MAIN NEWS HEADLINES
February 1-15, 2005 Edition
PMA and Panel Tap
30 Small Press Titles
for IPG Distribution
NEW YORK, NY/01/21/05A consortium of book industry professionals has named 30 books out of 170 competing titles that they feel will sell well across the country. The group, which met in New York January 21, included representatives of Barnes & Noble, Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Independent Publishers Group, National Book Network, Publishers Weekly, and the Publishers Marketing Association.
Known as the Trade Distribution Acceptance Program, the group invites hopeful small presses to submit titles for possible selection which also guarantees national distribution. Small publishers must pay a substantial entry fee per title for the privilege of being considered. The group meets in January and July to review manuscripts and advance reading copies of new titles, and committee members reportedly earn a fee for their screening time. The tightly-knitted group allows new screeners into the circle only by a vote of sitting members, who are predominately from large, established booksellers and marketing groups.
The PMA initially screens entries down to about 100, from which committee members choose 30 fortunate titles, which are then guaranteed national distribution through IPG, and a slot in the distributor’s small press catalogue. Sales from the IPG small press catalogue last year were about $2 million, and chosen titles sold between 6,000 and 40,000 copies each.
According to Publishers Weekly, the 30 titles selected at this winter session were: The Actor’s Menu: An Essential Handbook for Actors (Carla Howey’s galley, Compass Publishing) Avram’s Gift (Marjorie Blumberg, MB Publishing) A Brilliant Performance (Tara Paterson’s manuscript, Moms in Publishing) A Castle in Romagna (Russell Valentino, Autumn Hills Books) Cloud and Water (Kevin Hsyeh, Buddha’s Last Publishing) The Cow in Apple Time (Christopher Comer, Beekman & Hathaway) Dare to Prepare (Stan Deyo Jr., Deyo Enterprises) Deadlier than the Pen (Patricia Ricks, Pemberley Press) Dr. Divot’s Guide to Golf Injuries (Larry Foster, Doctor Divot Publishing) First Avenue (Deborah Odell, Siloh Press) Flavours: Thai Contemporary Art (Jorne Middleborg, Thavibu Gallery) Garage Sale Gourmet (Randall Lyman, Fighting Words Press) The Gift of Giggles (Lindy Kravek’s manuscript, Kravek & Kravek & Associates) Goodbye Gutenberg (Martin Rimm, The Global Renaissance Society) Great Freethinkers (James Stanford, Metacomet Books) Journey Into Motherhood (Sheri Menelli, White Heart Publishing) Live Life! Be Young, Black & Successful (Quincy Benton, Live Life! Publishing) Living in Hell (William Knight, Park Avenue Publishers) Lord of Swords (David Pitchford, Pitch-Black) Nocturne (Tiffany Jonas’s manuscript, Aio Publishing) Odysseus’ Last Stand (Dave Stamboulis, Sanuk Press) Roaring, Boring Alice (Patty Merski, Skeezel Press) Second Watch (Deborah Odell, Siloh Press) Stories of Life & Death: Histories de Vida y Muerte (Mark Stratman, SangFroid Press) The Summer Isles (Tiffany Jonas’ manuscript, Aio Publishing) Teach! The Art of Teaching Adults (Steve Meyer’s manuscript, LAMA Books) The Thin Book of Naming Elephants (Rand Hammond, Thin Book Publishing) Third and Forever (Deborah Odell, Siloh Press) This House Is on Fire (Debra Carpenter, Dhyanyoga Centers) Wilderness Navigation Handbook (Fred Touche, Touche Publishing)
