Publisher News

Peter Osnos, founder and editor-at-large of PublicAffairs, recently met with American Booksellers Association CEO Avin Mark Domnitz, COO Oren Teicher, and Special Projects Director David Walker to discuss Osnos' developing plans to fashion a new book publishing distribution option. Osnos had previously spoken of this project in September at Book Summit 2005, sponsored by The Book Standard and Nielsen BookScan, and, also, in an August interview with Shelf Awareness.

Seven Book Sense Publisher Partners have become the newest sponsors of the American Booksellers Association's first annual Winter Institute, to be held on Thursday, January 26, and Friday, January 27, 2006, in Long Beach, California.

Last week, HarperCollins Publishers announced the launch of HarperCollins Essential Backlist, a new program that will reward bookstores for keeping a designated level of HarperCollins bestselling backlist titles in stock at all times.

BookStream, a new wholesaler based in Poughkeepsie, New York, recently announced its intent to open sometime in the late fall. The company's president is Jack Herr, a former distribution executive for Random House, who founded the business with partner Rich Stone. Herr told BTW that his first mission as president of BookStream is to "level the playing field for the independent bookseller ... and be a profitable business." The ultimate goal is to be "most competitive wholesaler bar none."

Peter Workman launched Workman Publishing Co. in 1968 with one title -- Yoga 28-Day Exercise Plan. Workman has since grown into a mid-size publishing house, which last year published 35 titles that sold over one million copies. In 2002, the company was the recipient of PMA's Special Achievement Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing.

HarperCollins recently became the first publisher to begin offering retail and wholesale customers the option of a "paperless co-op" process. "HarperCollins Publishers Co-op Direct" is significant in that it eliminates a major deterrent for retailers wishing to claim co-op dollars -- the often-burdensome amount of paperwork.

The recent New York International Gift Fair, held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, featured plenty of everything, from the classic to the latest, hottest wares from almost 2,600 exhibitors. This week, BTW takes a look at just some of the many offerings in the categories of home, office, and travel.

In just the past week, two distributors, Koen Book Distributors and Alamo Square Distributors, have announced their decisions to end operations. And earlier this week, Alamo's founder announced he would be opening ASP Wholesale, a division of Alamo Square Press.

As Gayle Shanks, owner of Changing Hands in Tempe, Arizona, emphasized at the BookExpo America education session "Buying, Selling, and Managing Gifts, Sidelines, and Other Non-Book Products 101," sidelines are best served fresh, although, of course, this doesn't preclude keeping around those top-sellers.

Publishing approximately 50 titles a year, focusing on American history and politics, poetry, alternative health, media studies, the environment, peace and justice issues, Spanish-language titles, and more, Seven Stories Press is a very busy and dedicated independent publisher.

Penguin Group (USA) Launches New Trade Paperback Line

The Penguin Group (USA) paperback division, which includes among others Penguin, Plume, New American Library, and Riverhead Trade Paperbacks, will launch a new trade paperback line, "Essential Editions," this fall. The line will feature top-selling titles including The Kite Runner and The Secret Life of Bees, as well as classics such as The Bluest Eye and The Godfather, in a deluxe trade paperback format.

Trafalgar Square Books is a unique operation. Founded in 1973 by Caroline and Ted Robbins, the distributor and publisher is located in rural Pomfret, Vermont, on a working farm complete with Thoroughbreds, shaggy prize-winning cows, ducks, and geese. Trafalgar distributes nearly all of the major U.K.

Bookseller Asks Others to Help Distributor Begin New Chapter

On Monday, July 11, in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, Koen Book Distributors filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The news comes a week after the distributor announced that, due to cash flow problems, it would not be filling orders for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

On July 5, Moorestown, New Jersey's Koen Book Distributors announced that, due to financial difficulties, it would not be distributing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Scholastic) to its customers. In a press release, Robert Koen, the company's president, said, "Arrangements were made with Scholastic and [its distributor] HarperCollins to make sure our customers [get] the new Harry Potter book." Orders for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince originally placed with Koen will be filled by Baker & Taylor.

"Sidelines can really add to your bottom line," said Gayle Shanks, co-owner of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona, at the ABA education session "Buying, Selling, and Managing Gifts, Sidelines, and Other Non-Book Products 101" at last week's BookExpo America in New York. "But I don't call them sidelines anymore. Customers don't understand what you mean when you say 'sidelines.' And if you use the word 'gifts,' over your PA system ...