Andrew AlbaneseWhenever you move house, it’s an opportunity to clean, as well as a big job to pack. As the Penguin/Random House merger advances, the physical move may prove to be far easier than the digital transition, observes Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer.

“How are these two companies going to fit together? At PW, we asked that, and we looked at everything from organization charts to back-office operations, and, no shocker, this is going to be one heck of a job,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. “What’s notable is that this merger is happening in the digital age. The most recent big deals—Hachette picking off Warner, for example — were big deals, but took place were in a very different era.”

Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.

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