Fresh off receiving a new round of financing, Open Road Integrated Media has formed a partnership with mystery maven Otto Penzler to publish and promote digital editions of titles developed by Penzler’s just-launched MysteriousPress.com.
Penzler’s goal with MysteriousBooks.com is to build a catalog of backlist and original titles from renowned writers. First titles will be released early in the summer and more are in the pipeline. Titles and authors set to appear under the MysteriousPress.com banner include James Grady's Six Days of the Condor, Mark McShane's Séance on a Wet Afternoon, and Ellery Queen's The Roman Hat Mystery as well as original, never-before-published titles by Charles McCarry, Nelson DeMille, Lorenzo Carcaterra, and C.J. Box. The deal with Penzler adds to Open Road’s digital mystery and crime list, which already includes Lawrence Block, Ruth Rendell, and Jonathan King.
The Penzler deal is just the latest in a string of new agreements for Open Road. In a deal with Akashic Books, Open Road will digitize, distribute, and market e-book versions of Go the F**k to Sleep on sale June 14, the same date as the hardcover book is released. Open Road and Akashic are also developing an enhanced e-book that will be released during the holiday season. The book has received a wave of publicity prior to publication, which had been set for October. "Through this partnership with Open Road we can take full advantage of this unique title's potential as an e-book," said Johnny Temple, publisher of Akashic.
In a third deal, Open Road rached an agreement to digitally publish eight knitting and craft titles from Abrams's STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books imprint. The e-books, which will include the bestselling backlist tiles Last-Minute Knitted Gifts and More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts as well as the 2011 success A Knitter’s Home Companion, will be on sale this fall from Amazon.com, the Apple iBookstore, BarnesandNoble.com, Kobo Books, Overdrive, and the Sony Reader Store.
In late May, Open Road announced that had received more financing, this time in the form of $8 million in Series B equity financing. The round was led by Azure Capital and also includes Golden Seeds and current investor Kohlberg Ventures. Open Road will use the financing to expand its growing digital publishing and marketing program.
Open Road cofounder Jane Friedman said, “this investment positions us perfectly to continue to connect authors with readers as e-books become more and more popular. We are excited to welcome Azure Capital and Golden Seeds to the Open Road and remain proud of Jim Kohlberg’s confidence in our vision and performance.”
