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an online newsletter for publishers, authors, book lovers and booksellers

Vol. 9, No. 3   March 2011

Index (scroll down for stories)  

  1. North Carolina caves to Amazon, will pay $99,000 in attorney fees
  2. Breaking news: Joel Osteen in multiple book deal with Hachette
  3. LibreDigital, major supplier to Apple, gets $4 million in new funding
  4. Book about ElBaradei being rush-published
  5. Useful information: Free webinar on e-book publishing
  6. Marketing: Random House, Pulpwood Queens in joint venture
  7. Godin in joint venture with Amazon for publishing new book
  8. Books to movies: BBC to produce Dickens’ Edwin Drood
  9. How bad is it? Borders sales plummet, chain declares bankruptcy
10. Canada’s largest distributor files bankruptcy action, closes down
11. Update journalism: Snooki’s novel ‘Shore Thing’ selling poorly
12. The international front: India is third-largest English book market
13. The publishing revolution: News of e-books and other new media
14. Self-published e-book author Hocking sells 450,000 copies in month
15. ‘New York Times’ unveils e-Book bestseller lists
16. Amazon changes Digital Text Platform to Kindle Direct Publishing
17. Kindle singles offer new market for authors of shorter works
18. Third quarter U.S. e-Reader shipments estimated at two million units
19. Graphic novels and comics: Diamond now distributing Tokyopop
20. ‘Green Hornet’ No. 30 selected for Free Comic Book Day 2011
21. DC, Archie drop Comics Code, last major publishers to do so
22. Books in bad taste: Book by murderer of British teacher published
23. News about self-publishing and vanity presses
24. Marketing: Author launches adult novel at toy store
25. Regional publisher opens book shop to sell its own, other titles
26. Milestones: Most expensive book published in 20^th century?
27. Amazon sues Texas over demand for $269 million in back sales taxes
28. Jimmy Carter sued for alleged falsehoods in book about Middle East
29. Nation Books to publish 8.5 hour oration by Bernie Sanders as book
30. Trade shows: Digital Book World attendance doubles in 2011
31. Spring Book Show announces two days of Atlanta workshops
32. Dates, location announced for 2011 Spring Book Show in Atlanta
33. Major upcoming trade shows, book fairs and book festivals

1. North Carolina caves to Amazon, will pay $99,000 in attorney fees

North Carolina's Revenue Department has ended a court battle with Amazon and seven North Carolina residents represented by the ACLU "after clarifying that demands for purchasers' data don't include the titles of the books and other products,"

The Greensboro News & Record reported that future requests for data from Internet retailers "will clarify that tax collectors don't want the titles or other identifying information of the books, movies or music sold."

Amazon filed the lawsuit in April 2010 in its home town of Seattle, Wash., when the North Carolina Revenue Department audited whether the retailer was properly collecting sales taxes owed on online purchases.

"We are pleased that the public's First Amendment rights have been upheld by this settlement, which prohibits the department from seeking this kind of information from Amazon or other Internet retailers in the future," ACLU of North Carolina executive director Jennifer Rudinger said in a statement.

Lawyers for the tax agency said either Amazon or its customers owe North Carolina $50 million in sales and use taxes on Internet purchases over several years before a state law was changed in 2009.

Amazon said complying with the department's information requests would harm customers who may have bought controversial merchandise and could diminish future sales. A federal judge in Seattle ruled in October that Amazon customers had constitutional free-speech protection against tax collectors knowing which books, music and movies individual customers bought.

The state tax agency will pay $99,000 in attorneys' fees, but "reserved the right to pursue tax collections against Amazon or its customers," according to the story.

"This settlement only makes our position more clear to Amazon and other retailers that the department has no interest in the titles of books, movies, music or other expressive items," the Revenue Department said. "The lawsuit on this particular issue could have been avoided altogether if not for the aggressive stance Amazon took to avoid compliance with North Carolina's tax laws. There would have never been an issue of customer privacy if Amazon would simply collect the North Carolina sales tax that others already do." (Source: Greensboro News & Record)

2. Breaking news: Joel Osteen in multiple book deal with Hachette

After publishing several books with Simon & Schuster, Christian pastor and megastar author Joel Osteen has signed a multiple book deal with Hachette Book Group’s FaithWords imprint. The first, as yet untitled book, will be released in September. The books were acquired by FaithWords president and publishers Rolf Zettersten from Jan Miller of Dupree Miller & Associates. Hachette published Osteen’s first book, Your Best Life Now, which has sold more than eight million copies. His most recent titles were published by S&S... Scholastic will re-launch K.A. Applegate's bestselling "Animorphs" series in May 2011. Each book will be published with a lenticular cover that actually morphs. Since the first Animorphs book was published in June 1996, the brand has grown to include 54 books, two spin-off series and ten companion books - totaling more than 35 million books in print worldwide. In addition, the Scholastic Media-produced television series based on the books was sold to 35 countries globally and aired on Nickelodeon in the United States.

