BTW News Briefs -- May 8, 2003

On Friday, May 2, Pocket Books announced that it was recalling the mass market edition of Deception Point, by Dan Brown (ISBN 0671027387), because the prologue was inadvertently left out of the book. The publisher conducted a "rush reprint" to replace the recalled books, which were scheduled to be available by May 5.

To return the books, Pocket Books has issued the following directions for booksellers: For the returns to be processed as refusals -- not returns -- the following steps must be taken: The returns should be stripped covers -- no mint books or affidavits; please write "Defective Refusal" on every carton/package sent back to the publisher -- refusals must be marked with these two words; an invoice number must be written on the carton/package; and they should be sent to Pocket Books' return center.

The return center address is: Simon & Schuster, c/o Arnold Logistics, 4406 Industrial Park Road, Building #7, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, 17011-5736. --DG

A number of independent publishers, led by Chelsea Green Publishing in White River Junction in Vermont, have joined forces to cooperatively publish and distribute a short photo-essay booklet on the effects of the war in Iraq. The booklet, Iraq on the Edge, was written and photographed by photojournalist Thorne Anderson, and is being distributed for free at independent bookstores nationwide. The cooperative effort is called Publishers for Peace.

For more information, or to request a copy of Iraq on the Edge, contact Margo Baldwin at Chelsea Green (802) 295-6300, ext. 102 or mbaldwin@chelseagreen.com. To order copies of Iraq on the Edge for bookstore distribution, contact Consortium at (800) 283-3572. --DG

On May 7, Sourcebooks, Inc., an independent publishing house in Chicago, announced that U.S. News & World Report had selected them as their publishing partner for their new college directory. U.S. News & World Report compiles an annual report of America's Best Colleges and America's Best Graduate Schools. The new U.S. News Ultimate College Directory 2004 is scheduled for release in October.

Sourcebooks also announced its partnership with Reed Press, the new book publishing arm of Reed Business Information. In a publishing first for Sourcebooks, the company will perform all sales, marketing, and distribution duties for Reed Press. Reed Press will be publishing a wide-ranging list, launching their first list for fall 2003. --KS

On Thursday, May 1, Holtzbrinck Publishers reduced the price of all their eBooks by 25 percent. The move was made in an effort to boost eBook sales, the publisher announced.
The 25 percent reduction in eBook prices will include the following Holtzbrinck companies and imprints: St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books, Picador, Minotaur, and Tor/Forge. Holtzbrinck Publishers has over a thousand eBooks available in varying formats. --DG

DK Publishing invites the public to digitally photograph moments of their daily lives during the week of May 12 - 18 and submit the photos to www.america24-7.com, which will feature a digital time capsule of that week. All submissions will be posted on the Web site and those selected will be published in a new book called America 24/7. --KS