Sunday, October 26, 2008

Bloomsbury Publishing Launches Academic Imprint

Bloomsbury Publishing is launching into academic publishing with a new imprint: Bloomsbury Academic. The imprint will initially publish in the Humanities and Social Sciences building thematic lists on pressing global issues, with approximately fifty new titles online and in print by the end of 2009.

Bloomsbury Academic will be using a radically new model. All titles will be made available free of charge online, with free downloads, for non-commercial purposes, immediately upon publication, using Creative Commons licences. The works will also be sold as books, using latest short-run technologies or Print on Demand (POD).

Frances Pinter will be Bloomsbury Academic’s Publisher, joining Managing Director Jonathan Glasspool.

The Bloomsbury Academic platform (http://www.bloomsburyacademic.com/) will also be available to showcase and promote other publishers' titles. The initiative is not exclusively in the English language and Bloomsbury’s German partner, Berlin Verlag, will be participating actively. Neither is the programme geographically bound with Bloomsbury USA involved in North America and we are in discussion with Melbourne University Publishing to showcase the best of Australian scholarship.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Hyperion to Publish Two Non-Fiction Books by Bestselling Author, Dean Koontz

Hyperion plans to publish two nonfiction books by mega-bestselling author, Dean Koontz. The first book, A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog, is scheduled for Summer 2009 publication. In this memoir, Koontz will tell the story of their beloved golden retriever, Trixie, and the profound effect that she had on the lives of both he and his wife Gerda. It is the story of unexpectedly falling in love with a puppy in one's middle age and gaining a family member along the way. With honesty and emotion, it will detail their rich journey together up to her passing and the deep sadness they experienced. The book is a departure for Koontz, whose fiction has been published in thirty-eight languages.

Dean and his wife Gerda adopted Trixie after an injury released her from Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), a non-profit organization that trains dogs to assist people with disabilities. It was during research for one of his novels that Dean first contacted CCI, and now the Koontz family is a major supporter, with the organization's Southwest campus in Oceanside, CA. named after them.

Hyperion President and Publisher Ellen Archer announced the deal saying, "Dean Koontz is such a skilled storyteller, I'm thrilled that he's chosen Hyperion to be his publisher for his first non-fiction project. I'm sure that this book will attract his many fans, and scores of new readers, too.

Of the deal Koontz says: "Writing about our marvelous and funny Trixie, about how she changed our lives, about love and loss, and about the mystery and wonder of the human-dog bond will give me enormous pleasure, as will working with the Hyperion team, for whose unexcelled creativity and expertise in publishing nonfiction I have the highest admiration."

Hyperion executive editor Brenda Copeland negotiated the deal and will edit the book. Hyperion retains World English, first serial, and audio rights. The subject of book two is to be determined.

Website: http://www.hyperionbooks.com/

Friday, October 17, 2008

DailyLit Serializes Oxford University Press Books

DailyLit, an innovative digital publisher, announced a deal with Oxford University Press to serialize several of its popular books via email or RSS feed.

Weird and Wonderful Words by Erin McKean and What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam by John L. Esposito are examples of the range of titles originally published by Oxford University Press that are now available on DailyLit. Books are available for as little as $4.95.

DailyLit (http://www.dailylit.com/) is the leading publisher of serialized books in digital form. DailyLit currently features over 1000 classic and contemporary books available for free or for a small fee.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Millionaire Arthur Wylie Makes Unprecedented Deal for Tyree Film Rights

Arthur Wylie, the Atlanta-based investor and self-made millionaire, has acquired the film rights of New York Times best-selling author Omar Tyree's work. Wylie's company, Arthur Wylie Productions -- a division of Arthur Wylie Enterprises -- not only holds the film rights to the current novels, but to any future literary works as well.

This unprecedented multi-million dollar deal amplifies Wylie's growing catalog of urban and mainstream action, drama, suspense and comedy films. The deal also cultivates the big screen presence of the Omar Tyree brand and longevity for the franchise. Since acquiring the film rights, Wylie has successfully brokered deals totaling over $50,000,000 to finance production for 4 of the 16 films between 2009 and 2011.

Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Arthur Wylie set up business out of his dorm room at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and was a millionaire by age 26. After establishing a successful real estate company and wealth management business that serviced notable professional athletes in the NFL, NBA and boxing, Wylie continued to be drawn to new business challenges.

Foreseeing cumbersome restrictions, regulations, and an overall downturn in the financial industry, Wylie became more drawn to intellectual property and the profits that ancillary markets provide, such as TV, film, digital, and DVD products. Wylie decided to tap the billion dollar film industry that has been acknowledged by filmmakers like Tyler Perry or Spike Lee and expand the content audiences get from traditional Hollywood producers.

"Omar Tyree's work covers intricate portrayals of urban life -- be it ambition, sex, or parenthood -- that aren't the traditional Hollywood depictions," states Wylie. "This translates into compelling, deeper stories that a movie-going audience can connect with and be moved by."

Millions of loyal readers agree and have found value in Tyree's characters. His critically-acclaimed, modern coming-of-age story, FLYY GIRL, sold over a million copies.

Wylie, who spent his early adulthood as an entertainment promotions manager, is excited by the possibilities of the Omar Tyree brand. Wylie and Tyree's partnership is a unique blend of deal-making acumen and literary artistry; the two have co-written several mainstream titles. In the end, Arthur Wylie's goal is to provide superb films that deliver box office success while giving audiences a top-quality movie going experience.

