Industry News

By Megan DiMaria

The year may be winding down, but the publishing industry is still in full swing. Welcome to November and this month’s installment of industry news.

• The Book Club Network has acquired Elk Lake Publishing. Author Kathi Macias has joined the staff as the Senior VP of Acquisitions for their planned fiction line, which will launch in early 2014. 
• HarperCollins launched a new app yesterday that links print publications to digital content. The new, free app for Apple and Android smartphones, HarperCollins Unbound, allows consumers to scan HarperCollins print books for additional digital content. For more info . . .
• A new twist in publishing? Will contracts from major publishers print-first imprints come with clauses indicating that the publisher makes no guarantee on format? PW gives us the skinny . . .
•  A Christian publishing partnership has resulted in the creation of 1Source, a newly launched self-publishing company. 1Source offers authors a variety of services, ranging from editing to distribution. For moreinfo . . .
• The Thomas Nelson group (HarperCollins Christian Publishing) has launched a new graphic novel initiative, Vital Shift. For more info . . .
• Christian publisher Charisma House has launched Excel, a new POD self-publishing service. The company offers authors free high-speed typesetting, custom cover design, and preparation for electronic publication in formats for Kindle, Nook, iBook, and Kobo. For more info . . .
• The Assemblies of God is partnering with Excel Publishing to launch Salubris Publishing, a custom book imprint for Christian authors. For more info . . . 
• Amazon Publishing announced plans to launch a new literary journal.  Day One, a weekly digital magazine will focus on short fiction and poetry, including works from new authors and foreign authors in English translation. For more info . . . 
• Apple’s saga continues. After being found liable for conspiring to fix e-book prices, Apple attorneys are disputing a $307 million damage figure. For more info . . . 
• A division of Saint Benedict Press, TAN Books, has acquired Neumann Press, a Minnesota publisher of Catholic titles for children and adults. For more info . . . 
• Now this is interesting. Skyhorse Publishing will launch Carrel Books, a new imprint that caters to the public library market in the fall of 2014. For more info . . . 
• Merry Christmas! It’s expected that online retailers will offer free-shipping this holiday season. For more info . . . 
• However, according to a study by the National Retail Federation, consumers will take a conservative approach to spending this holiday season. For more info . . . 
• As part of an ongoing evaluation of e-lending, Macmillan will expand its library e-book offerings to include its entire e-book backlist, more than 11,000 titles. For more info . . . 
• You deserve a book today! McDonald’s restaurants is becoming a leading distributor of children’s books. It will insert 20 million copies of four original book titles into Happy Meals during the first two weeks of this month. The self-published Happy Meal Books will not be available for sale beyond the promotion. For more info . . . 
• A Netflix for books? Backed by HarperCollins, Scribd, the document sharing website has launched a subscription service for e-book lending. For more info . . . 
• Family Christian Ministries has launched a new digital platform, iDisciple. FCM’s goal is to be “the iTunes of Christian content.” For more info . . . 
• A new analysis of ISBN data shows that the number of self-published books in 2012 rose 59% over 2011, growing to over 391,000 titles. For more info . . . 
• Figment, an online writing community for teens, has been acquired by Random House Children’s Books. Founded in 2010, the site allows allows teens to develop as writers. Figment has more than 300,000 uses and has proven to be an effective marketing and promotional platform for the YA marketplace. For more info . . . 
• Publishers Weekly has revealed the 101 Best Books of 2013. The titles, chosen from nearly 9,000 reviews, run the gamut of all adult genres. For more info . . .
• Macmillan is expanding Macmillan Entertainment, their in-house book-to-film division. The division will pursue film and TV opportunities to include all titles within the company. For more info . . .
• Amazon has announced exclusive content will be available for their newly unveiled Kindle First program. The offering gives pre-publication access to Amazon Publishing titles to device owners. For more info . . .
• This is interesting. We’ll have to see what this prediction will mean for book sales. According to a new study, the millennial generation is expected to outspend baby boomers by 2017. Also revealed is that retailers underestimate the size and purchasing power of the younger consumer group. For more info . . .
• As if we didn’t see this coming. According to project conducted by the Book Industry Study Group, E-books have become “a normal means of consuming content.” For more info . . .
• Brick-and-mortar bookstores are playing the print card against Amazon. Some independent bookstores, as well as Barnes & Noble, will not carry Amazon Publishing's books. For more info . . . 
• Simon & Schuster is going to launch a new science fiction, fantasy and horror imprint. For more info . . . 
• Winners of the Top Shelf Book Cover Award program have been announced by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Formore info . . . 
• Good news for brick and mortar bookstores—RiverRun Bookstore of Portsmouth, NH has opened a second location in Southern Maine.
• And now for some sad news. After 26 years, longtime Christian retailer J.O.Y. Bookstore in Sinking Springs, Pa., will close the end of the year. Also, Detroit’s oldest bookstore, Marwil, will close after 65 years.
• And more bad news, August bookstore sales dropped 4.5%. For more info . . . 
• While in other news, total revenue at Amazon increased 24%, to $17.09 billion, in the third quarter of 2013. For more info . . .  
• Bloomsbury Publishing has announced that sales are up in all its major segments, and total revenue rose 13% for the first half of 2013, to 49.2 million pounds. For more info . . . 
• Also, Bloomsbury has launched Sigma, a new imprint that will publish books in the popular science category. For more info . . . 
• And, Bloomsbury Children's announced the December launch of Bloomsbury Spark, its new e-book-first imprint. For more info . . . 
• Xist Publishing creates digital-first children's books. For more info . . . 
• BelleBooks, has acquired ImaJinn Books. For more info . . . 
• Neil Alexander, president and publisher of the United Methodist Publishing House has announced his retirement in spring 2016. UMPH, which publishes church materials, Bibles, and scholarly and general trade books is known for their Cokesbury retail division and Abingdon Press. For more info . . .
• LifeWay Christian Stores has announced their purchase of Berean Christian Stories has been finalized. For more info . . . 
• The Natasha Kern Literary Agency has announced that Sue Brower, former executive editor for Zondervan, has joined the agency as their newest agent. For more info . . .
• Amazon Publishing has promoted Daphne Durham to publisher of the adult trade and children’s businesses. For more info . . . 

Megan DiMaria is Novel Rocket’s industry news columnist. An author and speaker, she enjoys cheering on writers and loves to encourage others as they journey through life’s demands and delights. Megan is the author of two women’s fiction novels, Searching for Spice and Out of Her Hands.