Among some non-rights news emanating from the Frankfurt Book Fair is a deal between Random House and the Beijing Publishing House to co-produce Fodor’s Guide to Beijing: 2008 Olympics Edition and an announcement from Lerner Publishing that it has formed a U.K. division.
In addition to traditional listings, Fodor’s Guide to Beijing will include features on Chinese history and culture plus a 23-page feature on the preparations Beijing has undertaken to host the 2008 Olympics. The deal with BPH, which will handle distribution of the guide in China, was made through Random House Asia. The title will be released later this year.
The Fodor’s deal is the second agreement between a major western publisher and a Chinese partner involving a travel guide. At the Beijing Book Fair, HarperCollins signed a deal with the Chinese company Blue Sky Publishing to publish Travel Around China in April 2008.
Lerner used the fair to announce it has formed Lerner Books UK and will begin selling its first 184-book collection there in January to schools and libraries. The titles, originally published in the U.S., were updated and edited for publication by Discovery Books Ltd., located in Shropshire. Pat Shepherd, former sales director at Random House Children’s Books UK, has been hired by Lerner as project manager to work with U.K. educators and to set up business partnerships. Sales and marketing will be handled by Bounce Sales and Marketing with distribution through Grantham Book Services. The U.K. titles will also be distributed in Australia via INT Press Distribution and Phambili Agencies in South Africa.
