HC, Donnelley In Deal
HarperCollins and R.R. Donnelley reached a comprehensive agreement that will alter HC's approach to the supply chain. Under the agreement, Donnelley, in addition to printing HC books, will fulfill and ship orders for new books for all of HC's U.S. divisions, including Zondervan. In addition, Donnelley will serve as HC's print-on-demand supplier in global markets. HC said the new arrangement, which will be phased in starting this fall, will lower costs and increase speed to market. As a result of the change, HC will close two of its four U.S. warehouses.
March Store Sales Down
After rising in February following a January decline, bookstore sales fell again in March. According to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, March bookstore sales fell 5.8%, to $906 million. For the first quarter of 2011, bookstore sales were down 1.8%, to $4.03 billion.
Audible Launches ACX
Audible Inc. has launched ACX (ACX.com), an online audiobook rights marketplace, production platform, and online sales system. Officially known as the Audiobook Creation Exchange, ACX aims to increase the number of audiobooks in the market by matching authors and other book rights holders with actors, studios, and publishers.
Moyers Returns to Penguin
Scott Moyers has been named publisher at Penguin Press. Moyers, who starts at the imprint May 16, had been an agent at the Wylie Agency. Before joining Wylie, Moyers was a senior editor at Penguin Press when it launched its first list in 2004. With Moyers's return, Ann Godoff, president and editor-in-chief at Penguin Press, said she plans to double the output of the imprint.
IPG Rebrands
Independent Publishers Group, celebrating its 40th anniversary this spring, is officially rolling out a new logo to better reflect the company's role in an evolving industry. The new logo also highlights the company's initials, and the distributor will use IPG as its market brand.
Ed Victor Forms Publisher
Ed Victor Ltd., the England-based literary agency, has launched an e-book and print-on-demand publishing unit called Bedford Square Books. The imprint is starting with a blend of backlist titles—-both fiction and nonfiction—-by the agency's clients, going live with six books in September 2011. Titles from Bedford Square Books will only be available in the U.K., but the agency is in talks with Open Road Media to distribute its titles in the U.S.
Transcontinental Named CBAE-Book Distributor
Transcontinental Printing has been named the official e-book distributor for the Canadian Booksellers Association. The deal, the CBA said, will allow its member stores to "create new revenue streams and bring more titles to market faster." Through the arrangement, Transcontinental will provide software that booksellers can use to deliver titles to multiple digital platforms, work with already formatted titles, and use for backend needs.
