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The article discusses a trend of bookstore owners closing or choosing not to open stores in Manhattan, New York City locations due to increasing rents as of March 25, 2014. Topics addressed include the trend's impact on New York City's reputation as a center of literary culture and the publishing industry, independent stores that have moved to other boroughs of the city such as Brooklyn or Queens, and authors' and store owners' disappointment in the store closings.

The article discusses author Chris Pavone's work on his thriller novel "The Accident," highlighting the novel's setting within the book publishing industry. Topics addressed include the influence of Pavone's career history as an editor on the novel, his marriage to publishing industry executive Madeline McIntosh, and his decision to create a female protagonist for the novel.

The article discusses publishing company Simon & Schuster's plans to follow through with publishing former bond salesman John Lefevre's book "Straight to Hell: True Tales of Deviance and Excess in the World of Investment Banking" despite revelations that Lefevre never worked for investment bank Goldman Sachs. Topics addressed include the popularity of Lefevre's postings about Goldman employees on microblogging service Twitter, as well as publishing executives' views on Lefevre.

The article discusses a publishing industry trend of faster releases of book series as of February 10, 2014, highlighting consumer demand for faster availability of content. Topics addressed include the release of Jeff VanderMeer's books "Annihilation," "Authority," and "Acceptance" in 2014; the influence of television series on publisher's marketing of books; and the popularity of books series such as E. L. James "Fifty Shades of Grey" and George R. R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire."

The article discusses a trend of authors being paid to discusses their work at book clubs in New York City as of January 29, 2014. Topics addressed include author Alexandra Styron's appearance at a book club; author Jean Hanff Korelitz's Book the Writer service, which hires authors to speak at book clubs; and the publishing industry's efforts to reach book club members in order to promote books.

The article discusses publishing company St. Martin's Press's agreement to pay romance novelist Sylvia Day an eight-figure advance for the rights to her next two novels in the "Blacklist" series as of January 15, 2014. Topics addressed include the impact of the success of E.L. James' book "50 Shades of Grey" on the publishing industry, as well as the success of Day's "Crossfire" book series.

The article reports on the career plans of baseball player Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, wherein, he wanted to be a book publisher. It states that Jeter plans to launch a publishing imprint, Jeter Publishing, which is a partnership with Simon & Schuster. Jeter says that the publishing business is a great way to start, combining his interests in business and in books, television and film.

The article looks at the growing popularity of children's board books adapted from literary classics, noting that publishers of such works are catering to parents influenced by research on the importance of reading on child development. Particular attention is given to the BabyLit book series from publisher Gibbs Smith which uses literature such as "Wuthering Heights" and "Romeo and Juliet" to teach concepts including counting, colors, and opposites.

The article discusses the introduction of a book club by morning television news program "Today" as of August 20, 2013. Topics addressed include benefits of the book club for authors and the publishing industry in terms of increased sales, and the book club's selection of Samantha Shannon's novel "The Bone Season."

The article discusses the publication of author A. S. A. Harrison's novel "The Silent Wife," highlighting the book's popularity as of August 4, 2013. Topics addressed include the effect of the popularity of Gillian Flynn's novel "Gone Girl" on the success of "The Silent Wife," increasing sales of the book and electronic books (e-books), and its positive critical reception.

The article discusses efforts by Eddy Cue, an executive at technology company Apple, to negotiate with publishing companies regarding the pricing of e-books, highlighting Cue's testimony in a civil antitrust trial brought against Apple by the U.S. Justice Department. Topics addressed include former Apple chief executive officer (C.E.O.) Steve Job's involvement in Apple's e-book business, and Cue's denial that Apple engaged in price fixing.

The article discusses disputes between publishing industry executives and technology company Apple Inc. regarding the pricing of electronic books (e-books), highlighting a trial regarding allegations of Apple's role in fixing the prices for e-books as of June 5, 2013. Topics addressed include the testimonies of publishing executives Carolyn K. Reidy and David Shanks, and the agency model for pricing in the publishing industry.

The author reports that, with book sales sagging, book publishers are selling books in other outlets, including clothing stores, butcher shops, car washes and cookware stores. The phenomenon began with small number of books in kitchen shops and hardware stores, but has become a growing facet of many publishers' retail strategy.

