TODAY'S NEWS

DC Launches Vertigo Crime
by Rachel Deahl
As thousands of fans and industry professionals prepare to descend on San Diego for the annual Comic-Con, DC has unveiled a new offshoot of its edgy, celebrated Vertigo imprint, Vertigo Crime. The new line, dedicated to crime titles, will launch in 2009 with two lead titles, one by Ian Rankin and another by Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets). For Scottish crime writer Rankin, the forthcoming DC title will mark his first foray into comics. A rep from DC, who said the house would have more details to share tomorrow, confirmed that, despite the launch of Vertigo Crime, Vertigo itself will continue to publish crime titles.

The news, which will likely circulate quickly at the Con, will be available to record numbers this year; the show reports that, for the first time, it has sold out its four-day and single-day passes. Last year some 125,000 attended the event. 

RiverRun’s 24-Hour Reading Marathon to Go National
by Judith Rosen
Last February Michele Filgate, events coordinator at RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth, N.H., and Liberty Hardy, manager of sister store, SecondRun Bookstore, also in Portsmouth, decided to call attention to the importance of reading and of local bookstores by encouraging their customers to read for an entire day. Now they’re taking the concept on the road to other bookstores around the country and trying to turn October into read-a-thon month.

Inspired in part by bloggers writing about 24-hour read-a-thons in their homes, says Filgate, she and Hardy adapted the concept to a bookstore setting. They named their reading marathon with the literary pun Great Expectations because they recognized that it’s a lot to expect someone to read for 24 hours straight, she explains. Read on »

Stephen King to Judge Book Trailer Contest
By Lynn Andriani
Dorchester Publishing and book trailer producer Circle of Seven Productions are presenting a contest for amateur and professional filmmakers. Participants will create book trailers based on their favorite novel in the Shomi series, Dorchester’s line of speculative romances. Stephen King will select the best trailer, and it will be shown at a movie premiere in New York and in the winner’s home market.

Dorchester had an existing relationship with King since he had published The Colorado Kid under its Hard Case Crime line.

Brooke Borneman, director of sales and marketing for Dorchester, said Shomi books have received comparisons to films including Blade Runner and The Matrix. “The cinematic quality of the books and the sheer physicality of the storytelling are what make the Shomi universe a natural for filmmakers to explore.”

Details on the contest are at www.shomifiction.com.

Alibris Pushes Textbook Sales
By Lynn Andriani
Alibris, the online retailer of new and used books, CDs and DVDs, is making a push toward increasing its textbook sales. Today, it announced the addition of new features to its Web site that make it easier for customers to find and save on new and used textbooks. Read on »

Biographers’ Organization Takes Root
By Lynn Andriani
Biographer James McGrath Morris, author of The Rose Man of Sing Sing, admits that the craft of biography is a solitary one. But that doesn’t mean the profession couldn’t use some camaraderie. Morris thinks biographers could benefit from collaborating on research, swapping tips on accessing archival documents and online repositories, and learning from each other about funding sources. So Morris is calling on his fellow biographers to unite under the American Organization of Biographers. Read on »

The PW Morning Report
By Dermot McEvoy
Downey Memoir Postponed; Man Asian Longlist; and Craig Johnson Profile Read on »

Blogs

AUTHORS ON THE AIR

Authors on the Air: More Fancy Nancy; Havana Nocturne; Suck Your Stomach In
This morning on Today, author Jane O'Connor and illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser offered Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany (HarperCollins, $12.95), their latest in the bestselling Fancy Nancy kids’ series. After the jump: an Edgar Award winner and Madonna's brother. Read on »

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Hangin' in Harlem
On Saturday, at the 10th Annual Harlem Book Fair, staffers from Triple Crown stopped for a Kodak moment. Pictured here (l. to r.) are: Dany Ferneau, editorial assistant; Kera Stringer, shipping manager; Jorrel Carse, warehouse assistant; Mia McPherson, v-p of operations. Submit your pictures here »

JOB OF THE DAY

PW VIRTUAL EDITION

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