BTW News Briefs

Parnassus Bookseller Pens Op-Ed Urging Media: “Think Before You Link!”

Mary Laura Philpott, a bookseller at Parnassus Books in Nashville, wrote an op-ed for Publishers Weekly earlier this month that encourages media outlets and book bloggers to link to independent bookstores, IndieBound.org, and publishers instead of Amazon when recommending a book.

“The op-ed asks book-lovers who blog, write online, or use social media to ‘think before you link’ and to pause before thinking of Amazon links as a neutral default,” said Philpott, who runs Musing, Parnassus Books’ online magazine.

In her piece, Philpott writes: “When a site connects a reader to IndieBound.org or a bookstore, a link becomes more than a link. It supports the cultural ecosystem. Readers not only find books — they find out what’s going on in their communities. They might even go visit a store and discover something new. Now that’s a way to find love in a bookshop.”

Read the entire op-ed in Publishers Weekly.

Hearst to Acquire Rodale

Hearst Communications is buying the magazine and book businesses of Rodale, Inc., and Rodale will now become part of Hearst Magazines, the company announced.

Hearst owns newspapers, TV and radio stations, cable networks, and business information services and publishes magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, and O, the Oprah Magazine.

Rodale, a company based in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, that primarily publishes health and wellness books and magazines, announced in June that it was exploring selling all or part of the company. Magazines owned by Rodale include Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, and Prevention, while the publisher’s bestselling books include An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore, The South Beach Diet by Arthur Agatston, and Everything All at Once by Bill Nye.

Hearst and Rodale have been publishing partners in several markets abroad, including the U.K., the Netherlands, and Japan, according to Hearst. The deal should close in early 2018 “following receipt of necessary government approvals.”

S&S and Printers Row Announce Expanded Agreement

Simon & Schuster has entered into a new, expanded sales and distribution agreement with Printers Row Publishing Group (PRPG), Simon & Schuster announced.

The new agreement expands upon a previous relationship with S&S to distribute additional PRPG imprints within the United States and Canada. PRPG imprints specialize in adult trade, promotional, and juvenile books. PRPG is a division of Readerlink Distribution Services, LLC.

The PRPG imprints Silver Dolphin Books, Thunder Bay Press, Canterbury Classics, and Portable Press will now be sold and distributed to the book trade by Simon & Schuster, complementing an existing agreement for Studio Fun. Under the new agreement, sales and distribution will begin January 1, 2018, in Canada and on May 1, 2018, in the U.S.

Former TarcherPerigree Publisher to Head New Imprint at St. Martin’s Press 

Joel Fotinos, who recently stepped down as publisher of Penguin Random House’s TarcherPerigee imprint, will join St. Martin’s Press as the vice president and editorial director of a new mind/body/spirit imprint, according to Publishers Lunch.

Last week, Fotinos announced his decision to step down after 21 years as vice president and publisher of the imprint, which publishes books on self-improvement, and spirituality. Megan Newman, vice president and publisher of Penguin Random House’s Avery nonfiction imprint, will now become publisher of TarcherPerigee in addition to Avery; each will continue to operate editorially as a separate entity.

According to Publishers Lunch, Martin’s president and publisher Sally Richardson said, “We are delighted to have Joel Fotinos join us at SMP. We have long had an interest and success in publishing in the mind/body/spirit space and we look forward to strengthening and growing that success with his focus and expertise.”

DK to Implement Staffing Changes

In a memo to staff, DK Publishing Chief Operating Officer Shaun Hodgkinson announced a series of leadership changes, which has resulted in a number of layoffs, according to Publishers Weekly.

Earlier this year, DK Publishing’s North American branch also appointed a new senior management team. According to the memo, these most recent changes reflect an effort to “ensure our titles are best suited and accessible for North American readers in terms of positioning, language, and content.”

DK will now have a new editorial team under Executive Editor Lori Hand and Executive Managing Editor Billy Fields, who will report to Brandi Larsen, the branch’s vice president of publicity. The department will also “build on...local publishing efforts,” with Publisher Mike Sanders handling adult titles and Senior Editor Shannon Beatty and Editor Allie Singer handling children’s titles.

In addition, Vice President of Sales Tim Greco, Director of Sales Carol Stokke, and Senior Director of Marketing Jaimie Cona will be part of a new sales management structure reporting to Mary Marotta, vice president of sales, marketing, and publicity.

Reading the West Book Award Nominations Now Open

Nominations are open for the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association’s (MPIBA) Reading the West Book Awards.

These adult and children’s titles exemplify the best in writing and/or illustrations whose subject matter is set in the region or evokes the spirit of the region, which includes Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Through December 31, 2017, booksellers, publishers, authors, and others may nominate titles published for the first time in calendar year 2017. The author’s place of residence in not a criterion for this award.

MPIBA is currently forming committees for the Reading the West Book Awards for adult and children’s books; the association is seeking one adult committee member and four children’s committee members. Interested booksellers are advised to e-mail MPIBA Board President Anne Holman of The King’s English.

Edelweiss to Facilitate Sending Bookseller Reviews to SIBA Simultaneously

Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) bookstore members are now able to send the reviews they post on Edelweiss to SIBA at the same time they are sent to IndieBound’s Indie Next List.

“Stores that use Edelweiss have frequently asked SIBA for the ability to send SIBA their reviews and nominations via the Edelweiss system,” said SIBA Assistant Executive Director Linda-Marie Barrett. “It was one of the most commonly requested features noted in feedback from the SIBA Discovery Show. So we’re very pleased to be working with Edelweiss to make this happen for SIBA members.”

Starting last week, “SIBA” was added to the list of options booksellers can select. With this change, eligible titles now become nominations for Okra Picks and the Southern Book Prize, and bookseller staff picks are collected in SIBA’s Read This! service. All reviews are linked back to booksellers’ stores for purchase and also run in the weekly Lady Banks’ Commonplace Book newsletter.

Booksellers can contact Barrett for more information.