This article focuses on the traditionally busiest publishing season in the fall, which is particularly crowded in the fall of 2006 with many big-name authors releasing top-drawer books. In addition, releases by literary giants, such as Stephen King and Michael Crichton, are expected. The publishing climate has made it an especially difficult season for lesser-known writers, however sales lost due to a crowded market are commonly offset by higher sales in bookstores.

The article focuses on the 900-page novel "City on Fire" by Garth Risk Hallberg which experiencing a resurgence as various publishers competed for the rights to release the book in November 2013.

Michael Pietsch, the publisher of Little, Brown and Company and a hands-on editor known for his work with both literary titans and mass-market commercial authors, has been named chief executive of the Hachette Book Group. He will replace David Young on April 1, the company announced Monday. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A publishing industry that is notoriously ill-equipped to root out fraud. A magazine whose famed fact-checking department is geared toward print, not the Web. And a lucrative lecture circuit that rewards snappy, semi-scientific pronouncements, smoothly delivered to a corporate audience. All contributed to the rise of Jonah Lehrer, the 31-year-old author, speaker and staff writer for The New Yorker, who then executed one of the most bewildering recent journalistic frauds, one that on Monday cost him his prestigious post at the magazine and his status as one of the most promising, visible and well-paid writers in the business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natasha Trethewey, the newly named United States poet laureate, will write a memoir, her publisher said. Ms. Trethewey, below, a Mississippi-born African-American who is the first Southerner to be appointed poet laureate since Robert Penn Warren, chose Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins, as her publisher after a heated auction. She will begin as poet laureate in September. The book maps ''the intersections of personal and cultural history as it navigates the channels and byways of memory and race in America,'' her publisher said. Daniel Halpern, the president and publisher of Ecco, said in a statement: ''I can't remember a more emotionally intense auction for a book, ever. I truly admire Natasha's spirit, her graceful presence on these pages, which tell a story that no one is likely to forget.'' The book is tentatively scheduled for release in 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Less than a year after writing a well-received memoir, Diane Keaton will follow it up with another book. Ms. Keaton, the Oscar-winning actress, is working on a book about ''beauty, aging and being a woman,'' her publisher, Random House, said on Monday. ''We're all obsessed with beauty, no matter who you are,'' Ms. Keaton said in a statement. ''I think most women are a little disappointed when they look in the mirror -- I know I am -- and this book is my way of asking why.'' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist, has moved to a new publisher for his next book, the story of his intellectual evolution and his work as an atheist. Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins, said on Sunday that it had acquired the North American rights to Mr. Dawkins's book, which is not yet titled. Daniel Halpern, the publisher of Ecco, said in a statement: ''We couldn't be more excited to be working with a thinker and writer as profound and influential as Richard Dawkins. It is truly an honor to have him at Ecco.'' An Ecco spokesman said the book was tentatively scheduled for release in the fall of 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

