Book Deal: “The Progress of Man” by Dr. Thomas Moore

Alphar Publishing has signed a deal for “The Progress of Man.” Thomas Moore says he likes Dubya. “As a character he feels like living in my own skin: There are two ways of measuring the progress of man, from within or from without... There is an effective objective method for comprehending man's progress, and that is by way of exploring my own progress, or more objectively, by exploring someone that I know well, such as the persona of Dubya.”

Ripplewood to Acquire The Reader's Digest Association

An investor group led by Ripplewood Holdings LLC has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. (NYSE: RDA) , a global leader in publishing and direct marketing, in a transaction with an aggregate value of $2.4 billion. Reader's Digest is a publisher and direct marketing company that creates and delivers products and content for magazines, books, recorded music collections, home videos and online websites. Its flagship magazine, Reader's Digest magazine, is published in 50 editions and 21 languages with a monthly circulation of approximately 18 million and a global readership of approximately 80 million.

HM Rivergroup PLC Announces the Acquisitions of Houghton Mifflin Company

HM Rivergroup PLC, a newly-formed Irish public limited company, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Houghton Mifflin Holding Company, Inc., a leading U.S. educational publisher. The purchase price of approximately $3.4 billion consists of approximately $1.75 billion in cash plus the assumption of approximately $1.61 billion in net debt. In addition, as part of the transaction, certain Houghton Mifflin management and employees will roll over $40 million of their equity into equity of HM Rivergroup.

HarperCollins Publishers Introduces the New Luxury in Reading

HarperCollins Publishers has launched HarperLuxe, the new standard in larger print publishing. "HarperLuxe aims to provide a more comfortable reading experience," says HarperLuxe publisher Liate Stehlik. The hallmarks of the new line will feature print at a more readable 14-point size font, with 20-point leading and wider margins. Published in full-size paperback format, the new books are light to carry and easy to read, magnifying the pleasures of great reading both in form and function.

Sheryl J. Anderson Signs With Artist International Management

Writer/producer/novelist Sheryl J. Anderson has signed with Artist International Management's literary division. Anderson will be represented by Artist International's Vice President of Management, Stan Spry. Most recently Anderson was the Co-Executive Producer on the Lifetime series "For the People." She was also a writer for Spelling Television and Paramount Studios' long-running television hit "Charmed" for several seasons, finishing her run on the show as a Co-Executive Producer.

RR Donnelley Awarded Multi-Year World Book, Inc. Global Contract

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company has been awarded a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract extension to produce both domestic and international encyclopedias and other reference books for World Book, Inc. Since 1917, World Book, Inc. has set the standard for providing accuracy, objectivity, and reliability in research materials for both children and adults and continues to publish the number-one selling print encyclopedia in the world, The World Book Encyclopedia.

About.com and Adams Media Introduce the About.com Book Series

About.com and Adams Media introduced the first four titles of a 24-part series of informative “how-to” books (www.about.com/books). The series begins with the release of “the About.com guide to Acoustic Guitar;” “the About.com guide to Having a Baby;” “the About.com guide to Job Searching;” and “the About.com guide to Southern Cooking.” Written by About.com Guides, each book is supplemented with companion content on the corresponding author’s About.com GuideSite. Readers are encouraged to dig more deeply into the subject with online updates, which provide expanded information on their areas of interest.

New Thomas Harris Novel to be Published in December

William Heinemann, an imprint of the Random House Group, will publish the new novel by Thomas Harris, Hannibal Rising, on the 5th December 2006. The film version of the new novel, for which Harris also wrote the screenplay, will be released in February 2007. The film, which is produced by the Dino De Laurentis Company, stars Gaspard Ulliel, the French co-star of the 2004 film A Very Long Engagement, as the young Dr. Lecter. William Heinemann have UK and Commonwealth rights for this and for a further novel by Harris. Hannibal Rising will also be published simultaneously as an audio book by Random House, with Thomas Harris reading the text.

Penguin Group to become the official book publisher of L.M. Montgomery 100th Anniversary Editions

Penguin Group (Canada) willundertake a major Canadian and international publishing program in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Anne of Green Gables, including publication of an official prequel, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the book's original publication in 1908.

To further celebrate this significant anniversary, Penguin will publish a special collectible 100th anniversary edition of Anne of Green Gables, featuring the original cover art of M.A. Claus and W.A.J. Claus. A third project, Imagining Anne: The Scrapbooks of L.M. Montgomery will bring to life Montgomery's own thoughts and interests using selected pages from her own scrapbooks from the years 1893 to 1908, covering her time as a college student, teacher and writer, and the years in which she created the character of Anne Shirley, leading to the publication of Anne of Green Gables in 1908.

