iUniverse
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iUniverse, founded in October 1999, is one of the largest self-publishers in the United States, using print-on-demand technology to publish more than 5,000 new titles each year. iUniverse has strategic alliances with Barnes & Noble, Inc. in the U.S. and Chapters Indigo in Canada. iUniverse also has partnerships with the Authors Guild, the Harlem Writers Guild and the American Society of Journalists and Authors.[1]
In September 2007, iUniverse was purchased by Author Solutions, the parent company of print-on-demand rival AuthorHouse.[2][3] On January 22, 2008, Author Solutions announced iUniverse operations would move from Lincoln, Nebraska to Bloomington, Indiana to be co-located with AuthorHouse.[4]. In June 2008, it was announced that Author Solutions would "onshore" iUniverse's Shanghai, China operations -- creating more than 140 new jobs in its Indiana headquarters over the next few years.[5]
[edit] History
iUniverse initially focused on business-to-consumer print-on-demand publishing as well as publishing both new- and back-in-print titles. Barnes & Noble invested in the company and soon started offering iUniverse books for order online and through Barnes & Noble retail stores.[citation needed] In 2001, Warburg Pincus also invested in iUniverse.
Partnerships were formed with IDG Books Worldwide, publisher of the "...for Dummies" series, Frommer's Travel Guides, and CliffsNotes. Additional partnerships were developed with Microsoft, Adobe Systems, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Publishers Group West.
In 2003, Susan Driscoll, a traditional publishing-industry veteran of more than 20 years, was named iUniverse president and CEO.
In 2004, the first iUniverse title hit the New York Times Best Seller list with Amy Fisher's memoir If I Knew Then.[citation needed] The title climbed to number 14 on the list and eventually became the best-selling book in iUniverse history.
On December 7, 2007, Kevin Weiss was named CEO of Author Solutions, the parent company of iUniverse and AuthorHouse. Weiss was formerly president of computer software company McAfee, Inc.
After the upfront fee, iUniverse takes a large cut of each sale of the book.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ PW: iUniverse.com's Brave New Publishing World - 2/21/2000 - Publishers Weekly
- ^ a b "Self-Publishers Flourish as Writers Pay the Tab". New York Times. January 27, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/books/28selfpub.html?_r=1&hp. Retrieved on 2009-01-28. "In 2008, Author Solutions, which is based in Bloomington, Ind., and operates iUniverse as well as other print-on-demand imprints including AuthorHouse and Wordclay, published 13,000 titles, up 12 percent from the previous year."
- ^ Jim Milliot, "AuthorHouse acquires iUniverse", Publishers Weekly, September 9, 2007
- ^ Kevin Abourezk, "iUniverse to move to Indiana"Lincoln Journal Star, January 22, 2008
- ^ http://www.authorsolutions.com/news/company-to-expand-global-hq.asp