3. LibreDigital, major supplier to Apple, gets $4 million in new funding

Austin-based LibreDigital has received $4 million to accelerate its delivery of digital reading technology.

The funding came from Adams Capital Management, Triangle Peak Partners and S3 Ventures.

LibreDigital was founded in 1999 to provide digital copies of newspapers. It relaunched in 2006 to focus on the fast-growing electronic book publishing market and has raised a total of $35 million from investors since then.

Last year, LibreDigital became a preferred content aggregator for the Apple iBookstore and is one of the largest providers of book content to Apple.

It also works with six of the top U.S. book publishers, including HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster Inc. and Scholastic Corp.

4. Book about El Baradei being rush-published

Metropolitan Books closed a deal for the rights to a book by Mohamed El Baradei in March 2010.

With the riots that erupted in Egypt in late January, and El Baradei emerging as one of the candidates who might become Egypt’s next leader,  the publisher rushed the book through the publication process.
 

The release date of The Age of Deception: Nuclear Diplomacy in Treacherous Times by El Baradei, a key opposition leader in the country’s week-old pro-democracy demonstrations, was originally planned for June, but will now be published April 26, the publisher said.
 

El Baradei, 68, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, headed the International Atomic Energy Agency from 1997 to 2009. In The Age of Deception he writes about the diplomatic efforts to discourage the nuclear ambitions of countries such as Iraq, Iran and North Korea.
 

5. Useful information and free services for writers

A free WEBcast jointly sponsored by Publishers Weekly and Digital Book World will look at e-book self-publishing. The one-hour Webinar will take place at 1 p.m. EST on Feb. 22. The free WEBcast, titled "The Evolution of Self-Publishing," will cover how self-publishing is empowering authors, disintermediating publishers and the impact it's having on the marketplace, especially where e-books are concerned. Featured panelists will be Louisa Ermelino, reviews director, Publishers Weekly; Jason Pinter, novelist and literary agent, Waxman Literary; Phil Sexton, publisher and community leader, Writer's Digest; and Victoria Strauss, novelist and co-founder of Writer Beware. Moderator will be Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, chief executive optimist, Digital Book World.

6. Marketing: Random House, Pulpwood Queens in joint venture

Random House and Kathy Patrick, owner of Beauty and the Book, Jefferson, Texas, and founder of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club, are collaborating on an online book club talk show that will feature interviews with Random House authors, including Pat Conroy, Fannie Flagg, Lisa See and Susan Vreeland. The 12-episode series debuted on the Beauty and the Book Talk Show website. A special three-episode screening took place at Patrick's annual Pulpwood Queens' book club convention, Girlfriend Weekend. "We've seen increased demand for digital content from book clubs, so we developed a program that would offer them more of what they love," said Avideh Bashirrad, director of marketing for Random House.

10. Canada’s largest distributor files bankruptcy action, closes down

Canada’s largest distributor, HB Fenn & Company, has initiated bankruptcy proceedings under the country's Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

In a brief statement Fenn said it had "encountered significant financial challenges due to the loss of distribution lines, shrinking margins and the significant shift to e-books, all of which have significantly reduced the company's revenues."

The company's Lisa Winstanley told the National Post more bluntly, "we're ceasing operations effective immediately."

While Canadian bankruptcy law provides just 30 days to file a restructuring plan, Quill & Quire reported that the company's entire workforce of over 125 people was laid off.

In September 2010, Key Porter Books, in which Fenn owns a controlling stake, announced it was suspending operations. The disposition of Key Porter's list will now likely be encumbered by Fenn's reorganization.

The "loss of distribution lines" refers in large part to Hachette Book Group's decision two years ago to take Canadian marketing, distribution and fulfillment operations in-house for major accounts.

Fenn's biggest U.S. distribution client is Macmillan, for whom they distributed all lines except for Farrar, Straus, which uses Douglas & McIntyre, and they handled Disney's children's lines (but not Hyperion) and more than 40 other publishers.

Macmillan for now is working with Ingram to supply titles into the retail marketplace in Canada, and Canadian customers are being directed to Ingram.

