Bookseller Is Said to Shop Unit.

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]