Barnes & Noble Reissues Out-of-print Works

Barnes & Noble expanded its publishing program yesterday with the launch of a new imprint dedicated to republishing out-of-print books. The Barnes & Noble Rediscovers project will reissue noteworthy works of history, literature, philosophy, and science as redesigned, specially priced hardcovers. The debut list comprises thirty-three titles, including works by Owen Barfield, Norman Cohn, Loren Eiseley, and the only major book-length critical study by poet Ted Hughes.

Editors for the Rediscovers series will pick future titles based on feedback from company buyers and customers, as well as on information collected about search queries on the Barnes & Noble Web site. “We intend to be quite selective,” said Stuart Miller, executive editor of the new imprint, in a press release, “but when you start digging into this it is astonishing how many worthwhile and important books are out of print.”

The new Barnes & Noble line arrives a month after a similar initiative was launched by Cambridge University Press, which has begun reissuing rare and out-of-print books through its print-on-demand program. Marcus Leaver, president of Barnes & Noble’s publishing subsidiary, said the Rediscovers imprint would eventually include both print-on-demand and e-book options. In a statement, he called the project “a new window for writers and estates who have earned no income on their works for years.”