11. Update journalism: Snooki’s novel ‘Shore Thing’ selling poorly

Last month, we revealed that Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” reality show was not really the author of the novel A Shore Thing which she promoted on just about every venue her publisher could line up. The book was ghost-written - not surprisingly, since Snooki, the weekly train wreck on MTV’s “Jersey Shores,” has admitted she has never read a book in her life. Since its release on Jan. 4, the novel in its first month sold only 8,998 copies. This comes after a promotional blitz, where the pint-sized Snooki was on every talk show that would have her. Why didn't Snooki move copies, given her “celebrity” status? One publishing exec told “The Hollywood Reporter,” “The book didn't do as well as it could have because rather than a tell-all, it was disguised as a novel.” Snooki’s castmate Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino has an advice book out that has done worse- it’s sold only 12,200 copies from November through January. Not a good sign for Jenni "JWOWW" Farley, who has a book coming out next month…

12. The international front: India is third-largest English book market

India is the third-largest English book market, according to figures from the National Book Trust of India. K. Vaitheeswaran, the chief operating officer of IndiaPlaza.com, a leading online book vendor, said: "Some of it is a function of the fact that books are now available for Rs99 (Dh8), which is a suddenly affordable price point. A whole lot of people are buying books at that price.” Another factor is the rise in the country's English readership. Government figures showed a 74 per cent rise in enrolments in English-medium schools between 2003 and 2006, largely spurred by the burgeoning Indian middle class. Six or seven years ago, a book was a bestseller in India if it sold 3,000 to 5,000 copies. Now, that metric stands at 10,000 or even 15,000 copies. However, the absence of real-time sales data has hindered publishers.

7. Godin in joint venture with Amazon for publishing new book

Popular New York- based business book author Seth Godin will publish  his first new book, Poke the Box, since leaving his long-time publishing house, Portfolio, last summer.  

Godin has teamed up with Amazon to form Domino Project, which will release the book in March.

Godin told The Wall Street Journal that he no longer needed an intermediary between himself and his readers. “The future of publishing is about having connections to readers and the knowledge of what those readers want,” Godin explained.

8. Books to movies: BBC to produce Dickens’ Edwin Drood

Gwyneth Hughes has completed Charles Dickens's unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She’s given the book an ending for a BBC Four drama that will be televised later this year. Dickens died in 1870 before completing the story, but gave his friend and biographer John Forster a brief outline of the tale. The adaptation "forms part of a season of programs on TV and radio to celebrate the printed word for the BBC's Year Of Books," BBC News said in a statement.

9. How bad is it? Borders sales plummet, chain declares bankruptcy

Sales at Borders Group, which is in bankruptcy, in the third quarter ended October 30 fell 17.6 percent, to $470.9 million. The net loss was $74.5 million, compared to $37.7 million in the same period last year. Sales at stores open at least a year dropped 12.6 percent. Sales at Borders.com fell 8.6 percent to $12.5 million. In stores open at least a year, sales of digital material rose 93.6 percent and children's toys and games rose 6.6 percent. The overall sales drop at stores was "driven primarily by the adult trade category." Since its launch on September, the Borders Rewards Plus has attracted more than 580,000 customers, resulting in $11 million in membership revenue. During 2010, inventory was reduced by $233.7 million. Also in 2010, Borders closed 191 smaller stores, mostly Waldenbooks, and 13 larger stores… Meanwhile, in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, net sales at Amazon.com rose 36 percent, to $12.95 billion, and net income rose eight percent, to $416 million. Kindle books have now overtaken paperback books as the most popular format at Amazon, even as paperback sales have continued to grow. Amazon is selling 115 Kindle books for every 100 paperbacks. In the quarter, Amazon sold three times as many Kindle books as hardcovers.The U.S. Kindle store now offers more than 810,000 e-books, 670,000 of which retail for $9.99 or less. The company also offers millions of free public-domain titles.

13. The publishing revolution: 10.5 million e-book readers now in use

Speaking at the Digital Book World conference, James McQuivey of Forrester Research said that Forrester found that 10.5 million people owned e-readers and 20 million people read e-books last year. Approximately $1 billion was spent last year on e-books. The firm is predicting that total will hit $1.3 billion this year… Barclays analyst Doug Anmuth predicts that Amazon will sell 12.3 million Kindles in 2011. An estimated 7.1 million Kindles sold in 2010. Anmuth said sales of the device "will reach $3.3 billion this year, almost eight percent of Amazon's revenue... and more than $7 billion in 2013, representing 11 percent of Amazon's revenue." "While a year ago there was much concern the iPad would materially impact sales of Amazon's Kindle, despite taking some share we believe it has actually helped accelerate the market for e-readers and has broadened the reach of the Kindle bookstore," Anmuth observed… Amazon has an upgrade in the works for Kindle owners. The free software update is scheduled for release “soon.” New features include page numbering that corresponds to a book's print edition; public notes, which allow readers to share highlights and comments; and links to rate the book, share with social networks and see more titles by the same author. The update will be rolled out via wi-fi … Russia’s Nanotechnologies (Rusnano) is investing $150 million and Plastic Logic’s existing backer Oak Investment Partners is putting in another $100 million to permit Plastic Logic was to build a factory in Russia to produce the next generation of business-oriented e-ink readers. The first generation Plastic Logic “Que” was a total failure. Rusnano is going to help raise an additional $100 million with “partial guarantees” for financing, and Plastic Logic hopes to raise $400 million more “over the next few years.” Details about what this “next generation” e-reader will be like are sparse, as are Plastic Logic’s plans for bringing it to market. However, Plastic Logic claims the Russian factory will be able to produce “hundreds of thousands of units” per month beginning sometime in 2013/2014 … If we can believe Brad Inman, founder and chief executive  of Vook, the vook is the future of the book. A vook is a multimedia book - a combination of text, photos, social sharing and video. Among the early offerings from Vook is the “Sherlock Holmes Experience.” It features two classic stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - “The Man with the Twisted Lip” and “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” - and enhances them with videos that delve into the history and legend surrounding the character of Holmes. Vook has closed $5.25 million in financing from investors including VantagePoint Venture Partners and Floodgate Fund. Vook plans to add to its sales team and continue to accelerate the technology platform with the money.

