New Era for Penguin Canada

Relief was the prevailing sentiment in response to last week's announcement by Penguin Group that it had named longtime Penguin executive Mike Bryan to succeed David Davidar as president of Penguin Canada. Agents were relieved that Penguin appears to be honoring its commitment to Canadian publishing while Penguin management was relieved to put the entire Davidar episode behind it.

News Briefs: Week of 7/12/10

Little Shop of Horror

Fans of horror and dark fantasy have an astounding appetite for lavish limited-edition hardcovers. Producing close to 60 genre titles a year in print runs as small as 250, Subterranean Press is happy to keep those readers fed.

Terror Eternal: The enduring popularity of H.P. Lovecraft

For nearly a century, a formidable presence has cast its shadow over horror publishing. As protean as it is pervasive, it has insinuated itself into virtually all aspects of the genre's publishing platform: trade publishing, specialty press, comics and graphic novels, role-playing game scenarios, movie novelizations, audiobooks, Web zines, and now e-books. It's the spirit—or, if you will, the shade—of H.P. Lovecraft

The PW Morning Report: Friday, July 9, 2010

Today it's all about Sony's rumored hybrid device, how Borders UK won't pay, and Denis Johnson's papers.

Medallion to Publish YA Titles by YA Writers

Medallion Press is venturing into unfamiliar territory, in announcing the launch of its new Ya-Ya line of fiction and nonfiction for young adult readers ages 13-18. Not only is the Ya-Ya line intended for teen readers, but the titles in the imprint will actually be written by teen authors.

Stern Kept in Limbo With Job at Crown Awaiting Her

The usually slow summer publishing season has been given a jolt by an unusual corporate tug-of-war for Viking editor-in-chief Molly Stern. Matt Flamm, reporting in Crain's last week, described the situation as a "publishing-industry smack-down" in which Stern, trying to defect to oversee Crown's general interest imprints (Crown Publishers and Broadway Books), is being held not-so-ceremoniously to her contract with Viking.

The PW Morning Report: Thursday, July 8, 2010

Today we've got a roundup-roundup, news about the rise and fall of various gadgets, and a hometown look at thew prez of Penguin Canada.

Licensing Hotline: July 2010

News from the recent Licensing International show in Las Vegas, including new Star Wars books, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet deals, Dr. Seuss news, and more tidbits.

Layoffs at Clarkson Potter

PW has learned that a handful of staffers have been laid off at Clarkson Potter. A spokesperson for Random House's Crown Publishing Group confirmed that "a small number of positions" were eliminated in its illustrated publishing program, but declined to discuss further details. In the April reogranization of Crown, the Clarkson Potter imprints along with Watson-Guptill, The Monacelli Press and Ten Speed Press were put in a division under the direction of Lauren Shakely and focused on four-color, lifestyle and cooking titles.

The PW Morning Report: Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Why print books are better than e-books, Emily Dickinson's epilepsy, and a cool fall books preview, all in today's PW Morning Report.

The PW Morning Report: Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Sony Lowers E-Reader Prices; Hitchens Cancels His Book Tour; A Diamond iPhone 4.

News Briefs: Week of 7/5/2010

OR Books Crashes Book on Oil Spill

OR Books, the start-up behind last fall's Sarah Palin spoof Going Rouge, is crashing another timely title, Deepwater Horizon: The Oil Disaster, Its Aftermath and Our Future by Peter Lehner with Bob Deans. The book--the first to appear on the massive offshore oil spill--is on sale now on OR's Web site as both a print book and an e-book, and co-publisher John Oakes said OR expects to license the book to a traditional publisher that would sell its edition to stores and wholesalers, as it did with Going Rouge.

The PW Morning Report: Friday July 2, 2010

Today PW is thinking about incentivising e-readers and kids' reading.

Health Magazine Publishes Its First Diet Book

Time Inc. has a long list of of magazines with millions of readers--a perk for many reasons, not the least of which is a built-in editorial publicity machine that comes in handy when you're publishing books. It's worked for Sports Illustrated and Real Simple, and this fall, the company is betting on 23-year-old stalwart Health magazine, which Time acquired in 1993.

Authors on the Air: The Boston Post Road, Unwrapped; 'The Lost Cyclist'; 'My Empire of Dirt'

On today's Leonard Lopate Show, Eric Jaffe traveled The King's Best Highway: The Lost History of the Boston Post Road, the Route That Made America (Scribner, 978-1416586142, $27.50). PW wrote, "Jaffe's concluding personal journey along the historic way lends color to his light work of popular history."

The PW Morning Report: July 1, 2010

A daily round-up of publishing news from across the Web: Amazon.com to Acquire Shopping Site Woot; W. S. Merwin to Be Named Poet Laureate; Writing for the Kindle: 'Like a Fast-Paced Rock and Roll Album'; Hitchens Undergoing Chemo; Is Glenn Beck The Publishing Industry's Biggest Hope?

Tyndale 'Son of Hamas' Author Granted Political Asylum

In March of this year, Tyndale House published Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices by Mosab Hassan Yousef, whose father helped found Hamas. Although the U.S. Department of Homeland Security considered barring Yousef, claiming he was a terrorist, a judge yesterday granted him political asylum in this country.

NBN Begins Distribution to the Middle East, Launches E-Book Department

National Book Network now has distribution to the Middle East, and has also has created a new department focusing on e-books.