Amazon Acquires Toby Press Titles

Amazon has acquired the publication rights of some 120 books currently published by The Toby Press. Toby's CEO, Matthew Miller, is re-focusing his business on his Koren and Maggid imprints, which he acquired last year, and moving the business from Connecticut to Israel. Miller will continue to publish some titles, such as Hebrew classics in English translation, under the Toby name, but the overwhelming majority of new publications--about 250 titles per year--will be under both Koren and Toby.

Scribd Launches 'Read for a Cause' Literacy Campaign

Social publisher Scribd this week announced the start of a year-long global literacy campaign that will feature an array of celebrity reading lists, and will encourage Scribd users to share their own lists and to donate to global literacy efforts, including the construction of libraries in India. The program, Read for a Cause, kicked off on Monday with a list from Deepak Chopra.

After Fast Start, 'Decision Points' Heads Back to Press

George Bush's Decision Points has sold a total of 775,000 copies in its first week on sale, giving Random House its strongest selling nonfiction title since 2004. The sales figure includes hardcovers, audio, large print and export editions as well as over 100,000 e-books.

Dorchester Hires New CEO; Sets New Plan

After rumors surfaced over the weekend that Dorchester CEO John Prebich had left the struggling publisher, PW has confirmed that Prebich is indeed out and a new CEO has been named in Robert Anthony. Anthony, who was most recently CFO and CEO at Backe Marketing, is, per a statement from the house this morning, going to "revitalize" Dorchester. A full trade paperback and e-book program is planned.

Nicholas Brealey Adds Publicity/Marketing Team

Nicholas Brealey Publishing continues to grow its U.S. operations. Last week its Boston office launched a revamped Web site (www.nicholasbrealey.com). Now it has hired Hillary Park to handle publicity and maintain the Web site and begun partnering with two marketing firms: Shelton Interactive to develop a social media platform and help with publicity, and Monaco Associates to lead strategic marketing planning and execution.

News Briefs: Week fo 11/15/10

Joseph-Beth in Chapter 11; Langenscheidt Closes U.S. Division; Rosenthal Gets Penguin Imprint; Benton Named Scholastic Trade Publisher.

McGraw-Hill Releases Its BP Spill Book

McGraw-Hill has joined the pack of publishers that are quickly turning out books on the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Along with Bloomberg Press, Chelsea Green, Crown, HarperCollins, MIT Press, OR Books, St. Martin's, and Wiley, McGraw-Hill is quickly publishing a book about the spill by a journalist who is close to the matter at hand.

Grove Atlantic Relaunches Penzler's Mysterious Press

Grove Atlantic is relaunching the Mysterious Press with legendary editor Otto Penzler in fall 2011. The imprint will publish 10 to 12 new books a year in hardcover and paperback.

Jossey-Boss Finds Unique Tie-In in Biz Book

Jossey-Boss's lead title for fall, Undercover Boss, is exactly the kind of book the John Wiley imprint is known for--one about business and leadership. That it's also based on a popular reality TV series, though, is something new for the publisher.

First Dorchester Author Reclaims Rights, Self-Publishes

After mounting problems at Dorchester Publishing--the house announced plans to drop its traditional mass market paperback business in favor of a digital/print-on-demand-only list amid mounting complaints of late royalty payments and contract defaults--author Angie Fox has reclaimed her rights from the publisher in order to self-publish her book, The Last Demon Slayers.

Weise Launches New LGBT Indie Press

Don Weise has launched Magnus Books, an indie press dedicated to LGBT literature. Weise was at Alyson Books until October, when he left the publisher amid mounting financial problems for its parent company, Here Media.

ACP Spins Off Digital Services

The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) plans to spin off its digital services into a separate non-profit organization in the new year. ACP's Canadian Publishers Digital Services will then be known as ebound Canada.

Tyrus Books Quick Off the Mark

Tyrus Books has been around for little more than a year, but already it's exceeding its publisher's early expectations in establishing a solid niche in the crime fiction genre.

News Briefs: Week of 11/8/10

Smaller Presses, Bigger Authors

The midlist is dying. That sentiment has been a mantra in publishing circles for years as agents, authors, and editors have decried that corporate publishing will no longer support the kind of author that was once an industry staple--the moderate success who was a consistent seller, if not a bestseller.

City of Chicago Supports Its Literati

On Monday, November 9, the Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affairs (DCA) will unveil two new web resources designed to promote Chicago's flourishing publishing and literary communities: ChicagoPublishes.com and CAR-Literary.com.

Lampack Loses in Suit Against Former Author

A New York Supreme Court judge has dismissed most of the claims in a lawsuit filed by The Peter Lampack Agency against his former client Martha Grimes and her publisher, Penguin Group. The ruling in the suit, Peter Lampack Agency., Inc. v. Martha Grimes, et al, could stand as a legal touchstone supporting authors' fiduciary rights when it comes to the author-agent relationship.

Hachette Signs With NetGalley

Hachette Book Group has signed an agreement with digital galley distributor NetGalley to circulate electronic galleys and press material to the media. The deal marks the second arrangement NetGalley has struck with one of the big six publishers, after signing with HarperCollins this summer. Through the agreement Hachette will now be able to send digital press kits--including video, audio, tour schedules, author Q&As, and photos--to members of the press, as well as e-galleys.

Nicholas Brealey Finds Its Groove

Nearly two years after its acquisition of Davies-Black and a decade after its purchase of Intercultural Press in Yarmouth, Maine, London-based Nicholas Brealey Publishing is coming into its own as a full-fledged U.S. publisher acquiring books on this side of the ocean.

News Briefs: Week of 11/1/10