A Rough Week for the Book Biz

The week started off to a depressing start in book publishing with the death of editor Ruth Cavin, and today is no different. Another perennial publishing guru, Manie Baron, has passed as well, according to GalleyCat this morning:

Literary agent, editor, and bookseller Manie Barron (pictured) passed away on Saturday.

His friends sent this obituary: “Manie began his nearly three-decade career in publishing as a bookseller at the Doubleday bookstore at South Street Seaport in Manhattan. He became a buyer for Golden Lee book distributors, from where he was recruited as a founding member of the Random House telephone sales team. He transitioned from sales to editorial, laying the foundation for what would become the Striver’s Row imprint at Random House, before moving on to HarperCollins, where he was publishing manager of the Amistad imprint. He then spent three years as a literary agent with the William Morris Agency before partnering with Claudia Menza in the Menza Barron Agency.”

See the original post for memorial information and donations HERE

I didn't know Manie personally, but I've heard a great many things about him. My thoughts are with his loved ones during this time. RIP Manie...

To continue the sad trend further, these less-than-lovely headlines grace today's Publishers Lunch Automat:

Nigerian Novelist Okey Nidbe Arrested, Passport Seized at Nigerian Airport

Paulo Coelho Says Iran Has Banned His Books

Orson Scott Card Suffers Mild Stroke

Gulliver's Travels Books In Portsmouth, NH to Close

Hopefully Wednesday will get us over this sad hump and bring some good book news for a change...