bookpublishing

Chef Emeril Lagasse, who’s been out of the spotlight for a while, is stepping up with a series of ten cookbooks, the first one focusing on indoor and outdoor grilling, due to pub May 2009. Although he has done a number of books with HarperCollins, this is his first in four years and will be published under the new HarperStudio imprint. Interestingly, Emeril will receive a modest advance, as well as 50% of profits generated from the titles. A modest advance? for someone under the Martha Stewart Living brand? Hmm. Well, as it turns out, HarperStudio is attempting to do away with dealing with returns–a tradition I spoke of in my last post that I believe will be hard to get away from. HarperStudio’s aim “is unique because it splits profits with authors in lieu of paying them hefty advances and aims to eliminate the costly practice of allowing booksellers to return unsold copies,” according to a report from Crain’s New York. HarperStudio is taking big steps into the market of e-books as well and hopes that Emeril’s line would be excellent for that media–and I agree. I hope they are successful in their efforts to avoid returns because it can mean an economic boost for all publishers who are able to adopt it. Although it would certainly change the buying strategies for booksellers.

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