May Store Sales Up
Bookstore sales rose 1.2% in May, to $1.11 billion, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. For the first five months of 2006 sales were $6.29 billion, up less than one-tenth of a percentage point compared to the January—May period in 2005. Sales for the entire retail segment were up 9.5% in May and 7.9% for the year to date.
Schrank to Lead Razorbill
Ben Schrank has been named president and publisher of Penguin's Razorbill imprint. Most recently, Schrank had been editorial director at Alloy Entertainment, where he edited or wrote several popular YA books. He starts at Razorbill August 7 and will report to Penguin Books for Young Readers president Doug Whiteman.
DeVito to Lead Sterling Imprint
Carlo DeVito has been named to head Sterling Innovation, a new imprint dedicated to titles with "high-energy design" that will work with recognized consumer brands. As he did at Running Press and Penguin's Chamberlain Brothers, DeVito will publish titles in hardcover, paper and book-plus formats. DeVito left Chamberlain last October. The first titles will come out in spring 2007.
New Chelsea Green Imprint
Chelsea Green will launch a new imprint this fall: Sciencewriters Books. The imprint will be run by Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan, founders of the educational organization Sciencewriters, and will publish books about science for the general public. Eight books are signed for the imprint so far.
Gibbs Smith Adds Hill Street
The Layton, Utah— based Gibbs Smith, Publisher, has added Georgia's Hill Street Press to its list of distribution clients and announced that the two companies will copublish Hill Street's fall '06 and spring '07 frontlist titles. The deal follows Gibbs Smith's purchases last April of Charleston, S.C., publisher Wyrick and the Southwestern regional house Ancient City Press, based in Santa Fe, N.Mex., acquired in August 2005. Thomas Payton, Hill Street's president and publisher, will continue to oversee all aspects of the business from Athens, Ga.
EDC Has Soft Quarter; Eyes Intervisual
Sales fell from $8.2 million to $8.1 million in the first quarter ended May 31 at Educational Development Corp., and earnings dropped 6.5%, to $696,648. A decline in sales to independent bookstores was cited as the main reason for the drop.
In a bid to add original publishing to its primary business—distributing the Usborne line of children's books—EDC has provided debtor-in-possession financing to Intervisual Books. The children's book publisher filed for Chapter 11 protection earlier this year, and EDC hopes to be able to acquire the company if the bankrupcty court approves Intervisual's reorganization plan.
NBN to FulFill ACC
The Antique Collectors' Club is closing its Easthampton, Mass., warehouse and moving its fulfillment function to National Book Network effective August 1. NBN will handle fulfillment for all of ACC's distribution clients. Dan Farrell will continue to head ACC's U.S. sales and marketing operation.
Lerner to Handle Kane
Lerner Publishing has taken over distribution for Kane Press. Based in New York City, Kane publishes more than 100 educational titles, including such series as Math Matters.
Fox Chapel Purchase
Fox Chapel Publishing, the specialty publisher of woodcarving books, has expanded into the general woodworking market with the acquisition of Cambium Press, publisher of furniture- and cabinet-making titles. The purchase adds 20 titles to the Fox Chapel list.
HC, Fox Atomic Graphic Deal
HarperCollins has struck a deal with Fox Atomic to create and distribute a line of graphic novels based on the films produced by the youth-focused arm of Fox Filmed Entertainment. Four titles are planned from Fox Atomic Comics in 2007. HC will sell and market the line through its channels, while Fox Atomic will publicize the books online and through theatrical outlets.
RD Nabs Bush, Clinton
Former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton will write the foreword to a fall Reader's Digest title. For America will be written by RD Washington bureau senior editor Sacha Zimmerman and will include more than 75 suggestions Americans can take to bring the country closer together.
Having Bush and Clinton combine to write the foreword illustrates how people can work together, RD's Harold Clarke said. RD plans to release the title October 5, in conjunction with an editorial feature set for the October issue of the magazine. A tentative first printing of 100,000 copies has been set.