14. Self-published e-book author Hocking sells 450,000 copies in month

USA Today recently profiled self-publishing success story Amanda Hocking, who "sold more than 450,000 copies of her nine young-adult paranormal books in January. Virtually all were e-books."

At the same time, all three titles from her Trylle Trilogy (Switched, Torn and Ascend) debuted in the top 50 of USA Today's bestseller list.

Hocking opted for the self-published route in March 2010, selling her novels through online vendors like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

"By May she was selling hundreds; by June, thousands. She sold 164,000 books in 2010. Most were low-priced (99 cents to $2.99) digital downloads," USA Today wrote.

"I can't really say that I would have been more successful if I'd gone with a traditional publisher," said Hocking. "But I know this is working really well for me."

15. ‘New York Times’ unveils e-Book bestseller lists

The New York Times’ first-ever e-book bestseller lists appear in print on Feb. 13 and online on Feb. 11.

The index reflects rankings for the week ended Jan. 30.

Not only will the paper publish a separate e-book list, but there will also be a hybrid print and e-book bestseller list.

A spokesperson said the paper "wanted to provide more comprehensive lists of which books are selling."

Unlike USA Today's approach, the hybrid lists give no indication of whether e-books outsell print editions; a note on their methodology says only that "until the industry is more settled, sales of e-book titles will not be weighted." (In January, 16 of USA Today's top 50 titles sold more units electronically than in print.)

The new NYT lists skew predominantly to the biggest publishers. Print and e-format sales are "reported by venues offering a wide range of general interest titles" but specifically exclude "self-published books including single-vendor self-published titles" as well as these genres: "perennial sellers, required classroom reading, textbooks, reference and test preparation guides, journals, workbooks, calorie counters, shopping guides, comics, crossword puzzles."

16. Amazon changes Digital Text Platform to Kindle Direct Publishing

Amazon in January changed the name of its popular Create Space publishing platform. Along with the name change, it has begun issuing a newsletter and added some new benefits to the platform.

The familiar Create Space Digital Text Platform (DTP) that Kindle e-book authors use to create books is going by a new name, according to the first edition of the Kindle Direct Publishing Newsletter, which Amazon emailed to DTP users on Jan. 21.

Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)  is aimed at people who want to independently publish e-books for the Amazon Kindle.

Authors can already publish e-books for free with Amazon's Create Space publishing platform for Kindle books, but the revamped Kindle Direct Publishing seems designed to help authors gain a larger market for their Kindle books.

According to the Kindle Direct Publishing Newsletter, Amazon's goal for the re-focused program is to "provide authors and publishers with direct access to publishing to Kindle."

The January 2011 edition of the e-newsletter highlights some of the steps Amazon is taking for people who want to write and publish Kindle books.

There are new features in Amazon's Author Central, where e-book authors can monitor how their e-books are selling.

17. Kindle singles offer new market for authors of shorter works

Amazon.com has launched its new Kindle Singles program, which allows authors to digitally publish short works in the form of extended essays or e-books and sell them to prospective buyers.

Kindle Singles are narratives of between 5-30,000 words in length - longer than the average magazine feature, but less than a full-length book. Full-length books tend to run around 80,000 words.

Kindle singles are available from the Amazon Store for $0.99-$4.99.

The online retailer says initial selections are from authors like Evan Ratliff and Jodi Picoult, and they average $2-$3.

Only 22 Kindle Singles were available when this item was written.

18. Third quarter U.S. e-Reader shipments estimated at two million units

U.S.-based Apple and Amazon are the leading global vendors of tablet computers and e-readers, respectively, according to the Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, published by International Data Corporation.

IDC tabulates that 2.7 million e-readers shipped to vendors in the period, with the U.S. comprising three-quarters of the market, or 2.025 million units. Their tablet count remains even higher, at 4.8 million units, up from 3.3 million units in the second quarter, with Apple still holding about 90 percent of that market.

