Penguin to launch global business book imprint

London and New York/Authorlink News/April 12, 2010--Penguin is to launch a global business book imprint by rolling out its Portfolio imprint this autumn in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. Portfolio is a market-leading business imprint in the US, and has expanded to India in the last few years.

Penguin Chairman and CEO John Makinson said: “Business publishing is increasingly global in reach, and in Portfolio we have one of the world’s strongest and fastest-growing business book imprints. So we are delighted to launch Portfolio Penguin in the UK and our other major English language markets this year. It will enable us to develop authors and serve the demands of readers both locally and globally, across all print and digital formats.”

Penguin is already the largest trade business book publisher in many of these English-language markets, including the UK, with bestselling authors such as Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers), Nassim Nicholas Taleb (The Black Swan) and Levitt & Dubner (SuperFreakonomics) published on its Allen Lane list. The business books sector has proved to be resilient in the face of economic uncertainty, with UK sales up 10% in 2009 (Nielsen BookScan) as people turned to books for explanations of unprecedented economic events. This upward trend is reflected around the world, fuelled by the internet and the growth of English as the language of business.

Full report here Authorlink

Shobhaa De, Penguin in co-branding deal

Creating an eco system is the road map brands are looking at to fuel growth. And the scope of partnership is not restricted to just products alone, but even the publishing industry.

Penguin Books and Shobhaa De have come together to launch an imprint of Shobhaa De.

The co-branding exercise between Penguin and the writer involves Shobhaa De handpicking authors, titles and subjects. Shobhaa De books will comprise of celebrity memoirs, guides and biographies — with a focus on lifestyle, business, cinema and commercial fiction.

In the official statement, Penguin said its partnership with Shobhaa De will extend its reach in Indian publishing, attracting new authors and readers to the Penguin name.

Full report here Economic Times

Shobhaa De, Penguin script new chapter

She's gone from editor to author, with a whole lot of diva thrown in. In her latest avatar, Shobhaa De has turned into a literary impresario, with her very own imprint for Penguin. With this, the best-selling novelist becomes the first-ever writer to handpick a collection of books. Shobhaa De Books will comprise celebrity memoirs, guides, biographies and commercial fiction. The co-branding might just make Penguin and De the new 'power couple' of the publishing world. India deserves to be better chronicled, she tells Anubha Sawhney Joshi in an interview. Excerpts. 

You have your own imprint now, the first Indian author with this distinction. What does that mean in real terms? 
It means a great deal of additional work and responsibility. I am hugely flattered that John Makinson, chairman of Penguin Books, believes I can deliver. But given my Type-A personality, I take this in my stride. It is both an honour and a privilege. It is also path-breaking, being a first in the Indian publishing industry. Given my long and productive association with Penguin Books, this is a natural progression and a well-timed brand extension. In any case, I have been a very active consulting editor at Penguin Books for a few years. This has involved screening and scrutinising nearly five manuscripts a week and weeding out the duds.

Full interview here Times of India

Harper launches business imprint

HarperCollins launched its business imprint "Collins Business" on April 8.

Its first original title is Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen - 11 Indians Who Pulled Off the Impossible by Porus Munshi. The aim was to bring more indigenous business books in the Indian market, the publishers said.

Krishan Chopra, publisher and chief editor of Collins Business, said the imprint reflected the creative verve and the new global business environment as it competes with and wins against the best in the world. "Most business books in the market are American or British imports. There is a need for Indian books with local case studies. Collins Business aims to meet that need. At the same time, Collins Business will bring the best of international publishing relevant in the Indian context," Chopra said.

HarperCollins chief executive PN Sukumar said Collins Business would contribute to at least 10 percent of the total list of titles published each year. "We are looking at an average of 5,000 copies for titles released under this imprint," Sukumar said.

Forthcoming titles include Branding India: An Incredible Story, Strategic Intuition: The Creative Spark in Human Achievement, More than You Know: Finding Financial Wisdom in Unconventional Places, and Breakthrough Initiative, the statement said.