HarperCollins Publishers and Grupo Planeta Join Forces

HarperCollins Publishers and Grupo Planeta have entered into a co-publishing agreement to develop a line of Spanish-language titles that will be published in the United States by the Rayo imprint of HarperCollins. The new venture will launch in the fall of 2006 with two previously published novels by international bestselling Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

Sprouse Bros. Sign Book Deal

Dualstar Entertainment Group announced an initial licensing deal with Simon Spotlight, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, to publish a series of books with 14-year-old actors Dylan and Cole Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody). Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The first books in the series will launch Summer 2007; Simon Spotlight has acquired North America rights for all channels of distribution. Simon Spotlight is an industry leader in publishing media tie-in titles from preschool through middle grades. Its properties include Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Backyardigans, Blue's Clues, and Mirage Studio's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Benacquista Galleries Inc. Signs Publishing Agreement

Benacquista Galleries, Inc. has signed an agreement with Benacquista Director and Ynot Education, Inc. President, Don Tolman to publish his new book titled "MediSign Meals." Inside MediSign Meals, Don will provide a complete recipe guide with instructions on how to add certain foods to your diet to specifically target diseases like Diabetes, Gout, High Blood Pressure, and much more. This book will make a great companion to The Farmacist Desk Reference (FDR)," concluded Price.

Publisher Rodale to Reissue EARTH IN THE BALANCE

Rodale Books, publisher of former Vice President Al Gore's No. 1 New York Times bestseller about global warming entitled AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, will reissue his first bestselling book, EARTH IN THE BALANCE: Ecology and the Human Spirit in Fall 2006 (Rodale Books, Paperback, $15.95; On Sale October 31).

Podiobooks.com and PodShow Agree to Syndication of Scott Sigler's Novel

Podiobooks.com has reached an agreement with PodShow, Inc. to syndicate the popular podcast novel "Ancestor," by Scott Sigler. This agreement makes the original work available in digital serialized format once again, enabling audiences new to podcasting, but aware of Scott's follow-on books and hard copy successes, to experience the original episodic work as it was first delivered in 2005.

Hyperion Announces Book Deal With Mary Tillman

Hyperion plans to publish an untitled memoir by Mary Tillman and Narda Zacchino, deputy editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. The as yet untitled book will be published in 2007.

Hyperion senior vice president and publisher Ellen Archer and senior vice president and editor-in-chief Will Schwalbe negotiated the deal with Steve Wasserman at Kneerim and Williams. Hyperion retains North American, first serial, and audio rights. Executive editor Leslie Wells is the editor for the book.

Lincoln Center and Wiley Sign Landmark Multi-Year Publishing Agreement

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. have formed a new multi-year partnership to publish a co-branded series of books, that will carry the names of both Wiley and Lincoln Center.

Under the terms of this agreement, Lincoln Center and Wiley will collaborate to publish a minimum of 15 books. These books will draw on Lincoln Center's community of performing artists, global presentations, and Lincoln Center Institute's educational expertise, as well as Lincoln Center's archives.

The range of works is targeted to families, general interest consumers, educators, and performing arts professionals. The first book under this new partnership will be a history of Lincoln Center from 1979-2006 and published in October, 2006.

Fox Chapel Publishing Acquires Cambium Press

Fox Chapel Publishing, the specialty publisher recently included on the Publishers Weekly list of Eleven Fast Growing Independent Publishers, has acquired Cambium Press, the well-respected publisher of furniture and cabinet-making titles.

The purchase of Cambium Press will immediately expand the reach of Fox Chapel into the general woodworking market. ?With Fox?s specialty in woodcarving, turning and scrolling books, this acquisition of Cambium adds general woodworking and furniture making titles to our catalog as we aim to achieve the same reach and recognition in this market as we enjoy in our own,? said Alan Giagnocavo, president and owner of Fox Chapel Publishing.

Noted Author Paul Levinson Signs Digital-Only Audio Book Deal

Paul Levinson, a five-time published Tor books science fiction author and eight-time scholarly non-fiction writer, has signed a deal to produce a digital-only paid downloadable audio book with Indie label Conquer The World Records (CTW). The release, entitled Spun Dreams, is currently under production as read and recorded by Levinson himself.

The work is a collection of short stories that have been published over the years in various magazines and anthologies. The release will retail for $9.99 and will also contain a few music tracks, as well as spoken word content. Most recently the author has been receiving attention for his new science fiction time travel novel "The Plot to Save Socrates" which was released earlier this year by Tor.

IRM Wins Licensing Rights for Agatha Christie

The global murder mystery brand Agatha Christie is set to become even bigger as Interactive Rights Management (IRM) signs a pioneering new deal with Chorion Plc to create and commercialise the global internet and mobile rights to the Queen of Crime.