IDC says that Amazon accounted for 1.1 million of those e-reader units (a 41.5 percent market share worldwide), with Pandigital just barely taking second place with its line (which includes LCD models), shipping 440,000 units. Barnes & Noble's Nook line was close behind, with 420,000 units (prior to the release of Nook Color). Sony's Reader line was further behind, at 230,000 units, tied with Hanvon.

Tablet computers are not included in the IDC study. Apple is the global leader in tablets, responsible for an 87.4 percent share worldwide.

Amazon was the market leader in e-readers for the third quarter with more than 1.1 million units shipped and 41.5 percent share worldwide.

Pandigital, which has received far less publicity than Amazon’s Kindle, B&N’s Nook and Apple’s iPad, has a U.S. focus for its Novel e-readers, with models based not only on e-paper but also color LCD technology.

Forecasting forward, IDC expects e-reader shipments to comprise 10.8 million units for the year, with roughly 7.8 million units going to the U.S. and 3.0 million units going to the rest of the world. 

The primary manufacturer of electronic paper screens, E Ink, has forecast full-year shipments of 10 million units for 2010. Their bigger guesses for 2011 forecast 14.7 million e-readers shipping in 2011, dwarfed by their projection of 44.6 million tablets in the year ahead, with almost 18 million of those tablets headed to the U.S.

That's in some ways consistent with IMS Research's reports on the e-reader market, derived from shipments of e-reader components and units. In September, IMS forecast 46 million tablets for 2011, and 15.6 million for 2010. Their forward estimate of 2010 e-reader shipments was higher, however - they were looking for 13.1 million reader units worldwide last year.

19. Graphic novels and comics: Diamond now distributing Tokyopop

Effective July 1, Diamond Book Distributors will begin distributing Tokyopop, which since 2006 has been distributed by HarperCollins.  Diamond will focus on consolidating efforts to build out the manga graphic novel segment across both comic book and bookselling retailers. As part of the change, Tokyopop president and COO John Parker is joining Diamond as v-p of business development, a new position.

20. ‘Green Hornet’ No. 30 to be given away at Free Comic Book Day 2011

Every first Saturday of May, the comic book industry celebrates Free Comic Book Day. Each year, every publishing company observing the day takes the time to try to bring in new readers and appeal to the loyal fanbase.

DC, one of the three major comic book publishers, has revealed that this year's free comic will be a reprinting of Green Lantern #30 in order to familiarize casual fans with Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern universe.

Inside the issue, there will be the first preview of DC's forthcoming "Flashpoint" by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert.

Green Lantern No. 30 revealed how and why Hal received the power ring that changed his life, a pivotal chapter of the Green Lantern: Secret Origin graphic novel.

21. DC, Archie drop Comics Code, last major publishers to do so

A few days after DC Comics announced that it will replace the nearly 60-year-old Comics Code Authority Seal of Approval with its own rating system, Archie Comics announced  that it, too, will drop the Code.

The two were the last major publishers to abandon the CCA. Marvel withdrew in 2001.

The once-influential self-regulatory body created by the comics industry in the wake of 1954 Senate hearings on juvenile delinquency will cease to exist. 

Before a series of revisions in 1971, the Code prohibited even the depictions of political corruption, or vampires and werewolves, and the use of the words “horror” or “terror” in titles.

22. Books in bad taste: Book by murderer of British teacher published

The family of a British teacher found dead in a bath in Japan say they are disgusted at reports the man charged with her murder is publishing a book. Lindsay Ann Hawker was found dead in a Tokyo apartment belonging to 32-year-old Tatsuya Ichihashi in 2007. Ichihashi has written a book about the 33 months before he was traced and arrested in late 2009. Hawker’s family said the news had caused them more hurt. Miss Hawker was found at Ichihashi's apartment in March 2007. He was arrested at a ferry port in Osaka, southern Japan, in November 2009 after he went on the run. He has since been charged with raping and murdering her. The Guardian reported that lawyers for Ichihashi said his book, Until I Am Arrested, was a sign of his contrition and that royalties would be given to Hawker's family or donated to charity.

23. Self-publishing: Is Lightning Source or CreateSpace the better choice?

In 2007, about 134,000 books were self-published in the United States. In 2008, that rose to more than 285,000 and in 2009 soared to more than 764,000. In contrast, traditional publishers produced about 288,000 books in 2009, almost stagnant from 289,000 the year before, according to the firm R.R. Bowker, which tracks the book industry… Which should you choose to self-publish: CreateSpace or Lightning Source? Amazon.com‘s CreateSpace print on demand service often works best for a publisher (i) who intends to produce only one book fοr the foreseeable future. (ii) iѕ not particularly computer-savvy, (iii) dοеѕ not have technical аѕѕіѕtаחсе, and (iv) could use some editorial services or cover template capabilities. Lightning Source, Ingram Book Company’s print on demand service, might be more appropriate (i) wһеח the publisher intends to start a publishing company wіtһ longer-term plans, (ii) hаѕ already ѕtаrtеd thinking about multiple titles to publish, (iii) plans to hire professionals to help get books into print, (iv) already has a company or is willing to set one up, аחd (v) can afford the Lightning Source set-up fees, which can be as much as $200.

