BTW News Briefs

Dutton's Brentwood Closing Its Doors

This week, Dutton's Brentwood Books announced it would be closing on April 30. An e-mail release from Dutton's noted: "The past year for the store has been one of upheaval and turmoil. Hard on the heels of the closure of the Dutton's Beverly Hills location came word that the Brentwood property had changed ownership, and the new owner, Charles T. Munger, announced plans to redevelop the property. The multiple uncertainties of the bookstore's future, combined with the encumbrances associated with the closure of the Beverly Hills store have crippled the store's ability to provide the kind of immediate service and depth of inventory that our customers have come to rightly expect."

Regarding plans to reopen, the statement said, "At present, any plans to reopen or relocate will have to await a real offer in a real situation, combined with a sober assessment of the realities of the book world."

New Indie Coming to South Padre Island, Texas

A new independent bookstore is coming to South Padre Island, Texas. On February 21, the Port Isabel-South Padre Press covered the groundbreaking ceremony for the Paragraphs on Padre Boulevard bookstore. Owner Joni Montover is hoping to have the new store completed by August and opened by September, the Press reported.

Oak Park, Illinois' The Book Table to Expand

The Oak Park, Illinois, Wednesday Journal featured the expansion plans of The Book Table, owned by Rachel Weaver and Jason Smith, in a front-page article on February 19. The bookstore is moving to a new space that doubles its current size. Weaver and Smith will begin preparing the new space in April and expect to complete the move in July.

The newspaper credited The Book Table's success in part to "its owners knowledge and superior service." And Downtown Oak Park Executive Director Pat Zubak told the newspaper, "They're very good merchants, and I wish I could clone them. I really do."

The Wednesday Journal's editorial/viewpoints page called Book Table's expansion plans "good news for people who love books, admire the profession of bookselling and look forward to the future of independent retailing in Oak Park." Further the newspaper added, "In this day of electronic tablets, Amazon, and talk of Target on Lake Street, this story resonates with us as a major Oak Park success story."

New Owners for The Valley Bookseller

Minnesota's Pioneer Press has reported that The Valley Bookseller in downtown Stillwater will soon have new owners. Joci Tilsen and Jim Bour are selling the bookstore after nine years to focus on their grandchildren and other career opportunities. The new owners, Molly Rice and Dan Priebe, both of Stillwater, will take over April 7.

Random House Acquires Monacelli Press

On February 25, Random House, Inc acquired the Monacelli Press, a visual arts book publisher. The purchase was completed earlier this month and the terms of agreement between the two privately held companies were not disclosed. Established in 1994, the Monacelli Press has published more than 250 books on architecture, the fine arts, interior design, landscape architecture, photography, and graphic design.

The Monacelli Press will be an independent imprint within Random House, maintaining its editorial identity and publishing direction under publisher and founder Gianfranco Monacelli. He and his staff will be based at Random House's Manhattan offices. Random House will assume sales and distribution of all Monacelli Press titles, currently handled by Penguin, effective July 1.

AAP Announces 10th Anniversary Smaller and Independent Meeting Program

The Smaller and Independent Publishers (SIP) Committee of the Association of American Publishes has announced its 10th Anniversary Annual Meeting program. The event, which this year will be held to coincide with the BookExpo America, will take place on Thursday, May 29, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The opening keynote session, "How to Successfully Navigate the Life-Cycles of an Independent Publishing House," will feature Morgan Entrekin, president and publisher, Grove Atlantic; George Gibson, publisher, Walker & Co., a division of Bloomsbury USA; and Charlie Winton, chief executive officer and publisher, Counterpoint Press. They will share insights and anecdotes on a range of topics, from handling a bestseller to finding capital and labor, dealing with mergers and acquisitions, distribution, and more.

The full program to-date can be found at the AAP web site at www.publishers.org or the BEA web site at www.bookexpoamerica.com. Registration for the program will be available shortly at www.bookexpoamerica.com.

Waynick Book Group Launches Three New Imprints

Waynick Book Group, the parent company of gardening publisher Cool Springs Press, is launching three additional imprints: CPO Publishing, C Guides Media, and Common Thread Media. The imprints will publish nonfiction titles respectively geared toward life events, college campus living, and ethics and morality, according to Roger Waynick, president of Waynick Book Group. CPO Publishing will release the first title among the new imprints, Just Ask Mom, in April. Waynick Book Group plans to launch more than 70 new books in 2008 under its four imprints.