Agatha Christie is the world's best selling novelist. With more than two billion books sold, she is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. In addition to this astonishing statistic, her eighty classic novels and short story collections and 19 plays continue to attract new audiences throughout the globe each year.

Carol Brunelli and Ann Tinkham Sign with Sourcebooks, Inc.

Boulder, Colorado authors Carol Brunelli and Ann Tinkham, have signed with Sourcebooks, Inc. for the publication of their pop feminist self-help book, Lessons from Bad Girls. Sourcebooks is a forward-thinking publishing house with a unique corporate culture, committed to making an impact on society and the lives of individual readers by publishing books with high-quality content and uncommon value. The expected release date is spring 2007.

Author Lia Scott Price's Novel THE GUARDIAN Becomes Film

Author-turned-film producer Lia Scott Price has just completed her second film based on her novel "The Guardian" (iuniverse.com). Price is the author of a series of novels, which feature her vampire and supernatural serial killer characters in a disturbing and controversial form: Guardian Angels.

An aspiring indie-minded filmmaker determined to turn her novels into films, Price first experimented with filmmaking by producing film shorts based on scenes from her novels and airing them on Cable TV. Price moved on to producing and financing full-length feature films through her company, Lia Scott Price Productions.

To view the trailer for "The Guardian," visit www.liascottprice.com.

OCEANVIEW PUBLISHING ENTERS INTO REPRESENTATION AGREEMENT WITH WRITER'S HOUSE

Oceanview Publishing has entered into an agreement with Writers House, one of the country's preeminent literary agencies. Writers House will handle domestic rights representation for the Oceanview catalog, which includes Dr. Patricia Gussin's Shadow of Death, Ward Larsen's The Perfect Assassin, as well as forthcoming releases from acclaimed novelist Don Bruns, respected medical researcher Dr. Bob Gussin, and award-winning writer Martha Powers.

Running Press Acquires Sequel to Groundbreaking Novel

Running Press has acquired world rights to the sequel to "Cathy's Book" (RP hardcover, $17.95, ISBN: 0-7624-2656-X), the eagerly anticipated interactive YA novel by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman being published in September 2006.

Rodale to Publish Book by New York Senator Chuck Schumer

The Random House Group announced that Hannah Black has acquired rights to the autobiography of Chantelle Houghton. Living the Dream will be published in hardback by Century in October, 2006.

Chantelle was the first non celebrity to feature in Channel 4's Celebrity Big Brother beating ten bona fide celebrities to scoop the prize. Since winning, Chantelle has presented E4's Chantelle: Living the Dream and is now hosting a new show, Chantelle's Dream Dates. Century will publish her book, Living the Dream, in hardback in October.

Hyperion to Publish a New Book With Michael J. Fox

Hyperion plans to publish a new book about optimism by Michael J. Fox to be entitled ALWAYS LOOKING UP. The book is scheduled for publication in fall, 2008.

Filled with honesty and humor, ALWAYS LOOKING UP will address important questions such as: Is an optimistic nature something we are born with, is it genetic? Is it environmental, chemical, spiritual? Are optimism and faith the same thing? Fox will begin with the individuals who inspired him with their courage and spirit, and will seek out the most influential optimists (and pessimists) in the worlds of philosophy, art, science, literature, politics, and popular culture, past and present. He will weave all of his findings, experiences and adventures into a highly personal narrative, similar in tone and style to LUCKY MAN.

Hyperion president Bob Miller negotiated the deal with Amanda Urban of ICM. Executive editor Leslie Wells will be the editor for the book. Hyperion retains audio and world rights.

Rodale Books has agreed with New York Senator Charles E. "Chuck" Schumer to publish a book about democratic policies and strategies entitled "The 50 Percent Solution: Winning Back the Middle Class One Family at a Time." Leigh Haber, vice president and executive editor of Rodale Books, acquired the North American rights in a preemptive agreement from Arthur Klebanoff of the Scott Meredith Agency. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Publication of the book is expected in early 2007.

Rodale Books has agreed with New York Senator Charles E. "Chuck" Schumer to publish a book about democratic policies and strategies entitled "The 50 Percent Solution: Winning Back the Middle Class One Family at a Time." Leigh Haber, vice president and executive editor of Rodale Books, acquired the North American rights in a preemptive agreement from Arthur Klebanoff of the Scott Meredith Agency. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Publication of the book is expected in early 2007.

Rodale will utilize its "Rodale 360" integrated marketing strategies to support the project across its multiple media platforms and distribution channels, including direct marketing to its extensive database of more than 25 million customers, and content placement in its magazines.