Publishers Lunch - book news from the US

Former Rodale Star Zinczenko Pairs with Random House On Imprint, Book Deal, and Distribution

Random House Publishing Group will partner with former Rodale executive David Zinczenko for an imprint, a multi-book contract, and a distribution deal. The imprint, Zinc Ink, will issue 6 to 12 lifestyle and nonfiction titles a year starting in 2014 in a profit-sharing arrangement. Titles signed include Maria Menounos's The EveryGirl's Diet and boxer and trainer Michael Olajide Jr.'s Sleekify. Zinczenko's colleague at Galvanized Brands, chief operating officer Stephen Perrine, will be co-publisher alongside BBD publisher Libby McGuire. They will acquire along with BBD nonfiction editorial director, Jennifer Tung.

Zinczenko will write three books to be determined on exercise, diet and nutrition, to be published by Ballantine starting in 2014, sold in what the NYT says is a multimillion-dollar deal. As an author, he co-wrote the Eat This, Not That line and The Abs Diet. The publisher's sub-rights department controls world English, German and Spanish rights (exactly the territories in which Random House has major divisions). Marnie Cochran will edit, and Jennifer Rudolph Walsh at William Morris Endeavor represented Zinczenko in the overall deal.

In the final part of the deal, a separate "independent imprint" called Galvanized Books will use Random House Publishing Group as its distributor. Zinczenko and Perrine's company will package books "in partnership with" American Media Inc. (which owns such magazines as Shape and Men's Fitness) and other media brands. Galvanized was formed late last year after both Zinczenko and Perrine left Rodale (Zinczenko had risen from editor of Men’s Health magazine to general manager of Rodale's Healthy Living Group and Rodale Books; Perrine was publisher of Rodale Books.)

Separately, in the UK, Guardian Books is moving again. The line will end its distribution agreement with Random UK's Cornerstone division, and form a new Guardian Faber imprint in conjunction with Faber & Faber. They plan to commission approximately 20 nonfiction titles a year, from Guardian writers as well as others.

People, Etc.

At Workman Publishing, Vaughn Andrews will join the company as creative director for the Workman imprint on April 22. Most recently a freelance designer, he worked for 26 years at Harcourt, including serving as executive art director and creative director. Raquel Jaramillo, who has been acting creative director for two years, will return full time to her position as director of children's publishing.

At Touchstone, Jessica Roth has been promoted to publicity manager.

At Yale University Press, Jaya Aninda Chatterjee has been promoted to assistant editor for politics and international relations.

William Boyd's new authorized James Bond novel, publishing this fall, will be titled SOLO. The author said at the London Book Fair it features Bond on a "self-appointed mission of his own, unannounced and without any authorization," traveling three continents, "with the main focus honing in on Africa." Boyd said, "It's what happens to Bond in Africa that generates his urge to 'go solo' and take matters into his own hands in the USA." In further Bond trivia, a 60th anniversary release of an early version of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale shows that the spy was originally named "Secretan… James Secretan."

Separately, Ian Rankin tweeted his new novel's title, the Guardian noted: It "will be called SAINTS OF THE SHADOW BIBLE… Rebus is back on the force, but under investigation by Malcolm Fox."

The American Library Association's list of most challenged books for 2012--based on "464 reports on attempts to remove or restrict materials from school curricula and library bookshelves"--features:

1. Captain Underpants series, by Dav Pilkey
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
3. Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher
4. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
5. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
6. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
7. Looking for Alaska, by John Green
8. Scary Stories series, by Alvin Schwartz
9. The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls
10. Beloved, by Toni Morrison

Open Road is partnering with more international publishers to distribute English-language versions of "a wide selection of their books" in digital formats in North America (and in many cases throughout the world). RCS Libri, Grupo Planeta--including their French lines Robert Laffont and Univers Poche (they already work with Planeta's Place des Editeurs in France)--and Arbeiderspers/Bruna all have agreements with Open Road, announced at the London Book Fair. The partnerships begin with 10 to 25 titles from each of the companies.

And Bookmasters will distribute the Spanish edition of Javier Fernández Malumbres' April 23 book, Francisco, Nuevo Papa (Francis, New Pope). The biography is being published by prominent Spanish-Catholic publisher Edibesa.

WH Smith has purchased the bankrupt Past Times retailing brand in the UK.