Random House–Wylie Agency Go to The Mat
In a move that stirred up a lot of questions and concerns about who holds digital rights, the Wylie Agency's announcement last week about its new business, Odyssey Editions—which will release Kindle editions of backlist titles by some of the agency's biggest authors—made Random House upset, and then angry. The publisher, after initially questioning whether Wylie had the right to publish e-book editions, later announced that it would stop doing business with the Wylie Agency until the matter was resolved.
Penguin Starts Amplified Editions
Last week, Penguin USA released what it is calling the amplified edition of Ken Follett's bestseller, The Pillars of the Earth: a multimedia e-book app offering extensive video, audio, and other graphic content, created in conjunction with Starz Entertainment's production of an original eight-hour TV miniseries based on the book. Designed to run on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, the amplified edition of Pillars sells for $12.99, while the regular e-book is $7.99. Penguin said it plans to do more amplified editions with different partners, though no new projects have been announced.
Square One Buys Safe Goods
Square One Publishers has acquired Safe Goods Publishing. Through the deal, Square One, as of August 28, takes charge of the company's existing stock and backlist. Founded in 1993, Safe Goods specializes in the categories of diet, health, and nutrition, and publishes such titles as The ADD & ADHD Diet by Rachel Bell and Dr. Howard Peiper, and Kids-First: Health with No Interference by Dr. Ogi Ressel.
Keen Consolidates Wilderness
Keen Communications is splitting the operations of its Wilderness Press imprint into the offices of its two other imprints and will close Wilderness's Berkeley office at the end of July. Keen president Richard Hunt said Wilderness will remain an active imprint, with its editorial and production functions handled by Menasha Ridge in Birmingham, Ala., and marketing and publicity conducted from Clerisy Press's Cincinnati office. Hunt expects all 12 Wilderness titles set for 2011 to go ahead as scheduled. Keen acquired Wilderness in early 2008.
Borders Selling Texts, Closes Paperchase Deal
Borders entered the online textbook market last week, teaming up with Alibris to launch Borders Textbook Marketplace. The site, at borders.com/textbooks, will offer 1.4 million new and used textbooks and will buy back student texts. The company also announced that it has completed the sale of Paperchase to the U.K. investment firm Primary Capital Limited for $31 million.
Palin Bio Delayed
Speaking Up: The Sarah Palin Story, a biography of Sarah Palin aimed at nine-to-12-year-olds and written by Kim Washburn, has been delayed indefinitely. The bio, due out in October, was slated to be part of a series of biographies targeted at middle-grade readers.
Scribd to Open NYC Office
Scribd has hired former Google staffer Robert R. Macdonald as senior v-p of business development to open a New York office for the social publisher.
