AuthorHouse and iUniverse join forces
to change the publishing landscape
Under Author Solutions, Inc., the world’s
two largest providers of publishing services will expand
offerings to give authors more choice and more control
(BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – September 6, 2007) AuthorHouse and iUniverse have
agreed to terms that will add iUniverse to the Author Solutions,
Inc. family of brands. The transaction was announced
jointly today by Bryan Smith, president and CEO of Author Solutions
and AuthorHouse, and Susan Driscoll, president and CEO of iUniverse. Author
Solutions, Inc., a Bertram Capital-owned holding company, was
acquired by Bertram in January 2007. Financial terms
of the deal were not disclosed.
“As technology advances, more people can achieve their dream of publishing
a book,” said Jeff Drazan, managing director of Bertram Capital. “That
means whether an author needs an online DIY publishing tool, a traditional
publishing arrangement or comprehensive author services to self publish, Author
Solutions can help.” Drazan went on to say, “We are excited about
the future of publishing and are committed to providing the investment needed
to make Author Solutions, Inc. the preeminent worldwide provider of author
and publishing services.”
“There’s no question that publishing is increasingly becoming more
author-centric,” said Susan Driscoll, president and CEO of iUniverse. “We
have always been focused on providing authors with the publishing expertise
required for professional results. Now, through Author Solutions,
we have a terrific opportunity to provide all authors—both self-published
and traditionally published—with the broadest range of services to help
them achieve their individual goals for success.”
“At AuthorHouse, we have built our brand by making service
to the author our first priority,” said Bryan Smith,
president and CEO of Author Solutions and AuthorHouse, “and
iUniverse has done a great job leveraging their traditional
publishing experience to make authors successful. By bringing
the two biggest forces in self-publishing together, we will
draw on the unique strengths of both brands and offer an even
better suite of publishing services for authors.”
Smith added, “Offices will remain in all six locations
around the world, and we will continue to aggressively pursue
additional growth opportunities globally.”
For more information on Author Solutions, Inc., please visit www.authorsolutions.com. Further
information on AuthorHouse and iUniverse can be found at www.authorhouse.com and www.iuniverse.com, respectively.
About Author Solutions, Inc.
Author Solutions, Inc, which is owned by Bertram Capital, is
the leading company in the world focused on helping authors
publish, promote and sell their books. Through a variety
of brands, the company offers the most comprehensive range
of services to help authors reach their book publishing goals.
Currently, Author Solutions provides services around the
globe through the AuthorHouse, AuthorHouse UK, Rooftop, Wordclay
and iUniverse brands. These different brands operate from
offices in Bloomington, Ind.; Indianapolis, Ind.; and Milton
Keynes, England.; Lincoln, Neb.; New York City and Shanghai,
China. www.authorsolutions.com
About Bertram Capital
Located in Palo Alto, Calif. near Stanford University, Bertram
Capital is a $350 million private equity firm. Bertram invests
in innovative companies throughout the United States and
abroad, providing strategic insight, technical savvy and
operational expertise that make it an attractive partner
for companies looking to expand. Bertram’s mission
is to build value for equity holders, employees, customers
and partners by helping already profitable companies realize
their full operational and financial potential. For more
information, please visit www.bertramcapital.com.
About AuthorHouse
Headquartered in Bloomington, Ind., AuthorHouse is the leading
provider of publishing and marketing services for authors
around the globe; last year publishing one out of every 30
titles in the United States. Since its founding in 1997,
AuthorHouse has served the publishing needs of nearly 30,000
authors and produced more than 40,000 titles. AuthorHouse
titles are available at more than 25,000 retail outlets worldwide
including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. For media inquiries,
contact Lauren Kinzler of Dittoe PR at 317-202-2280 or lauren@dittoepr.com. For
company information, please visit www.authorhouse.com.
About iUniverse
Founded in October 1999, iUniverse
has sold over 5 million books and is one of the largest self-publishing
companies in the United States. In addition to the bookselling
expertise provided by a strategic alliance with Barnes & Noble,
iUniverse is the only self-publishing services provider that
offers the same full range of services that authors would expect
from traditional publishers, including industry-standard publishing,
editorial and marketing services. iUniverse has helped more
than 5,000 authors a year achieve their dream of becoming a
published author. iUniverse has offices in New York City, Shanghai,
China and Lincoln, Neb. For media inquiries, contact Heather
Williams of Planned Television Arts at 212-583-2729 or williamsh@plannedtvarts.com. For
company information, please visit, www.iuniverse.com.
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