Monday, February 21, 2011

"Poke the Box" to be published in English worldwide as print, audio and Kindle editions

In December, international-bestselling author Seth Godin and Amazon announced a new publishing imprint, The Domino Project--the first to use Amazon's new "Powered by Amazon" publishing program. Now Godin and Amazon are unveiling the first book--written by Godin--from The Domino Project, "Poke the Box," which will be published worldwide on March 1.

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to break ground and help define what publishing can become," said Godin. "We all know that ideas that spread win, and this publishing house will enable my colleagues and I to create, write and spread ideas that matter. A book that isn't read doesn't do anyone any good, and too often, the book publishing industry gets in the way of books reaching people who can benefit from them. Amazon knows what to do to help these books get read."

"Poke the Box" is about producing something that's scarce, and thus valuable: initiative. It demands that you stop waiting for a road map and start drawing one instead. It's a call to action - in your job or in your life - to leap, commit, make something happen. Godin knows that the scarcest resource in most organizations (and most careers) is the spark provided by an initiator - the person with the guts to say, "I want to start stuff." In Godin's words: "Life is a buzzer box. Poke it."

Monday, February 07, 2011

HarperCollins to Publish Manuscript Discovered on Teen Writing Site inkpop

HarperCollins Publishers announced today the first acquisition from inkpop (www.inkpop.com), its interactive website for teen writing. Slated for Fall 2011, THE CARRIER OF THE MARK, by debut author Leigh Fallon, is a fresh and thrilling paranormal romance linking two teens to a supernatural destiny.

Fallon, a native of Cork, Ireland, tried to get her manuscript published through conventional channels. She started by contacting agents and eventually took a less traditional route. She heard about inkpop through a writing group and decided to upload her manuscript. Within weeks her manuscript was voted into the coveted "Top Five" by the inkpop community and was reviewed by an editor at HarperCollins. A few emails later, she signed her first book deal with HarperCollins for World English rights.

"For many people the rise to 'Top Five' on inkpop is a long process, but for Leigh, THE CARRIER OF THE MARK shot to the top of the list. This was one of our first key indications that it was an outstanding project," said Susan Katz, President and Publisher of HarperCollins Children's Books.

Inkpop combines community publishing, user-generated content, and social networking to connect rising stars in teen literature with talent-spotting readers and publishing professionals. In just over a year, inkpop traffic has grown by nearly 500%. With over 60,000 projects uploaded, the highly engaged members spend an average of over 20 minutes per visit on the site.

Katz added, "The opinions of our readers matter to us. Inkpop is HarperCollins Children's Books' first site (and not the last) to really put the users' voice and ideas in the forefront. Social media is incredibly empowering if used correctly, and HarperCollins recognizes this and is gearing up to make social media the cornerstone of all of its digital endeavors."

In the coming months, inkpop will be announcing more acquisitions. Budding writers will have more opportunities to get their ideas in front of editors at HarperCollins Children's Books and will be offered more ways to get published.

Writer's Digest Launches Self-Publishing Division-Abbott Press

Writer's Digest, the oldest and most respected media company dedicated to the advancement of writers, announced today it is partnering with the leading self-publishing company, Author Solutions, Inc., (ASI), to launch Abbott Press-a self-publishing division. Named in honor of Richard K. Abbott, the legendary Writer's Digest editor, Abbott Press is devoted to helping writers improve their work and realize their dreams of getting published.

"In keeping with the mission of Writer's Digest, and in order to provide our consumers with the most complete information, inspiration, products and services to further their craft, we are proud to expand our portfolio to address a real desire of aspiring writers-to get published, be it by indie publishing or by traditional means," said Sara Domville, president, F+W Media. "Fully supported by the trusted experts at Writer's Digest, Abbott Press brings the same respectability, integrity, and commitment to editorial excellence as our Writer's Digest brand, while maintaining a unique identity of its own, for the benefit of our authors."

Through this strategic partnership, Author Solutions will manage Abbott Press on behalf of Writer's Digest, taking responsibility for sales and publishing activities, while delivering a comprehensive array of publishing, marketing, and book-selling services, designed specifically for Abbott Press authors. The educational and editorial services provided to authors fall under the respected Writer's Digest brand umbrella of Writer's Digest Books, Writer's Digest University, The Writer's Digest Conference, and Writer's Market.