BTW News Briefs

Tobias Wolff Wins Story Prize

Tobias Wolff was named the winner of the Story Prize for his collection Our Story Begins (Knopf) at a ceremony at New York's New School Tishman Auditorium on Wednesday night, March 4. In his acceptance speech, Wolff praised the other two finalists Jhumpa Lahiri (Unaccustomed Earth, Knopf) and Joe Meno (Demons in the Spring, Akashic Books). The event featured all three authors reading from their collections and discussing their work with Larry Dark, director of The Story Prize.

Since 2004, the Story Prize has been awarded annually to the author of an outstanding collection of short fiction. Eligibility is restricted to works by living authors, written in English, with first publication in book form in the U.S. during the calendar year, in either hardcover or paperback. Past winners include: Edwidge Danticat, Patrick O'Keeffe, Mary Gordon, and Jim Shepard. Wolff received a $20,000 award and an engraved silver bowl; Lahiri and Meno received $5,000 each.

MBA to Hold Spring Meeting on March 14

The Midwest Booksellers Association will be holding its 2009 Spring Meeting, "New Times = New Opportunities to Sell Books," on Saturday, March 14, from 9:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. at the Park Plaza Hotel Bloomington. The event is free to MBA member bookstores; however, pre-registration is required. Non-member stores may attend for a fee of $25. Lunch is $12 per person.

MBA education sessions will focus on customer service and hospitality; sales initiatives and events that work; used books; selling books with the help of Midwest Connections; and building better displays. Sales reps will also be on hand to present the Pick of the Lists.

Jane Hamilton will be the featured lunch speaker, and nine other authors will attend the evening reception.

To register, and for answers to questions, send an e-mail to [email protected] or call (612) 926-5868; (800) 784-7522.

SCIBA Spring Meeting on March 15

The Southern California Independent Booksellers Association will hold its spring meeting at The Westin Pasadena from 11:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 15. The event is free of charge to SCIBA members; however, an RSVP to SCIBA Executive Director Jennifer Bigelow is requested by Monday, March 9.

The day's lineup includes "Authors & Brunch," "Social Networking and the Independent Bookseller," a Forum with ABA Chief Program Officer Len Vlahos, the SCIBA Annual Meeting, and "Martinis for the Mind (and Mashed Potato Bar)" Reception.

For details, visit www.scibabooks.org.

Thomas Nelson Launches NelsonFree

On Tuesday, March 3, Thomas Nelson announced the launch of NelsonFree, a new program that provides readers with access to content in multiple formats -- the physical book, the audio book, and the e-book -- for the price of the hardcover book. The company said that after purchasing a book bearing the NelsonFree logo customers will receive a code that enables them to download an audio MP3 file and several types of e-book files, including EPub, MobiPocket, and PDF.

The first two NelsonFree titles, which will be available in late March, are Scott McKain's Collapse of Distinction and Michael Franzese's I'll Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse. Thomas Nelson expects to make 10 more titles available in this format before the end of the year.

ACC Publishing Group to Open U.S. Office

This week, Diana Steel, managing director and owner of ACC Publishing Group of Suffolk, U.K., announced the appointment of John Brancati as vice president and director of ACC North America. Brancati, formerly vice president of sales and marketing for Rizzoli, will open a U.S. office for ACC Publishing Group off Fifth Avenue in Manhattan's Flatiron District in the beginning of May.

Steel also announced the launch of ACC Editions, which will publish illustrated books in the fields of contemporary design, fashion, photography, and fine art. Several other management changes were made to support the new program.

ACC Publishing Group was founded in 1966 as the Antique Collectors' Club.

HarperCollins to Launch "It Books"

HarperCollins Publishers announced the launch of It Books, a new popular culture imprint dedicated to entertainment, music, fashion, design, and sports. The first books in the new imprint will be published in September 2009. It Books will be directed by Carrie Kania, senior vice president and publisher.

Marion Street Press Sold to Acorn Guild Press

Oak Park, Illinois' Marion Street Press, which specializes in books for writers and journalists, has been sold to Acorn Guild Press of Portland, Oregon. Acorn Guild has acquired 38 titles in the Marion Street portfolio.

Marion Street titles are currently distributed by Independent Publishers Group, and Acorn Guild said that it plans to move its distribution to IPG also.

Tom Allen to Replace Pat Schroeder at AAP

On Friday, February 27, the Association of American Publishers announced that Pat Schroeder would be stepping down as the organization's president and CEO effective May 1. The AAP Board has appointed Tom Allen, a former six-term congressman from Maine, as her successor.

Allen, a former Rhodes Scholar with a law degree from Harvard, served on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Budget Committee, Armed Services Committee, and Government Reform Committee.

"I'm still in the process of composing my life and while there's always a certain amount of sadness at leave-taking, this is the right time for me to move on," Schroeder said in a statement. "I'm delighted to leave AAP and the industry it serves in Tom Allen's capable hands."

"In this age of rapidly changing technology, we must not lose sight of the abiding importance of the written word to our culture, society, and our democratic institutions," said Allen in a statement. "AAP advocates on issues of paramount importance ranging from free speech and education to the protection of intellectual property rights and international freedom to publish. I am excited about tackling the challenges of this new position and its responsibilities to the publishing industry and the reading public."