News - Vendors

Artemis Records, a New York-based independent record label and home to artists such as Steve Earle and the late Warren Zevon, is expanding its selection of spoken word CDs to include authors Allen Ginsberg and Al Franken, among others. The literary CDs are, of course, a natural fit for independent booksellers, but so is music from Artemis, a Book Sense Publisher Partner.

In late June, Penguin Group (USA) announced the launch of a new direct sales division to be aimed primarily at the children's market, with a particular emphasis on preschool and young readers, called "Family Books at Home." Family Books will sell books via a network of "independent consultants," who will utilize a "party plan" method of selling books at gatherings in private homes. Penguin hired former Avon.com president and general manager Len Edwards as the new division's president of direct selling.

Below is an outline of recent changes to the data in the ABA Book Buyer's Handbook online at handbook.bookweb.org.

The Great American Writing Road Trip Adventure (RTA), sponsored by Writer's Digest Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, is making its way around the country in the Road Trip Touring Van, with bookstore events in over 30 cities. The Road Trip van is also making unscheduled stops at libraries and college campuses along the tour route, dropping off materials of interest to writers or prospective writers.

Lonely Planet, the independent travel publisher, wrapped up its mega-tour of over 100 independent bookstores on June 3, disembarking at BookExpo America at Chicago's McCormick Place. The Lonely Planet crew spent one month aboard the Lonely Planet RV, which sported side panels advertising the "Lonely Planet 2004 Independent Bookstore Road Trip." They visited stores throughout the eastern half of the U.S. and traveled over 5,500 miles. As the tour T-shirt said: "26 States, 27 Days, 5,504 Miles, 116 Independent Bookstores."

Below is an outline of recent changes to the data in the ABA Book Buyer's Handbook online at handbook.bookweb.org.

On Friday, June 4, at BookExpo America, Baker & Taylor announced it was lowering its terms for free freight on book orders for customers utilizing Baker &Taylor as their primary book wholesaler. Customers on file declaring Baker & Taylor as their "first call distributor" will be allowed free freight on shipments of 10 or more books.

Book Sense is pleased to welcome the recently launched Unbridled Books as its newest publishing partner. In February, industry veterans Fred Ramey and Greg Michalson announced the formation of Unbridled Books, a new house based on a longstanding publishing partnership.

To show their support for Book Sense @ 5, the fifth birthday of the Book Sense program, publisher partners exhibiting at BookExpo America (BEA) have planned celebratory events ranging from ice cream giveaways to wine and cheese parties to cheering for a horse trying to overcome the odds. Their events will be part of the Book Sense @ 5 Birthday Bash, which will be held at 5:00 p.m. sharp on June 5 on the BEA trade show floor.

Lonely Planet, the independent travel publisher, began its tour of independent bookstores on Saturday, May 8. The Lonely Planet RV, decked out with large side panels advertising the "Lonely Planet 2004 Independent Bookstore Road Trip," was baptized by fire, starting the tour in Manhattan, where navigating the 32-foot behemoth presented some parking and navigational difficulties. However, that didn't stop the intrepid Lonely Planet (LP) crew of Gary Todoroff, U.S.