24. Marketing: Author launches adult novel at toy store

Because a scene in her new novel The Best Laid Plans is set at Babeland, a sort of FAO Schwarz for adults, Lynn Schnurnberger chose the toy store as the site for her publication party, according to an article by Joanne Kaufman in the Wall Street Journal. "It's hard to get attention for bookstore readings because it's just 'same old, same old,'" she said. "I write chick lit, and this is the first book party I've ever had that my husband's friends are interested in coming to.”

25. Regional publisher opens book shop to sell its own, other titles

A grand opening celebration for Grateful Steps Publishing House and Bookshop was held in Asheville, N.C., on Feb. 2. The grand-opening coincides with the re-launch of Look Up Asheville: A Journey Through Architecture, now available in stores. 

Grateful Steps is a six-year old publishing house with thirty-five titles across genres, mostly by local and regional writers. Owner Micki Cabaniss Eutsler says the storefront expansion will enable them to sell these books along with national, regional and local titles. “‘Buy Local’ applies to books as well,” says marketing director Laura Hope-Gill, and we’re excited to support local authors.” Grateful Steps also offers educational and community-based programming, including weekly writing classes and an upcoming 5-week class on the New York School of Poetry taught by Eric Steineger.

Grateful Steps welcomes book clubs and discussion groups and offers weekly writing classes and monthly “book explorations,” events that engage people experientially with book. “It’s a blend of theater, party and English class,” says Hope-Gill, who is also director of Asheville Wordfest, which Grateful Steps sponsors.

Look Up Asheville is a 150-page, hardcover photographic journey through Asheville’s downtown architecture. Essays by local author Laura Hope-Gill chart the often overlooked history of the city’s buildings. Many Southern cities, for instance, razed their older buildings in the 60s. Not Asheville. The work of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century architects and masons defines Asheville as it stands today.

This book is a collaboration between local photographer Michael Oppenheim, graphic designer Michele Scheve and writer Laura Hope-Gill. 

For more than five years, Asheville photographer Oppenheim photographed sixty of Asheville’s iconic buildings, exploring how light and weather affected their personalities. In this first collection, 32 landmarks appear, each with its own colorful biography. 

26. Milestones: Most expensive book published in 20^th century?

What is allegedly the most expensive book published in the 20^th century was a volume of photographs by Helmut Newton entitled SUMO published by Taschen.  The book, weighing 35.4 kilograms, contained 420 images. The book sold out in its limited run of 10,000 copies. Initially, it retailed at $1,500. Today, it sells for $15,000. The first SUMO copy sold at auction in Berlin in 2000 went for $430,000...  Wiley's “For Dummies” series celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Starting with DOS For Dummies, which taught the average person how to use basic software in a new, easily understood way, the “For Dummies” imprint has published more than 1,800 books in the U.S. alone, has more than 250 million copies in print, and sells around the world in a range of languages… In the past 10 years, more than 3.5 million articles in English have been contributed to Wikipedia. But surveys suggest that less than 15 percent of its hundreds of thousands of contributors are women. A year ago, the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization that runs Wikipedia, collaborated on a study of Wikipedia’s contributor base and discovered that it was barely 13 percent women. The average age of a contributor was in the mid-20s, according to the study by a joint center of the United Nations University and Maastricht University. Sue Gardner, the executive director of the foundation, has set a goal to raise the share of female contributors to 25 percent by 2015.

27. Amazon sues Texas over demand for $269 million in back sales taxes

In the fall of 2010, Texas assessed Amazon $269 million in uncollected sales tax, interest and penalties for the four years from December 2005 to December 2009.

Now, Amazon has filed a lawsuit in Travis County District Court, Texas,  demanding that Texas disclose the documents used in the calculations. Amazon argues "the documents must be made public under the Texas Public Information Act and seeks a court order forcing their release.

The suit also seeks recovery of attorneys' fees and other legal costs," the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Amazon's lawsuit contends it sent letters in September and October to the comptroller's office requesting "information related to the audit and the assessment" and an explanation of the basis for the assessment, but "auditors were not forthcoming with an explanation."

The comptroller's office refused to provide that information, arguing that it was protected by attorney-client privilege because "the entire file relating to the audit was 'prepared by an attorney,' and thus ... protected from disclosure," according to the lawsuit. On Dec. 16, an opinion issued by the Texas attorney general's office agreed with the comptroller's office, according to the American-Statesman.

