Scout Press Is One
Scout Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, is pleased to pop some corks to celebrate its first anniversary. In this past year, it has published two New York Times bestsellers—Ruth Ware’s In a Dark, Dark Wood and Bill Clegg’s Did You Ever Have a Family. Clegg was longlisted for the National Book Award, Man Booker Prize, PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize, and Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence
“You always hold your breath when you release a book,” says Jen Bergstrom, publisher. “No matter how many great reviews you get, you always are a little anxious. But we can’t be happier with the sales on both books.”
At BEA, Scout Press features a philosophical thriller called I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid, coming in June. In addition to a galley giveaway, the author will be on hand. “We have an old-school approach to this imprint. We send our authors on extensive pre-publication tours to meet with booksellers,” says Bergstrom.
She adds, “Our mission is to discover new novelists and great books that we hope will stand the test of time, and we are right on track for doing that. We are interested in building writers’ careers. When we find something we love, we’re taking it.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics Celebrates 25 Years of Publishing
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ flagship book and the title that launched its line of consumer books. To mark the occasion, the AAP will be giving away 25th-anniversary tote bags and featuring its full list of trade titles at its booth (2336).
“We are proud of the enduring significance of our books,” says Mark Grimes, director of the department of publishing. “These titles offer parents the very best pediatrician-approved advice to help improve their children’s health and well-being.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ award-winning books for parents by the numbers:
4.5 million: copies of Caring for Your Baby and Young Child in print, now in its sixth edition
10 million+: copies of the AAP’s 40 books for parents in print
3: other publishers the AAP has partnered with—Bantam, DK, and Villard
64: foreign language editions of AAP’s books for parents
50+: authors and editors AAP has worked with on the books for parents over the past 25 years.
Off the show floor, the AAP will be commemorating the occasion all year long and heavily featuring the consumer publishing program at the annual National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco this fall.
Cheers for Barron’s 75th
Three-quarters of a century ago, a 19-year-old Brooklyn College student and clerk at a local bookstore asked for a raise—and didn’t get it. That was the push he needed to start his own bookstore. Two years later, Barron responded to customer requests by publishing the first four mimeographed titles of the New York State Regents Exams & Answers, and Barron’s Educational Series Inc. was born. It is now one of the test prep leaders around the world, with more than 2,000 titles in print.
Chairman and CEO Manuel Barron is still in charge and goes to work every day. In fact, he is at Barron’s booths (1118, 1119) for the entire convention. “I’m honored and thrilled to celebrate our 75th anniversary at the BEA with all of my colleagues from the industry,” he says. “As the founder of Barron’s, I’m grateful for the decades of success I’ve achieved, but I didn’t do it alone. Barron’s wouldn’t be where it is today without the hundreds of remarkable employees—past and present—whose talent, loyalty, and hard work helped make this happen. I also have no doubt that our longevity is due to our faithful bookselling community. Without their support, we never would have achieved this milestone. I’m humbled and thankful for all of it.”
Barron’s celebrates this milestone with posters on the outside of the booth featuring spreads from its bestselling coloring books — with coloring pencils available for anyone who wants to stop by and relax. The company is also giving away anniversary bags.
