Bond's New Publisher

http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/literary_vintage_books_deal_announcement_2012.php3?t&s&id=03113

Quote :

Out with the new, in with the old. The classic James Bond novels are heading back to the same publishing organisation that first released 007's literary adventures as the contract with Penguin expires.

Ian Fleming Publications have officially confirmed a deal struck with Random House that will see Fleming's novels republished this summer as the film series celebrates its 50th anniversary. Under the Vintage Books imprint, which is a sister to the original Jonathan Cape imprint (both owned by Random House), the deal includes print and e-book rights for the original fourteen Bond novels and Fleming’s two non-fiction titles for the next 10 years in all English-language markets except the USA and Canada. The hand-over from Penguin takes place this April.

Corinne Turner, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd said: "We are delighted to be reuniting James Bond with his original publisher. This new deal, incorporating both print and ebook formats, represents a significant step-change for Ian Fleming and his work."

Richard Cable, Managing Director, Vintage Publishing, commented: "Ian Fleming’s famous Secret Service agent 007 remains one of the most iconic of all literary creations, and continues to thrill new and existing readers alike. We are excited to welcome Ian Fleming’s books to the Vintage list for the first time and to reunite him with Jonathan Cape, the original publisher of his work. We are hugely looking forward to working with IFPL to relaunch the list in 2012, a year which marks the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film, Dr No, and sees a new 007 adventure hit the big screen."

Two series styles will be created for the fourteen books: one under the Vintage paperback imprint and one in Vintage Classics. This is the first time that an author’s entire fiction backlist has been published under both imprints. The press release added that the "publishing programme will be underpinned by consumer insight to bring a new generation of readers to Ian Fleming’s work and engage people who have recently discovered the Bond brand through the films and computer games," alluding to plans to attract a younger audience to the back-catalog.

As MI6 reported last year, the existing licence with Penguin looked unlikely to be renewed due to the disagreement over e-book rights, which were not included in the original deal struck by the popular publisher. Ian Fleming Publications released the novels as e-books independently. According to reports in 2010, the Bond licence is worth £3m a year to IFP, but the backlist only sells approximately 100,000 paper copies a year in the UK and USA combined, making it an expensive prospect for any publisher. Approximately 10% of the Bond book market in the US was electronic in 2010, a share which is certainly much higher today. Random House will have to market the books aggressively, make hay with the e-book rights, and capture new audiences if they are to recoup their licencing costs.

The last set of Ian Fleming novels published in the UK were the centenary editions with covers by Michael Gillette, released in hardback in 2008 and paperback in 2010.

Would like it if they utilize the original covers as a way of celebrating the 60th anniversary of the novels. In a perfect world.

Makeshift Python wrote:

Would like it if they utilize the original covers as a way of celebrating the 60th anniversary of the novels. In a perfect world.

Agreed. Even if they were paperbacks. I love those covers.

Vintage Books did a nice job with Ambler's work, along with Chandler's in the past.

They say 'don't judge a book by its cover', but, at this point, that's what it's all about (after you've read the material). I'm interested in seeing what they do, who they bring in for prefaces/introductions, and if any of it will be worth purchasing. I'll admit that I wasn't really impressed by any of Penguin's Bond cover art. The most recent DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER paperback's cover is laughable.

I liked Penguin's 2002 artwork, the ones I hated were the 2008 covers that looked like hippie crap. I already have all the books (except for For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy and the Living Daylights, I bought the Quantum of Solace book instead). If the new publisher uses the original cover art, I'd likely get them just for that. Otherwise I wouldn't care.

Makeshift Python wrote:

I liked Penguin's 2002 artwork, the ones I hated were the 2008 covers that looked like hippie crap. I already have all the books (except for For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy and the Living Daylights, I bought the Quantum of Solace book instead). If the new publisher uses the original cover art, I'd likely get them just for that. Otherwise I wouldn't care.

I would totally buy them if they used the Jonathan Cape artwork. I already have the complete 2002 Penguin UK line (hated the 2002 US Penguin line and the 2008 line) and I have the 60s Pan paperbacks, which are tied with the Jonathan Capes in my mind for best art.

Also, this thread should be moved to the Literary Bond section. Can a mod help a brother out?

It was Bond news, so I figured it would be appropriate here.

Makeshift Python wrote:

I liked Penguin's 2002 artwork, the ones I hated were the 2008 covers that looked like hippie crap. I already have all the books (except for For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy and the Living Daylights, I bought the Quantum of Solace book instead).

