Penguin Random House is closing Dial Books for Young Readers. Launched in 1961, the imprint has published books by Rosemary Wells, Mercer Mayer, Mildred D. Taylor, and Richard Peck, as well as Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri’s Dragons Love Tacos, B.J. Novak’s The Book With No Pictures, and Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun. “As a result [of the closure], a few employees will be leaving, and some will be joining other [Penguin Young Readers] imprints,” a spokesperson stated. The publisher did not respond to inquiries about the rationale behind the decision, the plans for forthcoming books, or how […]
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Lakeside Adds Digital Press to Harrisonburg
Lakeside Book Company has installed a new HP T500 digital press at their Harrisonburg facility, calling it “a major expansion of its digital print platform.” The company says it will let them “help publishers respond to changing market demand with offset-comparable quality, faster turnaround, and greater production flexibility. The press supports precise replenishment, shorter lead times, and reduced inventory exposure for both backlist and frontlist titles, while its advanced inkjet technology improves energy efficiency and sustainability performance.”
Lonely Planet Launches Digital Travel Platform
Travel guidebook publisher Lonely Planet has launched a digital platform that includes an app and bookable travel experiences through Lonely Planet Journeys. They bill it as the company’s “most significant evolution yet from trusted guidebooks to a connected travel platform.” The app offers “trusted travel guidance from more than 450 on-the-ground experts around the world to help travelers plan with confidence as the brand continues its shift to a digital-first platform.” Membership tiers will be rolled out later in 2026. Meanwhile, Lonely Planet Journeys, launched in fall 2025, allows users to “book customized trips to 70+ destinations directly through Lonely […]
DK to Publish Branded Lego Books Fiction Line
DK will launch a new line of children’s books in partnership with Lego, including fiction, chapter books, and “story builders”—middle grade books packaged with exclusive Lego bricks—under the DK Flip imprint. The first titles will publish in the fall, including Jeffrey Brown’s middle grade novel Nikolas Nurdblok and the Lost Brick in October.
Firebrand and Supadu’s Radley Books to Offer Simple Direct-to-Consumer Sales
Supadu and Firebrand Technologies, both owned by Media Do International, have partnered to launch Radley Books, which allows customers of Firebrand’s metadata distribution service to sell books directly to consumers through Shopify. According to a release, Radley Books was created “in response to publisher demands for straightforward direct-to-consumer sales” without having to build an e-commerce website on their own. “Publishers want to own their reader relationships, but launching a strong eCommerce website is still too often expensive, complex, and slow,” Supadu president Sarah Arbuthnot said. “By bringing together Supadu’s metadata-driven eCommerce and website solutions with Firebrand’s Eloquence on Demand service, […]
Reports Detail How Literary Agent Brockman Connected Epstein With Scholars
Several recent pieces have highlighted the enduring link between Jeffrey Epstein and literary agent John Brockman, who connected Epstein with intellectuals, academics, and scientists, a relationship first brought to light in 2019 after Epstein’s death. In newly released files, Brockman also discusses Epstein’s funding of a conference tied to a book of science essays and the effects of “Me Too” on the industry. Brockman, “the king of scientific publishing” whose agency is now run by his son Max, was the leading agent for science and tech writers including Richard Dawkins, Jared Diamond, Daniel Kahneman, and Steven Pinker. In The Nerve, […]