Publisher Service News

From today's Publishers Lunch:

POD Publishers MergeThe parent company of self-publisher Author House announced the acquisition of iUniverse yesterday, on undisclosed terms, with the two units maintaining their separate identities under a broader banner of Author Solutions. Author House ceo Bryan Smith tells the WSJ, "This is about creating better options for our customers by combining a wide sweep of services. Cost-cutting isn't the driver, although there will be savings because of economies of scale. The driver here is the opportunity for growth."

In the press release, iUniverse ceo Susan Driscoll says, "We have always been focused on providing authors with the publishing expertise required for professional results. Now, through Author Solutions, we have a terrific opportunity to provide all authors--both self-published and traditionally published--with the broadest range of services to help them achieve their individual goals for success."Author Solutions comprises the two pod self-publishers, plus the "more traditional entity" called Rooftop Publishing and a soon-to-be-announced Lulu.com competitor called Wordclay, providing what Driscoll calls a "family of brands that service a wide range of different authors with different goals."iUniverse intends to stay on its established track of trying to offer "a self-publishing experience that rivals what [authors] would get from a traditional publisher...with advice and expertise to guide them to make the right decisions."

The company had leveraged its minority ownership by Barnes & Noble, and Driscoll indicates that "we're continuing with the relationship." She adds, "We'll certainly have meetings after the deal closes with the BN team to figure out how everybody can benefit from this."