Ammer Resigns From RH
Bonnie Ammer has resigned as executive v-p, international sales, of Random House Inc., effective December 31. Ammer formed the international sales teams in 2007 after serving in a number of executive positions at Random, including publisher-at-large. The U.S. international sales team will report to Madeline McIntosh, whose first day in her new job of president of sales, operations, and digital, was December 1. Ammer had reported to McIntosh.
Springer in Deal with CreateSpace
Berlin-based Springer Science + Business Media has signed an agreement with Amazon’s print-on-demand arm, CreateSpace, through which Springer’s English-language paperback book catalogue will be made available via POD in the U.S. Springer said that in addition to moving a significant number of its paperback selections to POD, it will also supply many new paperbacks only in POD format. Many hardcover titles are being converted to paperback for inclusion. Currently, about 11,000 Springer titles are available through CreateSpace.
CreateSpace, BookSurge Merging
Amazon is in the process of integrating the print-on-demand functions of BookSurge into CreateSpace, which had focused primarily on supplying tools for self-publishers short of POD. The move will make CreateSpace the single platform for all BookSurge and CreateSpace authors and publishers. According to the Create-Space Web site, “during the coming months we will be transitioning all BookSurge accounts to CreateSpace, after which the BookSurge brand will be retired.” BookSurge’s offices will remain open.
Lightning in Deal with CreateSpace
Ingram and Amazon seem to have buried their difference over Amazon’s decision in early 2008 to make authors and publishers who want to sell their titles directly through Amazon use its print-on-demand division, BookSurge (now rebranded CreateSpace), rather than Ingram’s Lightning Source. Last week, CreateSpace announced that self-published authors and others who sign up for the CreateSpace Pro Plan will get access to Lightning and Ingram’s distribution channels. Amazon’s demand in spring 2008 that customers who want to sell directly on the Amazon site use BookSurge touched off a dispute between Amazon and Ingram, and prompted a lawsuit by BookLocker, another print-on-demand company, that challenged the legality of Amazon’s decision.
Lightning in Pact with Agapea
Lightning Source has struck a deal with Spanish bookseller and e-tailer Agapea to provide the company with a range of titles from outside of Spain in a number of languages, including English. The titles will be drawn from Lightning’s “euro-priced” catalogue, which includes about 250,000 books from traditional and nontraditional publishers.
New Dutton/Riverhead Imprint
Dutton and Riverhead are launching Redeemer, a new imprint devoted to books from evangelical Christian preacher Timothy Keller and his Redeemer Presbyterian Church. The two imprints have already published two titles by Keller, and on October 20 Dutton released his third hardcover, Counterfeit Gods. The Redeemer imprint will launch its first two titles in 2011.
HCI Buys 'Rouge’
HCI Communications has acquired rights to OR Books’ Going Rouge and began shipping the left-wing take on Sarah Palin to bookstores last week. The book was initially published as a direct-to-consumer title. HCI is doing a first printing of 50,000 copies.
Turner Has Imprint
Philip Turner, a former publishing executive for several New York houses, has announced plans to publish a series of books through a new imprint to be “hosted” by the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group and distributed through NBN. The first title to be released as “a Philip Turner Book” will be Paul David Pope’s The Deeds of My Fathers, set for an October 2010 publication. Turner described his new imprint as an independent unit that has an understanding with Rowman & Littlefield to “host” the new line, although future Philip Turner Books could be hosted by other publishers. Turner envisions publishing about 5—10 books over the next two years.
Constellation Expands
The Perseus Books Group has added two new e-book retailers to its Constellation digital services program: Barnes & Noble and Shortcovers. The company also introduced new elements to its digital short-print-run service, such as the ability to strip and rebind hardcovers, and print in the U.K.
Meyer Suit Tossed
A judge has ruled in favor of Stephenie Meyer and Hachette Book Group, dismissing Jordan Scott’s claim of copyright infringement. Scott had accused Meyer of plagiarism. At the time of Scott’s filing of the suit in federal court in California in August, Hachette called it a “publicity stunt to further Scott’s career,” and said it expected a dismissal.
OUP, Mayo in Pact
The Mayo Clinic is partnering with Oxford University Press to publish a line of medical reference titles and textbooks. OUP is looking to release 7—10 titles annually under the Mayo Clinic Science Press name, all written by Mayo Clinic doctors and/or researchers. The first title in the series is slated to be released in February 2010.
Spain Is BEA Focus
Spain will be the focus of BookExpo America’s next Global Market Forum. The BEA Global Market Forum: Spanish Publishing will include a one-day series of educational conference programs at BEA, which will be held on May 25, 2010.