28. Jimmy Carter sued for alleged falsehoods in book about Middle East

A $5 million lawsuit filed in federal court in New York against former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and publisher Simon & Schuster alleges that Carter’s 2006 book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid contains false information and was intended to deceive the public and promote an anti-Israeli agenda.

The five plaintiffs in the suit, readers of the book, want their lawsuit, which seeks compensatory and punitive damages, to be deemed a class action, meaning that the plaintiffs would be seen to represent a much larger group - that is, everyone who purchased Carter’s $27 book.

The plaintiffs are Americans, with two of the five holding dual American-Israeli citizenship.

The suit alleges that the five plaintiffs in the suit who purchased Carter’s book, as well as others, assumed they were buying an accurate record of historic events relating to Israel and the Palestinians.

By claiming to be a Middle East expert, the suit claims, Carter and, by extension, his publisher, intentionally presented inaccurate information that was highly critical of Israel and therefore violated a New York law that makes it illegal to “engage in deceptive acts in the course of conducting business.”

According to a press release sent out by plaintiffs’ attorneys David Schoen and Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, the suit is “the first time a former president and a publishing house have been sued for violating consumer protection laws by knowingly publishing inaccurate information while promoting a book as factual.”

The complaint notes that former Carter aides and colleagues contacted Simon & Schuster with concerns about inaccuracies in the book, but that the allegations were not investigated further.

Schoen, in an e-mail to The Jerusalem Post, noted that there is precedent in New York for a class-action suit against writer and publisher “for falsely marketing as true and accurate a book that is neither.”

Similar suits, Schoen said, have been filed in New York against James Frey, the much-reviled author of the not entirely truthful memoir A Million Little Pieces. Those suits ended in settlements.

“Ours is a much more serious subject I believe, because the book intentionally misleads and misrepresents about actual historic events and much of the public debate going on today about Israel is based on what people believe actually has transpired in past discussions, etc.,” Schoen wrote in his e-mail.

“For a former President to misstate these things obviously was anathema enough for his closest aides, supporters, and confidantes to quit over it and expose the falsehoods for what they were.”

29. Nation Books to publish 8.5 hour oration by Bernie Sanders as book

Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont,  who spoke for eight-and-a-half hours on the Senate floor on Dec. 10 against an extension of Bush-era tax cuts for upper-income Americans, is having the entire oration published in a book entitled The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class.

Sanders’s original talk, an emotional critique of the 2010 tax-cut deal between the Obama White House and Republican leaders, was not strictly speaking a filibuster, since Sanders was not trying to delay a vote. He was simply making a point, passionately and at length. But his performance benefited from Senate rules allowing individual members to talk as long as they want, and it echoed the storied filibusters of the past, during which senators would sometimes talk around the clock.

According to publisher Nation Books, affiliated with The Nation magazine, a liberal publication, millions of citizens followed the speech online, crashing the Senate server, while Sen. Sanders’s phone lines in Washington and Vermont were tied up by callers.

Sanders, a self-described socialist, is the longest-serving independent in the history of Congress, though he works closely with the Democrats.

30. Trade shows: Digital Book World attendance doubles in 2011

Attendance at Digital Book World 2011 doubled to 1,250 registrants, more than twice that of last year's 600. Digital Book World, known as DBW, is the key conference in publishing for publishers about e-books. All of publishing's "big six" publishers attended. Random House had more than 40 people attending, while fewer than 20 came from the publisher in 2010… The tumult in Egypt in January forced the cancellation of the Cairo International Book Fair. The CIBF last year drew close to 1.8 million visitors. It was scheduled for Jan. 29 - Feb. 8 in Nasr City. This year’s fair was to spotlight Chinese publishers. The Chinese delegation that had traveled to Egypt - bringing with it 248 publishers and 10,000 books - left Cairo unfulfilled, as did some 400 other publishers from around the world. In all, some 630 publishers from 29 countries, including 17 in the Middle East, were affected by the cancellation.

31. Spring Book Show announces two days of Atlanta workshops

The Southern Review of Books newsletter has announced that 20 outstanding authors and book professionals will teach two day-long seminars on writing on Friday-Saturday, March 25-26, at Atlanta’s Cobb Galleria Centre.

The workshops, entitled “Authorship 101” and “Authorship 201” will focus on writing, getting published and marketing fiction and nonfiction. The classes will be held in conjunction with the Spring Book Show being held at the same location.

Authorship 101, “How To Become a Successful Author – The Basics,” is scheduled for Friday, March 25. Featured presenters include:

·        Echo Garrett, award-winning journalist with Sam Bracken, Franklin Covey executive, "Finding Your Voice: Writing Inspirational Biography."

·        Rebecca Burns, former editor, Atlanta magazine, "Writing History: There's Gold in Material Right in Your Back Yard."

·        Ahmad Meradji, CEO, Booklogix Publishing Services and Apex Book Manufacturing, "Is Self-Publishing for You? What You Need to Know to Publish Your Book.”

