Amazon Launches Sci Fi/Fantasy Imprint 47North

Amazon has added another genre to its publishing stable, with the launch of 47North, a science fiction/fantasy/horror imprint that will publish original and previously published works from new and established authors as well as out-of-print books. 47North has signed 15 titles at launch, with its first title coming from Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin, the authors of Successful Television Writing. Most of the first books in the list will be released early in 2012 and include a number of series, including the Foreworld series being developed by Neal Stephenson and Greg Bear along with other authors.

Hachette Cuts 11

Hachette Book Group has eliminated 11 spots. In a statement issued to PW, Hachette said: “After an extensive review of our overall Sales and Marketing structure to identify effective ways to meet the changing needs of our account base, we have decided to eliminate 11 positions. This is an extremely difficult decision to make, but it was necessary to tighten our sales force in order to adapt to evolution in the marketplace.” A spokesperson said the cuts came in both sales and marketing.

BAM, B&N Remove DC Graphic Novels

Book retailer Books-A-Million has joined with Barnes & Noble and notified DC Entertainment that they are both removing the 100 graphic novels from their shelves that DC plans to sell exclusively as e-books through the Kindle Fire. On September 30, DC announced a plan to sell 100 of its top-selling, classic graphic novel backlist titles exclusively through Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet.

Abrams Buys SelfMadeHero

The art and illustrated book publisher Abrams has signed a letter of intent to purchase SelfMadeHero, a London-based graphic novel publisher. Following completion of the deal, Abrams will launch a SelfMadeHero North American list beginning in 2012. Financial terms were not disclosed. The new imprint will continue to be called SelfMadeHero; it will release new titles in North America and in the U.K. Emma Hayley, SelfMadeHero managing director, will continue directing the company. Beginning in April 2012, SelfMadeHero distribution in the U.K. and export markets will be handled by U.K. distributor Abrams & Chronicle Books. North American distribution will be handled by Abrams.

Amanda Hocking Inks Comics Deal

Amanda Hocking, the popular YA author who has sold millions of digital copies of self-published paranormal, fantasy, and zombie novels, will team up with comics publisher Dynamite Entertainment to release comics adaptations of her Hollowland prose novel series in 2012. Hollowland is a zombie adventure series focused on a young woman and her efforts to find her brother, who is lost somewhere in a zombie-devastated countryside. Hocking is best known for her enormous success self-publishing a series of novels as e-books through Amazon, priced from 99 cents to $2.99. Hocking has self-published nine novels and sold more than a million copies across all the books.

William Morrow Gives Lehane His Own Imprint

William Morrow will begin a new relationship with Dennis Lehane, bestselling author of Mystic River and Shutter Island. Lehane will oversee an eponymous line of books at HarperCollins that will publish a select number of fiction titles a year. The establishment of the line was negotiated by Michael Morrison, HarperCollins president and publisher of U.S. General Books and Canada, and Liate Stehlik, senior v-p and publisher of Morrow, with Lehane’s agent, Ann Rittenberg, president of the Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency.

Ingram Adds Germany’s Books on Demand

Ingram Content Group has added to its Global Connect program, reaching an alliance with Germany’s Books on Demand to print and fulfill orders in Germany and its neighbors. Created in late August, Global Connect allows publishers in any country to print and distribute titles in countries where Ingram has its own operations as well as in countries of one of its partners. In addition to its digital book manufacturing capabilities, BoD will handle retail distribution throughout German-speaking countries—Germany, Austria, Switzerland—and in more than 1,000 Internet bookstores as well as the most important English-language book markets.