Penguin Launches Science Imprint

Penguin is launching a new imprint called Current that will publish science books for a general audience. Adrian Zackheim, president and publisher of Penguin's Portfolio and Sentinel imprints, will oversee Current. The new imprint will also rely on the existing editorial, marketing and publicity staff of Portfolio and Sentinel.

Random House Adds Beacon and PowerHouse for Distribution

Beacon Press and powerHouse Books are switching sales representation and distribution to Random House Publisher Services.

Borders Makes Store Layoffs in What Employees Dub 'Black Thursday'

It took a little longer than employees thought, but the expected cuts in the store workforce at Borders began last week in what employees on various blogs are calling "Black Thursday."

Pear Press Teams With Airline for Book Promotion

In a marketing move to overcome the challenges facing publishers in search of an ever-elusive customer base, Seattle's Pear Press has teamed with Alaska Airlines to promote its bestselling Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School (2009) by molecular biologist John Medina.

John Edgar Wideman to Self-Publish New Book via Lulu.com

In an unusual move for an established author, critically acclaimed novelist, memoirist and National Book Award finalist John Edgar Wideman is teaming up with self-publishing and print-on-demand service Lulu.com to release, Briefs, Stories for the Palm of the Mind, a new collection of his short stories.

Candlewick Launches Marketing Program for Indies

Candlewick Press in Somerville, Mass., affirmed its commitment to independent bookstores with the launch of a new marketing program aimed specifically at frontline indie booksellers, CHIRP. In a bit of double entendre, "CHIRP," short for Candlewick's Handselling Indie Recognition Program, also refers to a short, lively, high-pitched sound, the kind someone makes when they're excited about a book.

Barnes & Noble to Test Bundling e-Books, p-Books

Barnes & Noble will begin testing the sale of bundled print books and e-books in the next 60 to 90 days, Barnes & Noble.com president William Lynch said at yesterday's AAP annual meeting.

Triumph Forced to Cancel Instant Olympic Hockey Book

Due to a last-minute intervention by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Winter Olympics, Chicago publisher Triumph Books (an imprint of Random House) was forced last week to cancel publication of an instant book commemorating Team Canada's recapturing the 2010 Olympic gold medals in men and women's ice hockey, leaving Toronto publisher Key Porter Books (an imprint of Fenn Publishing) the first -- and perhaps the only -- publisher to release a book celebrating the historic victory of Team Canada over Team USA during this year's Olympic Winter Games.

Torstar/Harlequin 2009 Book Revenues Rise to C$493.3M

Harlequin parent company Torstar Corp., reported overall book publishing revenues of C$493.3 million for the year ending December 31, 2009, an increase of C$20.4 million from the C$472.9 million reported in 2008.

Harper, Zora Neale Hurston Trust Ink New Exclusive Deal

HarperCollins and its Harper Perennial imprint have reached agreement with the Zora Neale Hurston Trust that will allow the publisher to continue as the exclusive publisher of Zora Neale Hurston’s adult backlist for the next decade.

Random House Forms Digital Leadership Team

In memos distributed to Random House employees Thursday, chairman Markus Dohle and Madeline McIntosh, president of sales, operation and digital, detailed new plans for the publisher's digital operation while also announcing new homes and leadership for the audio and information group units that had been part of the old Crown Publishing Group.

Vancouver Company Buys Penguin UK Imprint

Vancouver-based SpiceBox Product Development has purchased the Penguin Group U.K. imprint The Book Studio and will merge it with its existing operations in Canada.

Riggio: Barnes & Noble to Become E-Commerce Retailer

Barnes & Noble CEO Steve Riggio told analysts that with its investment in digital technologies early success of the Nook, 2010 is shaping up to be a watershed year in which the retailer tranisitions into a e-commerce retailer.

Common Sense Raises Issues at B&N

When Barnes & Noble announced earlier this month that it was going to add Common Sense Media's ratings of children's books, movies, games, and music on its Web site, few gave it much thought. After all, the book retailer already includes customer reviews, reader ratings, and editorial reviews such as those that appear in Publishers Weekly. But ever since YA author Sarah Dessen raised the subject of Common Sense's ratings on her blog last Thursday, the blogosphere has started to light up.

College Stores, Nook Offset Weak Trade Sales at Barnes & Noble

Boosted by the acquisition of Barnes & Noble College Booksellers and sales of the Nook, total revenue at the retailer rose 33%, to $2.17 billion, for the third quarter ended January 30. Net income slipped to $80.4 million from $81.0 million in the comparable period in fiscal 2009.

Holt to Correct 'Last Train from Hiroshima'

After confirming that author Charles Pellegrino was indeed deceived by one of his sources, Henry Holt announced Monday afternoon that it will correct all future editions of the Last Train from Hiroshima.

McGraw-Hill Starts Selling Chapters

McGraw-Hill professional announced this morning that it has begun selling chapters from a variety of its books in a program it is calling Select: eChapters in an Instant.

Macmillan Debuts Interactive Digital Textbook Platform

Macmillan is launching, Dynamic Books, a new digital publishing platform and line of interactive digital textbooks that can be freely customized by professors, downloaded or accessed online or purchased in print-on-demand print editions.

Five Stones Press Launches With Innovative Business Model

Despite the combination of a fragile economy and a roiling publishing industry, people continue to launch presses, although some are doing so by creating innovative business models to minimize their financial risk.

Sales, Earnings Off at Simon & Schuster