That creaky label ''women's fiction'' tends to conjure up images of novels about family, career or relationships. But men's fiction? Esquire magazine will try to define it in June with a new push into publishing fiction, beginning with an e-book series called ''Fiction for Men.'' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cissy Houston, the gospel singer and mother of Whitney Houston, met with publishers in New York this week to shop a book about her daughter, several people who were in the meetings said. Affectionately calling her daughter ''Nippy,'' her childhood nickname, and appearing emotionally and physically drained, Ms. Houston met with publishers in a suite at the St. Regis Hotel, said the people, who declined to be identified because the negotiations were still going on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literary world still has not recovered from its Pulitzer snub last week, when the absence of an award for fiction incensed publishers, authors and booksellers. But they may find some consolation in a new set of prizes that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will announce on Thursday: the N.Y.C. Literary Honors, given to living writers whose work and lives have been informed by New York City, as a way of highlighting its place as home to the publishing industry and an inspiration to authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One day after the Pulitzer Prize board said it would not award a Pulitzer in fiction for the first time in 35 years, the publishing industry was still seething, with some going as far as offering surrogate winners. On Tuesday, Sarah McNally, the owner of McNally Jackson Books in SoHo, said she would present her own awards to ''The Great Night'' by Chris Adrian, ''We the Animals'' by Justin Torres and ''Pym'' by Mat Johnson. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Just as the publishing industry has finished marking the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking with dozens of related books, at least one publisher is looking ahead to another anniversary: the sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania by a German U-boat during World War I. Crown Publishers, part of Random House, said on Friday that it had acquired a nonfiction book by Erik Larson, the author of ''The Devil in the White City,'' that will ''offer a fresh take'' on the sinking. The attack, on May 7, 1915, killed nearly 1,200 people, including more than 100 Americans. It fueled anti-German sentiment in the United States, although America did not enter the war for another two years. The book, tentatively titled ''Sea of Secrets,'' will be published in 2015. Mr. Larson's latest book, ''In the Garden of Beasts,'' was released in May 2011 and has sold more than 900,000 copies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The writer and director Chris Weitz is trying his hand at young-adult fiction. Mr. Weitz, who directed ''The Twilight Saga: New Moon,'' will write a trilogy of post-apocalyptic novels for Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, a division of the Hachette Book Group, his publisher announced. The first book in the series, ''The Young World,'' is expected to be released in spring 2014. ''Chris Weitz offers a premise that is completely provocative and irresistible for teens: What if we ran the world?'' Megan Tingley, the publisher of the division, said in a statement. ''We were impressed by his ability to tell a timely and compelling story that is every bit as vivid on the page as it would be on the screen.'' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simon & Schuster will release a new novel by Herman Wouk, the 96-year-old Pulitzer Prize-winning author of ''The Caine Mutiny,'' the publisher said on Monday. The novel, ''The Lawgiver,'' a story about a group of people filming a movie in modern times about Moses, will be published this fall. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Lauren Oliver, the 29-year-old author of best-selling teenage novels, will write her first novel for an adult audience, her publisher said on Thursday. Ecco, part of HarperCollins, has acquired ''Rooms,'' which will be released in fall 2014. Lee Boudreaux, who will edit the book, said it was ''as instantly gripping as it was elegantly written, filled with characters and predicaments I still can't get out of my head a week later.'' Ms. Oliver is the author of three young-adult novels, ''Before I Fall,'' ''Delirium'' and ''Pandemonium,'' and a middle-grade novel, ''Liesl and Po.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Greg Smith, the former Goldman Sachs executive whose book proposal about his 12 years at the firm set off a fierce bidding war among New York publishers, has made a deal with Grand Central Publishing, part of the Hachette Book Group, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Friday. The deal wrapped up a lengthy auction that involved some of the biggest publishing houses in New York, all of whom were vying for the rights to a book they hoped would provide a compelling inside look at a powerful Wall Street firm. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A previously unpublished novella by Kurt Vonnegut will be released on Friday by RosettaBooks, close to 60 years after it was written, the publisher said on Thursday. The 22,000-word novella, ''Basic Training,'' was rejected by the Saturday Evening Post in the late 1940's, long before Mr. Vonnegut had become famous through works such as ''Slaughterhouse-Five'' and ''Cat's Cradle.'' After Mr. Vonnegut died in 2007, a trove of his unpublished work remained in Indiana, where he was born. RosettaBooks chose the novella from hundreds of other works that Mr. Vonnegut's literary executor had made available. A statement by RosettaBooks described the novella as a book that demonstrates Mr. Vonnegut's ''trademark grand themes: the lunacy of kings, the improbability of existence, the yearling hero's struggle with duty and love and the meaning of heroism.'' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karen Rinaldi, the former publisher of Rodale Books, will join the Harper imprint of HarperCollins in April to start a line of health and wellness books, the publisher said Sunday. Ms. Rinaldi, as a senior vice president and executive editor, will publish roughly 24 titles a year on subjects like science, nature, sports, food, relationships and the environment. Jonathan Burnham, the publisher of Harper, said in a statement that Ms. Rinaldi would ''help generate a list that stands for the very best and newest in the field.'' Harper has published fiction by Ann Patchett, Barbara Kingsolver and Michael Chabon, and ''Going Rogue'' by Sarah Palin. It has also acquired a memoir by Amanda Knox, the Seattle student who was acquitted in October of charges that she murdered her roommate and was freed from an Italian prison. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Dude is putting his wisdom on paper. Jeff Bridges, below, the Oscar-winning actor from ''Crazy Heart'' who also starred memorably in ''The Big Lebowski,'' is writing a book with his friend Bernie Glassman, founder of the spiritual social-action group Zen Peacemakers. The publishers said the book intends to ''explore the meaning of life, laughter, the movies and trying to do good in a difficult world.'' Blue Rider Press, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, is to release the book, tentatively titled ''The Dude and the Zen Master,'' this fall. ''On a movie set I do my best to keep my head and heart open,'' Mr. Bridges said in a statement. ''My favorite part of the whole deal is jamming with the other artists, getting to know them, sharing the excitement of what we're up to, and inspiring each other. That means intimacy. I look for that in life as well.'' David Rosenthal, the publisher of Blue Rider Press, called the book ''a spiritual guide, an entertainment and an exceptional lesson in true friendship.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

