News - Vendors

When the Sarasota, Florida, distributor BookWorld abruptly shut its doors on September 28, it left 104 small publishers looking for distribution arrangements. Now, many of those publishers are migrating over to AtlasBooks, according to David Wurster, AtlasBooks COO and co-owner of BookMasters, both based in Ashland, Ohio.

The American Booksellers Association has welcomed Hyperion Books for Children/Disney Press as its final Publisher Partner for the Third Annual Winter Institute (Wi3), to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, from January 24 - 27, 2008.

This week, Holtzbrinck Publishers announced that it was changing its name in the U.S. to Macmillan, the name of the English and Spanish language publishing operations of the Verlagsgruppe Goerg von Holtzbrinck in more than 70 countries. The publisher said the name change was made to signify a unified worldwide presence.

Whatever a bookseller calls merchandise other than books -- sidelines, gifts, or non-book items -- the effects are still the same: The addition of non-book merchandise to the inventory mix can add significantly to a bookstore's bottom line.

The opportunity for American Booksellers Association member bookstores to host a community-based book-donation event this holiday season, courtesy of a partnership between Scholastic, Inc. and ABA, will soon end. In celebration of Ann M. Martin's Main Street series, Scholastic is donating 25 books, along with wrapping materials and announcement posters, for a Main Street Gift-Wrap Party to bookstores that sign up by Monday, October 1.

Jim Dale, the narrator of the Harry Potter series for Listening Library, has recorded a special message for independent booksellers to use in conjunction with their Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows audiobook promotions.

Hotel ABA guests will find their way around the Big Apple a little easier thanks to the Time Out Shortlist New York 2007. The guide to "What's New/What's On/What's Next" in New York will be distributed free to 500 booksellers at Hotel ABA courtesy of the publisher.

Perseus Books Group plans to restructure and streamline its divisions, according to Publishers Weekly and an internal letter from Perseus president David Steinberger obtained by PW. The changes follow the Perseus acquisition of Consortium and Avalon, and its victory in the Publishers Group West bankruptcy case.

Independent publisher PublicAffairs, known for its outstanding list of titles on social and political issues, will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a special panel discussion, "Social Entrepreneurs: Changing the World" on Saturday, June 2, at BookExpo America.