Welbeck Publishing Group is starting a commercial fiction imprint, Portland Press, launching in 2020 and focusing on crime, thrillers, romance and women’s fiction. Jon Elek will be lead the line as group publisher, fiction after 10 years as an agent, most recently at United Agents.
Ali Hammond has joined the publisher relations team at BookBub, as the account manager for audiobook publishers on their new audio platform, Chirp.
Forthcoming
A Spanish-language edition of Michael Wolff‘s just announced new book — published as Asedio: Trump en el punto de mira — will be ready on June 4 as an ebook, and June 11 in trade paperback and audiobook from Vintage Español.
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron‘s FOR THE RECORD will be published on September 19 by William Collins, and Harper in the US will follow on September 24.
Wholesale
Simon & Schuster is the latest publisher to introduce a distribution program for indies, disrupted by Baker & Taylor’s exit rom the trade wholesale business. Independent bookstores without a current active account qualify for expedited application and credit approval, quick initial order processing and no minimum for new customer initial orders, as well as their previously-announced promotional terms for new store openings. Gary Urda, svp, sales, said in the release, “We are also working closely with all of our demand wholesale partners to insure that they, too, are fully prepared to supply this important marketplace with our titles. In short, we are open for business, ready to welcome new indie accounts, and look forward to providing them with our world-class customer service.”