WASHINGTON -- In just a few short years, e-books have gone from fringe product to mainstay of the publishing industry, exploding in popularity in genres ranging from romance to military history. But the fight over how much they should cost consumers is far from resolved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Judy Blume books, those dog-eared paperbacks that have taught children and teenagers about the mysterious parts of growing up for more than four decades, will be released in e-book format, her publisher said on Wednesday. Beginning on Mar. 21, 13 of Ms. Blume's books, including ''Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret,'' ''Blubber'' and ''Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself,'' will go on sale, published by Random House Children's Books. With their frank discussions of sex, class, divorce and puberty, Ms. Blume's books carried a universal appeal among younger readers, but were often dismissed by librarians and teachers, keeping them on banned books lists for years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three books by Christopher Hitchens that had gone out of print will be revived in paperback and e-book, the publishers of the titles said. Twelve, an imprint of the Hachette Book Group, will release the three books on April 10. The titles are ''The Missionary Position,'' a study of Mother Teresa; ''No One Left to Lie To,'' a best-selling examination of Bill Clinton; and ''The Trial of Henry Kissinger.'' Mr. Hitchens, a prolific author and columnist, died in December at the age of 62 of pneumonia, a complication of esophageal cancer. This is a more complete version of the story than the one that appeared in print. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The longtime publisher and author James Atlas has signed up with Amazon to edit a series of biographies, he said this week, following in the footsteps of another veteran, Laurence Kirshbaum, the publisher and agent who jumped to Amazon Publishing last year. The series Mr. Atlas will edit, called Amazon Lives, is expected to be published beginning in June 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Slate will introduce a monthly book review on Friday, the latest expansion of literary criticism online as stand-alone book review sections in newspapers have dwindled. The section will nearly triple the number of book-related articles that Slate publishes, covering fiction, nonfiction and the occasional children's book. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rolling Stones are marking the band's 50th anniversary with a new book, their publisher is expected to announce on Friday. Hyperion will release ''The Rolling Stones at Fifty,'' a ''photographic autobiography'' with images that have not been seen before and new text from the band. The book drew from the archive of The Daily Mirror in London, the largest collection of Rolling Stones photography, the publisher said. It is scheduled for release in the United States and Canada in the fall. Ellen Archer, the president and publisher of Hyperion, said in a statement: ''An anniversary such as this calls for an amazing book. Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie have been hard at work -- approaching the book's content from every conceivable angle -- to make it so.'' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

J.K. Rowling, the British author whose ''Harry Potter'' fantasy series ignited a passion for reading for millions of children around the world, has emerged from a five-year publishing hiatus with a new book: this time for adults. Little, Brown and Company, part of the Hachette Book Group, said on Thursday it had acquired the rights to publish the book, whose title and publication date was not named. ''Although I've enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series, which has been published so brilliantly by Bloomsbury and my other publishers around the world,'' Ms. Rowling said in a statement. ''The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry's success has brought me, and with that new territory it seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher. I am delighted to have a second publishing home in Little, Brown, and a publishing team that will be a great partner in this new phase of my writing life.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In person, Amanda Knox came across as soft-spoken, smart, almost scholarly, naming literary novels that she found moving. She said it was a longtime dream of hers to be a writer. And her book, she told the publishers, editors and publicists who listened raptly, would be the true and unvarnished story of what happened in Perugia, Italy. ''Everybody fell in love with her,'' said one publishing executive who attended a meeting, echoing the sentiments of a range of people who have met Ms. Knox recently to discuss publishing her memoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The British melodrama ''Downton Abbey'' is already the darling of American public television. Now it has become a marketing tool for booksellers and publishers hoping to tap into the passion of the show's audience. Publishers are convinced that viewers who obsessively tune in to follow the war-torn travails of an aristocratic family and its meddling but loyal servants are also literary types, likely to devour books on subjects the series touches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fans of Elton John, below, will have to wait a little longer for his memoir of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. But his publisher is expected to announce Monday that Mr. John, 64, has signed up to write his first book, about his experience in fighting AIDS. The book, titled ''Love Is the Cure,'' will be ''the very personal stories of Sir Elton's life during the AIDS epidemic, including his agony at seeing friend after friend perish needlessly,'' said his publisher, Little, Brown & Company. Mr. John had long wondered why greater effort was not made to cure the disease. ''Why are we not doing more?'' he wrote in an e-mail from his publisher. ''This is a question I have thought deeply about, and wish to answer -- and to help change -- by writing this book.'' Mr. John, a longtime AIDS activist, founded the Elton John Aids Foundation in 1992. Michael Pietsch, the publisher of Little, Brown, will edit the book, to be released in July. A number of musicians, including Keith Richards, Patti Smith, Pete Townshend and Sammy Hagar, have lined up in recent years to write memoirs. Robert Barnett, the Washington lawyer who represented Mr. John in the deal, said that Mr. John had no such plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barnes & Noble has put Sterling Publishing up for sale, nearly a decade after it bought the publishing house, a person briefed on the matter said Wednesday. The move was another sign that Barnes & Noble, the nation's largest bookstore chain, has intensified its focus on the digital side of the book business by shedding other assets. Sterling Publishing, based in New York, has imprints focused on nonfiction, children's books, crafting, cooking and self-help, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

