BTW News Briefs

New York Times Features Year’s 100 Notable Books

The New York Times’ annual list of the year’s 100 Notable Books, which will appear in the paper’s print Book Review on Sunday, December 2, can be previewed now on the Times website. The holiday gift guide features notable fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, selected by the editors of the Book Review.

Indiana Lawmakers Want Amazon to Collect Sooner

Amazon.com is slated to begin collecting and remitting sales tax to Indiana on January 1, 2014, but two state lawmakers think that is too long for Indiana’s Main Street retailers to wait for a level playing field. Indiana state Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis), and Rep. Tom Dermody (R-LaPorte) plan to introduce legislation in the session that begins in January to force all online retailers to collect sales tax, as reported by the Indianapolis Star. The legislation would call for online retailers to begin collecting as of July 2013, according to WSBT.com.

“If the state wants to favor one industry over another industry, we ought to do it openly and we ought to do it very, very reluctantly,” Rep. DeLaney told the Star. “In this case we are meeting neither one of those tests. We are quietly supporting one form of merchandising and at the same time we are not telling the public what we are doing.” He added that at a time when Indiana needs revenue, it’s wrong to have any deal with Amazon that allows it put off collecting sales tax until 2014.

In support of the sales tax fairness bill, the Indiana Retail Council and Indiana Merchants for Tax Fairness, a coalition of 300 businesses, joined for a press event this Monday noting that they want to make sure that the next Cyber Monday is no longer “Tax-Free Monday” for online shoppers, the Star noted.

Rep. Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville), who will take over as chair of the state’s House Ways and Means Committee, told the Star that he had not made a decision “one way or the other” about whether to support the bill.

S&S in Partnership With Author Solutions

On Tuesday, Simon & Schuster and Author Solutions, Inc. (ASI) announced the launch of Archway Publishing, a new self-publishing service with a focus on fiction, nonfiction, business, and children’s categories.

Archway will offer authors a range of editorial, design, distribution, and marketing services, as well as a concierge service, a speakers’ bureau, video production and distribution, and inclusion in Edelweiss’ online catalog.

ASI’s self-publishing imprints include AuthorHouse, AuthorHouse UK, iUniverse, Palibrio, Trafford Publishing, and Xlibris.

HarperCollins to Debut Young Adult Digital Short Fiction Imprint 

On December 4, HarperCollins will launch HarperTeen Impulse, a digital imprint focusing on Young Adult short stories and novellas. The new imprint will publish short-form works from new and established authors in e-book format across a variety of genres.

HarperTeen Impulse will publish between one and four titles a month that will go on sale the first Tuesday of that month, branded “Impulse Tuesday.”  Titles will be available at all e-book retailers in a price range from $0.99 to $2.99, according to the publisher. The Impulse marketing program includes social media outreach, monthly newsletters, cross-promotion in HarperTeen print books, and strategic sales promotions.

HMH in Polar Express Book Donation Campaign With First Book

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has launched a social media-based holiday book donation campaign in partnership with the literacy organization First Book, based on The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. For every new fan who “likes” the Polar Express–themed HMH Kids Facebook page through December 25 a book will be donated to a child in need. HMH has committed to donate up to 25,000 new books that First Book will donate to children around the country.

McGraw-Hill to Sell Education Business

On Monday, the McGraw-Hill Companies announced an agreement to sell its McGraw-Hill Education business to investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management for $2.5 billion. The transaction is expected to close in late 2012 or early 2013.

After the closing, McGraw-Hill, which will be renamed McGraw Hill Financial, will become a content and analytics company in the global capital and commodities markets. 

The McGraw-Hill Companies announced in September 2011 it would separate into two companies following a year-long strategic portfolio review.

Sheehan Promoted to Ingram’s Library Services Group

On Wednesday, the Ingram Content Group announced the promotion of Dan Sheehan to vice president and general manager of Ingram’s Library Services Group and the hiring of Pamela Smith as vice president of global sales for the library business.

Sheehan, who assumed his new role in September, had most recently served as vice president of sales for Ingram Book Company as well as vice president and general manager of Ingram Periodicals. Sheehan will continue in his role with Ingram Periodicals.  

Smith was most recently a senior vice president at Follett Corporation, where she was responsible for both Follett Library Resources and BWI brands. She began her library career at Baker & Taylor and also spent time at Ingram Library Services. Starting December 3, she will have responsibility for Ingram’s Public, K-12, and Academic sales teams.