Running Press Founder Consulting for New Indie Publishing Venture

Running Press co-founder and former publisher Buz Teacher has entered into a consulting arrangement with Winans Kuenstler Publishing, LLC, a new book publishing venture headed by former Wall Street Journal columnist and author Foster Winans. Teacher, whose company was merged with Perseus Books Group in 2002, will be advising the new company on developing trade distribution for its nonfiction titles.

Winans Kuenstler provides premium editorial, production, and marketing services to self-funding authors as part of its Book-Driven Branding program. "Our authors tend to be professionals, thought leaders, motivational speakers, and others who want or need a book to help raise or expand their brand awareness, jump-start a speaking career, or establish a legacy," said Winans, author or ghostwriter of more than 40 books. "We provide a single-decision solution that covers the development of a trade-quality book from concept to distribution and marketing."

Teacher and his publishing team built Running Press into one of the largest independent trade book publishing companies in North America. He co-founded the company in 1972.

Winans is President and Chief Creative Officer of Winans Kuenstler Publishing (http://www.wkpublishing.com/). His most recent ghostwriting project is "The Man On Mao's Right," published by Random House earlier this summer. Walt Kuenstler, a veteran marketing and branding specialist, serves as Chief Executive Officer.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Bottletre Books Publishes Edgar Allan Poe's Annotated Short Stories

In the new book "Edgar Allan Poe's Annotated Short Stories" background information for Poe's short stories are provided along with annotations, foreign word translations, illustrations by Harry Clarke, and photographs of individuals Poe wrote about.

Here is a sampling of the entire short stories of Edgar Allan Poe that are included: The Black Cat, [The Bloodhounds], The Cask of Amontillado, A Descent into the Maelstrom, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Gold-Bug, The Masque of the Red Death, Morning on the Wissahiccon, MS. Found in a Bottle, Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Oblong Box, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Premature Burial, The Purloined Letter, [The Rats of Park Theatre], Some Secrets of the Magazine Prison House, Some Words with a Mummy, The Swiss Bell-Ringers, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether, The Tell-Tale Heart, and Thou Art the Man.

The illustrations are by Harry Clarke, the renowned English illustrator. The book is available for purchase online at all major retailers.

Search inside the book: www.BottletreeBooks.com/PoeAnnotatedStories.htm and visit Andrew Barger at http://www.andrewbarger.com/ to read his exclusive interviews.

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Oceanview Publishing Announces Foreign Rights Sale

Oceanview Publishing announced the sale of Korean Rights to The Castro Gene by best-selling author Todd Buchholz.

Translation rights were purchased by Korea Price Information, Inc., which will release both a hardcover and paperback edition of The Castro Gene.

The Castro Gene (ISBN-13: 978-1-933515-06-9) sweeps readers into the secretive and dangerous world of hedge funds, along with the explosive politics of Havana and Washington, D.C. Intricately plotted with unexpected twists and breathtaking turns, The Castro Gene reveals hidden secrets of the Las Vegas Rat Pack days and the most astonishing theory of the Kennedy assassination to burst forth in 40 years.

Neil Gudovitz of Waterside Productions brokered the transaction. Gudovitz commented, "There is a significant international market for high-quality thrillers, especially those featuring a character of such flamboyance, intrigue, and controversy as Fidel Castro. Korea should be just one of many markets where this book is published."

Todd Buchholz is an international bestselling author, former White House Director of Economic Policy, managing director of the Tiger hedge fund and co-producer of the Tony Award®-winning musical Jersey Boys. He is a founder of the Two Oceans Fund, which invests in Central America.

Apress acquires rights to best-selling SpiderWorks books

IT Professional book publisher Apress, Inc., has acquired the rights to best-selling titles Learn C on the Macintosh and Learn Objective-C on the Macintosh from SpiderWorks, LLC. The deal will see author and SpiderWorks CEO Dave Mark reshaping the acquired titles to become part of a fresh, new-look Mac development book series for Apress.

As well as the two SpiderWorks best-sellers, Apress has also acquired a currently-in-development title that will publish as Beginning iPhone Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK.
These books, together with other forthcoming titles, will allow developers to quickly and efficiently learn how to create both native desktop Mac applications and native iPhone applications using the latest Xcode tools and Apple SDKs.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Sourcebooks, Inc. Signs Penny C. Sansevieri

Penny C. Sansevieri, author of Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. has signed a deal with Sourcebooks, Inc. for the latest edition of Red Hot Internet Publicity.

This book was one of the first on the market dedicated to innovative online marketing strategies. Author Marketing Experts, Inc., which Sansevieri founded over ten years ago, began its foray into Internet marketing during the infancy of the blogosphere and long before the Internet was "hot" for marketing. Sansevieri has taught on the subject extensively, and the first edition of her book has been called the "Bible of Internet guides."

Extensive in its information, the newer edition promises more enhancements, more insider tips on micro-blogging, Social Networking strategies, creating Web 2.0 web sites, Second Life, and even a section on Web 4.0 - which Sansevieri says is just around the corner. Red Hot Internet Publicity will also feature a foreword by Laurence J. Kirshbaum, former head of the Time Warner Book Group, named Publisher of the Year by Publisher's Weekly in 2005 and one of the most acclaimed names in publishing. "I'm delighted to be part of this book," says Kirshbaum, "The aggressive use of Internet Marketing has become the lifeblood for many successful authors and Penny is one of the great pioneers in the digital publicity world."

Red Hot Internet Publicity was sold to Sourcebooks, Inc by Rita Rosenkranz of the Rita Rosenkranz Literary Agency.