James Franco, the laconic actor who collects M.F.A.'s when he isn't starring in movies or hosting the Oscars, will publish his first novel in 2013. ''Actors Anonymous,'' a follow-up to ''Palo Alto,'' a book of short stories that was released in 2010, was acquired by Amazon Publishing New York, the company said on Wednesday. Ed Park, the senior editor who acquired the book, called it ''a hugely ambitious and wild ride.'' ''Like James himself, this novel transcends categories,'' he said in an e-mail. The book is one of the most high-profile acquisitions that Amazon Publishing has made. Mr. Franco jumped to Amazon from Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, which published ''Palo Alto.'' A spokesman for Scribner declined to comment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholastic, the American publisher of the Harry Potter novels, is set to introduce another major successor to that blockbuster franchise by J. K. Rowling. ''Infinity Ring,'' a seven-book series on time travel with an online game component, will begin its rollout in September, the publisher plans to announce officially on Tuesday. The first book, ''A Mutiny in Time,'' will be written by James Dashner, the best-selling author of ''The Maze Runner.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Amazon expanded its publishing ambitions on Tuesday by acquiring more than 450 titles from Marshall Cavendish Children's Books, a niche publisher. Amazon has published several children's books under its AmazonEncore imprint, but the acquisition represents Amazon's first significant push into the category. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Even as more readers switch to the convenience of e-books, publishers are giving old-fashioned print books a makeover. Many new releases have design elements usually reserved for special occasions -- deckle edges, colored endpapers, high-quality paper and exquisite jackets that push the creative boundaries of bookmaking. If e-books are about ease and expedience, the publishers reason, then print books need to be about physical beauty and the pleasures of owning, not just reading. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Another major publisher has pushed back against making its e-books available to library users. Penguin Book Group said it would ''delay the availability'' of new e-books to libraries because of security concerns. ''Penguin's aim is to always connect writers and readers, and with that goal in mind, we remain committed to working closely with our business partners and the library community to forge a distribution model that is secure and viable,'' Erica Glass, a spokeswoman for Penguin, said in a statement issued Monday. ''In the meantime, we want to assure you that physical editions of our new titles will continue to be available in libraries everywhere.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Could people talk about books with the same timely intensity that they do the latest episode of ''Mad Men'' or ''Top Chef''? The novelist Mark Z. Danielewski plans to test that question with his next work, a 27-volume novel titled ''The Familiar.'' The novel will be released on a rapid timeline almost unheard-of in the publishing industry: one volume every three months, beginning in 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4:30 p.m. Updated Little, Brown & Company has pulled a mystery novel from the shelves after passages in the book were found to have been plagiarized from ''a variety of classic and contemporary spy novels,'' the publisher said on Tuesday. The book, ''Assassin of Secrets,'' a debut novel by Q. R. Markham, was released last week by Mulholland Books, an imprint of Little, Brown. ''We take great pride in the writers and books we publish and tremendous care in every aspect of our publishing process, so it is with deep regret that we have published a book that we can no longer stand behind,'' Michael Pietsch, the publisher of Little, Brown, said in a statement. ''Our goal is to never have this happen, but when it does, it is important to us to communicate with and compensate readers and retailers as quickly as possible.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]