Diversion Publishing is launching a new self-publishing division, Radius Book Group, led by vp, business development Mary Cummings and managing editor Fiona Hallowell. Radius will sell aspiring authors packages ranging from DIY options through Ingram Spark to comprehensive publishing services. Bestselling self-published author Marie Force is launching a new contemporary romance company, Jack’s House Publishing. Force says in the announcement, “Jack’s House came about after many authors contacted me to ask when I was going to get into the publishing business.” She notes, “I had all the players already in place after four years of running my Formatting Fairies business, which I founded […]
Apps/iOS
Briefs: HarperCollins Italia Acquires 20lines; Penguin Random House India Partners With Manjul; and More
HarperCollins Italia has acquired 20lines, a community that allows users to write, read and share short-format stories via a smartphone app. Available in seven languages, the app is said to feature 40,000 authors and 15,000 new pieces of content published every month. Harper’s chief digital officer, evp international Chantal Restivo-Alessi says in the announcement, “20lines has created a tremendous platform with a passionate community of readers and writers in the same markets where HarperCollins maintains a global footprint. We look forward to engaging with its users and exploring short-form content.” Separately, Penguin Random House India announced a co-publishing partnership for local language translation with Manjul Publishing House. […]
eNews: New Kindle Paperwhite, Oyster’s Lumin
Amazon has refreshed its Kindle Paperwhite device, whose screen now has a 300-pixel-per-inch resolution, a new “Bookerly” font, and a $119 price. The device is available for pre-order and ships on June 30. Oyster has launched Lumin, a new feature designed to improve the quality of the in-app reading experience by automatically adjusting to the natural sunlight outside based on the time of day and the user’s location. The company says that Lumin “gradually filters the blue light from your screen, replacing it with a warm, soft amber light” as the sun sets.
Briefs: HarperCollins Adds Titles to Shazam; Sierra Club Closes Book Imprints; and More
HarperCollins will be the exclusive global book partner for the launch of music recognition app Shazam‘s new visual recognition functionality. (Other newspaper and magazine partners include Condé Nast, Esquire, Time and the Wall Street Journal.) Starting immediately whenever Shazam users wave their mobile phone over any HarperCollins book or promotional content with the Shazam camera logo on it, they will instantly get taken to custom mobile experiences from HarperCollins, including exclusive content, author interviews, special offers, videos, playlists and more. Available and forthcoming titles in the program include Harper Lee’s Go Set A Watchman; Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph […]
BitLit Angels Include Former Kobo CEO Serbinis
Vancouver-based startup Bitlit, whose app helps publishers bundle ebooks with print books, announced the closing of a round of seed funding. Kobo founder and recently deposed ceo Michael Serbinis’s new venture fund Three Angels Capital is among the funders — along with from BDC Venture Capital, Mike Volker (WUTIF fund) and Jim Fletcher, a Vancouver super angel. The amount of the round was not disclosed. Serbinis says in the release that “Three Angels was founded in 2014 to invest in world class teams looking to disrupt markets and change the world. As books go digital it’s clear that people continue to enjoy […]
Inkling Closes Consumer Business to Focus on Enterprise Side; Lays Off 25 Percent of Staff
Inkling is officially closing its consumer retail business and has laid off something close to 25 percent of staff as a result. (CEO Matt MacInnis confirmed the layoffs to TechCrunch, indicating that 25 percent “was a little high.”) The company will focus on the enterprise/platform side, licensing their technology to publishers and large companies creating content for in-house use. MacInnis indicates that part of the business is performing well “and will continue hiring, he said.” MacInnis already discussed the company’s shift in a Fast Company article in March, “What Happened When A Digital Textbook Company Was Forced to Redefine Its […]