·        Blane Bachelor, journalist, nationally syndicated columnist, author, "10 Pitfalls to Avoid on Your Way to Being Published."

·        Jennie Helderman, author of three books, "Tips on writing nonfiction for publication."

·        Rob Jenkins, national columnist and English professor at Georgia Perimeter College, "Write What You Know for Pleasure and Dough."

·        Peter Bowerman, author of the four award-winning “Well-Fed” titles on making a living as a writer, author and publisher, “The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living."

·        Angela Durden, children’s books author, editor, publisher, businesswoman. Participants in her session will discuss their unpublished works for critique.

Authorship 201, “How To Become a Successful Author - Getting Down to Business," is scheduled for Saturday, March 26. Featured presenters include:

·        Man Martin, award-winning author and comic strip artist, "Self-Promotion 101."

·        Lynda Fitzgerald, multi-genre author, "Developing Characterization and Writing Dialogue in the Novel Genre."

·        Eric and Robin Gagnon, business brokers and nonfiction authors, “Have Expertise? Get Published! How to Pitch and Publish your Non-fiction Book.”

·        Valerie Connelly, publisher, Nightengale Media LLC, "So, You've Written and Published a Book. Now What?" 

·        Prudy Taylor Board, author of 22 books, "Writing and Selling Your First Novel."

·        Mara Shalhoup, editor, Creative Loafing, "Stranger than Fiction: True Stories that Read Like Novels."

·        Haywood Smith, award-winning historical fiction novelist, "How to Create Characters That Jump Off the Page."

·        Patricia Patterson, author of Uncertain Choices and many short stories, essays and poetry, "On the Importance of Networking."

Moderators for the sessions will include Blane Bachelor, Angela Durden, local freelance writer and author Mickey Goodman and Southern Review of Books editor Noel Griese.

Griese, of Atlanta-based Anvil Publishers, said that people attending the workshop get free admission to the Spring Book Show.

Additional details at http://anvilpub.net/spring_seminars.htm.

32. Dates, location announced for 2011 Spring Book Show in Atlanta

Larry May of L.B. May & Associates, Knoxville, Tenn., has announced that the 2011 Spring Book Show, sister show of the Great American Bargain Book Show, will be held Friday-Sunday, March 25-27, at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

The Spring Book Show, the largest bargain book show in the nation, features more than 50,000 book titles being sold by vendors to buyers from around the world. It is closed to the general public.

2011 marks the third year that the show is being held at the Cobb Galleria Centre.

Educational seminars being held in conjunction with the show will be held in the Galleria’s salon area.

“The Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel, the official hotel for the 2011 Spring Book Show, connects to the convention center, a real plus, and conferees at the 2010 Spring Book Show liked the availability of free parking and the great shopping and restaurants in the area,” May said.

He added that about three-quarters of available space for the 2011 show has already been sold. Low-priced bargain book stock, he noted, is becoming increasingly popular with booksellers because of the depressed national economy. Remainders in most cases generate a higher retail mark-up than newly released books.

33. Major upcoming trade shows, book fairs and book festivals

February

Feb. 25-March 1. The National Association of College Stores Conference. www.nacs.org 

Ninth Hispanic Book Festival.  www.hispanicbookfestival.com or call Andres Puello, Festival Director, 281-558-3052

South Carolina Book Festival. http://www.scbookfestival.org

March

March 25-27. Spring Book Show, Cobb Galleria/Renaissance-Waverly Hotel, Atlanta, Ga. SBS is one of the largest remainder and bargain book shows in the world. www.springbookshow.com
National Association of College Stores (CAMEX). www.nacs.org

Bologna Children’s Book Fair.  www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com 

April

April 11-13. London Book Fair . www.londonbookfair.co.uk

April 30-May 1. Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. After 15 years at the UCLA campus in Westwood, the festival, which has grown into one of the biggest in the country, is moving to the University of Southern California's University Park Campus, near downtown Los Angeles. Last year, more than 140,000 people attended.
April 30- May 2. Museum Store Association’s Retail Conference & Expo.

April 30-May 1. Boston Comic Con, Hynes Convention Center.

May

May 23-26. BookExpo America, New York.  www.bookexpoamerica.com  

National Stationery Show,  New York.

June

June 24-29. American Library Association, Washington, DC. www.ala.org

June 27–30. ICRS - International Christian Retail Show,  St. Louis, Mo www.christianretailshow.com

Printers Row Book Fair, Chicago. http://www.chicagotribune.com/about/events/printersrow  

The Australian Booksellers Association's, Melbourne. The International New Age Trade Show West 

July

July 21-24. Comic-Con International, San Diego, Calif. The grandfather of all comics shows, which began in 1970, and capped its attendance at 125,000 three years ago.
 

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Last modified: 03/28/11