Here are the latest initiatives from traditional publishers. (If you missed our roundup earlier this spring, check it out.)
- The Pennsylvania-based publisher Rodale—known for health and wellness books and magazines—has launched a new imprint, Rodale Kids. It plans to publish 30 to 45 titles per year, but has already announced 50 titles for 2018. Categories will include fiction and nonfiction for every age group. For an in-depth look at their strategy, take a look at Shelf Awareness’s dedicated issue. (Note that publishers must pay Shelf Awareness for this type of coverage.)
- Book development company Paper Lantern Lit, which was founded in 2010 by women who worked in traditional publishing, has functioned as a “literary incubator” for the last seven years. Recently, Paper Lantern announced they are rebranding as Glasstown Entertainment to reflect their expansion into film and TV as well as adult fiction, where they will build on their foundation in young adult and children’s literature. The firm is actively looking for finished scripts and novels to adapt for TV and film, and it is also developing original ideas directly for the screen.
- A new imprint, the Walrus, is being launched in Canada by two “literary powerhouses.” The Walrus Foundation and House of Anansi Press will publish longform nonfiction, starting with a debut list of three titles. The imprint will focus on topical Canadian content by Canadian writers. Learn more.
- In the UK, Little Brown is launching Dialogue Books, “dedicated to inclusivity.” It plans to publish four to six titles per year and source writing talent from areas outside of the mainstream publishing industry. It will include authors from BAME backgrounds, those with disabilities, and the LGBTQI+ community. Learn more.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