I still can't figure out the editions that used Connery on a few of the covers. I think THUNDERBALL or YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE featured him in front of some fireball backdrop. The more generic photographs (shark for LALD, golden girl for GF, etc.) worked much better.

It's like throwing Bogart's face on every other Chandler novel.

Another bunch of Fleming reprints? :shock:

$$$

007 sells.

Could open Fleming Land to another generation of readers.

... If kids even bother reading anymore.

Selling e-books worldwide would certainly help. I'm kinda surprised until now it's only been sold like that independently, this is James Bond, these e-books should have been available much earlier.

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

I already have the complete 2002 Penguin UK line (hated the 2002 US Penguin line and the 2008 line)

Why hate the 2002 US Penguin line? That's probably one of my favorite sets of the Bond novels ever produced. Lovely art. The UK 2002 line was good, too, but I only have their MOONRAKER and THUNDERBALL.

The US 2008 line, though? Blecch.

Loomis wrote:

Another bunch of Fleming reprints? :shock:

When there's money to be made, and I'm guessing there is, they're gonna make the most of a decent property.

Hopefully they'll put together a very elegant collection of the Bond novels.

Harmsway wrote:

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

I already have the complete 2002 Penguin UK line (hated the 2002 US Penguin line and the 2008 line)

Why hate the 2002 US Penguin line? That's probably one of my favorite sets of the Bond novels ever produced. Lovely art.

Agreed. Never understood the criticism.

Amazon Acquires License To James Bond Novels For Digital And Print

http://www.deadline.com/2012/04/amazon-acquires-license-to-james-bond-novels-for-digital-and-print/

SEATTLE — Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Ian Fleming Publications Ltd today announced that Amazon Publishing has acquired a ten-year license for North American rights to the entire list of James Bond books by Ian Fleming in print and ebook. Along with the iconic series, Fleming’s two works of non-fiction, consisting of a collection of travel writings called Thrilling Cities (1963) and an exposé of the illegal precious stones trade entitled The Diamond Smugglers (1957), are also included in the agreement. Jonny Geller, Managing Director at Curtis Brown, negotiated the agreement. All of the titles will be reissued by Amazon Publishing’s Thomas & Mercer imprint beginning in summer 2012.

“This deal heralds a new phase in Ian Fleming’s publishing story. We are excited to be working with Amazon in North America to bring a new generation of readers to Ian Fleming’s classic novels.”

“We are excited to be using the opportunity of this re-license to introduce Ian Fleming’s books to a broader audience in the USA, and we believe that Amazon Publishing has the ability to place the books back at the heart of the Bond brand, balancing traditional publishing routes with new technologies and new ways of reaching our readers,” said Corinne Turner, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.

The agreement for the 14 classic James Bond titles includes the first James Bond book in the series, Casino Royale (1953)—which will celebrate 60 years of publication in 2013—as well as Live and Let Die (1954); Moonraker (1955); Diamonds Are Forever (1956); From Russia with Love (1957); Dr. No (1958); Goldfinger (1959); For your Eyes Only (1960); Thunderball (1961); The Spy Who Loved Me (1962); On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1963); You Only Live Twice (1964); The Man With The Golden Gun (1965) and Octopussy and the Living Daylights (1966). Since their first publication the books have sold over 100 million copies worldwide and have been the inspiration behind the world’s longest-running film franchise. Following Fleming’s death in 1964, Kingsley Amis wrote the next book in the Bond series, Colonel Sun, under the name of Robert Markham. Bond novels have since been written by John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks, and Jeffery Deaver.

“We are devoted fans of Fleming’s Bond novels here at Amazon Publishing, and we’re thrilled these books—already known across the world and across generations—will continue to flourish under our Thomas & Mercer imprint,” says Philip Patrick, Director, Business Development, Rights and Licensing. “Amazon Publishing offers signature authors a new life for great backlist titles. Fleming is the perfect fit.”

Geller says, “This deal heralds a new phase in Ian Fleming’s publishing story. We are excited to be working with Amazon in North America to bring a new generation of readers to Ian Fleming’s classic novels.”

This agreement comes on the heels of the announcement last month by The Random House Group that the Bond backlist was returning to its publishing roots in the UK, with Vintage Books (sister imprint of Jonathan Cape, the original publisher of Casino Royale) acquiring a ten-year license for exclusive rights to the Bond novels in the English language with the exception of North America.

Makeshift Python wrote:

Selling e-books worldwide would certainly help. I'm kinda surprised until now it's only been sold like that independently, this is James Bond, these e-books should have been available much earlier.

Agreed. I personally have no interest whatsoever in eBooks, but it's the bleedin' wave of the future, it seems.