magazine Kirkus Reviews Lives to Write Another Day

By SARAH WEINMAN Posted 9:42 AM 01/05/10 Company News, Media

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Late last year, Nielsen Business Media announced it would shut down two venerable trade magazines: newspaper industry-centric Editor & Publisher and book industry publication Kirkus Reviews. Just a few days into 2010, the news for both magazines is much more positive. The staffers of E&P have launched an exile blog while awaiting a possible sale, and Kirkus Reviews will continue publication for the foreseeable future.

According to an internal memo obtained by DailyFinance, Kirkus managing editor Eric Liebetrau says "there is a buyer in the works" and until the deal closes by the end of this month, the magazine will "resume business as usual under the Nielsen umbrella."

Liebetrau hasn't yet returned a request for comment, but the internal memo appears below.

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From: Liebetrau, Eric
Date: Tue, Jan 5, 2010
Subject: Kirkus revival!

Hello everyone-

I have some great news to report! Effective immediately, we are restarting publication of Kirkus Reviews. There is a buyer in the works (that's all we know right now), and until the deal closes - probably 2-3 weeks - we will resume business as usual under the Nielsen umbrella.

There are no more details to report at the moment, other than status quo for all contributors. Hopefully you saved the galleys you had not reviewed. Please just give me -- or Elaine for fiction, Vicky for children's -- a status update on what you have, and whether you need more assignments. It will also be very much appreciated if you can expedite any reviews of books that you kept following the initial announcement of Kirkus' closing.

Please let me know if you have any questions. It's good to be back.

e

UPDATE: Here's the official memo of Kirkus's resurrection:

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From: Liebetrau, Eric
Date: Tue, Jan 5, 2010
Subject: news regarding Kirkus Reviews

Dear colleagues-

I am writing to let you know that Kirkus is working toward an arrangement with an acquiring company to continue the publication of our outstanding pre-publication reviews journal. Details will be forthcoming in the next 2-3 weeks, but for now please begin sending galleys to the appropriate editors immediately. We will publish a second issue in January, and then reassess the situation and hopefully continue publication in February and beyond.

Given the time frame, we cannot accept adult galleys with a publication date of April 1 or earlier. Please only send titles publishing May and beyond. For more details on children's and YA submissions, please contact Vicky Smith.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, and please pass this along to colleagues, assistants, interns, etc.

Thanks

eric

Tagged: Kirkus Reviews, Nielsen

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Sarah Weinman

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Publishing Industry Reporter

Sarah Weinman covers the publishing industry for DailyFinance. She also writes monthly crime fiction columns for the Los Angeles Times and the Barnes & Noble Review, and contributes to The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, The Guardian, Maclean's, and New Hampshire Public Radio's "Word of Mouth."

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