Industry Leadership

After working for decades with multiple publishers to publish health books for consumers, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is launching its own publishing imprint, Mayo Clinic Press. Its debut title will be released this fall.

Among three decisions handed down at a May 6 conference, Judge John G. Koeltl ruled that Barnes & Noble's countersuit against former CEO Demos Parneros can proceed. But in a twist, the judge held that an indemnification clause in Parneros's contract called for the company to advance Parneros's costs for defending against the suit.

Sales at Simon & Schuster rose 3% in the first quarter of 2019 over the comparable period in 2018, rising to $164 million from $160 million a year ago. Operating income increased 6%, to $17 million.

The publisher will release four canonical novels by Asian-American authors on May 21.

The press will relaunch the bestselling series, created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik, this fall. The deal is for four print novels and four e-novellas.

The BISG annual meeting, held April 26 at the Harvard Club in New York City, opened with a panel focused on the challenge of meeting demands for paper and printing after a year of dramatic declines in paper capacity in 2018.

Hesh Kestin, the author of 'Siege of Tel Aviv,' the controversial novel about the destruction of Israel that was pulled by Dzanc Books earlier this week, is making a digital edition of the book available to readers on his website.

Although serial entrepreneur Rufus Griscom has a background in books, he had no intention of getting into the book business when he launched a new venture, Heleo, in 2015. With the Next Big Idea Club, that's changed.

At a New York City Meals on Wheels location, volunteers delivered food to those in need.

Ibram Kendi, who received the 2016 National Book Award for his book 'Stamped From the Beginning,' has launched the first National Antiracist Book Festival, to be held April 27 at American University in Washington, D.C.