Dragons, More Critters, More Innovative Products for Kids and Teens

Olympia, WA (PRWEB) December 5, 2008

Independent publisher, Reagent Press, http://www.reagentpress.com, is following the successful launch of its Reagent Press Books For Young Readers and RP Audio Kids imprints with RP Graphics and RP Video. The launch of these new imprints follows a growth year for the publisher. In 2008, the publisher finalized distribution agreements with Sony, Findaway World, eMusic and others, and expanded online partnerships with Audible, Apple, Amazon and others.

RP Graphics is a new imprint publishing comics and graphic novel editions of the company?s popular children?s books as well as original graphic novels. Publisher Jeannie Kim says, ?We will release our titles as comics first and then collect the comics in graphic novel editions. Our goal is to publish 4 to 6 graphic novels a year.? The company?s initial titles include two new book lines: Ruin Mist: Dawn of the Ages graphic novels and Battle for Ruin Mist graphic novels based on the popular series The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches and In the Service of Dragons. The first eight graphic novels as well as eight companion books were written and developed by best-selling author Robert Stanek. Prices for comics range from $ 5.99 to $ 9.99. Prices for graphic novels range from $ 9.99 to $ 24.99.

RP Video is a new imprint publishing video editions of the company?s popular children?s books as well as original educational videos. Of this new imprint, Kim said, ?Our primary focus in video is Robert Stanek?s Bugville Critters. We?ve already published 12 children?s picture books in the Bugville Critters line and have 12 new titles on track for publication in 2009 and 2010. Our plan is to release 2 to 3 videos a year, and we?ve already completed the first title: Visit Garden Box Farms. This title is available online for free viewing at our web site.? Prices for videos range from $ 3.99 for digital downloads to $ 19.99 for DVDs.

Regarding the uncertainty of the economy and this past year, Kim said, ?We?ve been pleased to see the continued growth in sales of Robert Stanek?s Ruin Mist books and J R King?s Wizards of Skyhall books. We?ve recently closed several new translation agreements for the books of both authors, and both authors continue to be increasingly popular year over year. Stanek?s The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches spent 180 consecutive weeks on the Audible Kids & Young Adult Top 10, out of over 4,500 titles?and was only recently toppled off the Top 10. It?s been a good run and we knew increasing year over year success couldn?t last forever.?

The company, which now publishes 125 print titles, 75 audio titles, and 50 e-book titles, is also working to bring to print an extensive classics library. In 2008, the company published three companion books for Stanek?s Ruin Mist, including Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ruin Mist, Keeper Martin?s Guide to the Fantastical Beasts and Faerie Peoples of Ruin Mist, and Art of Ruin Mist: Heroes and Villains. Regarding these titles, Kim says she was most pleased by the digital edition sales, which were several multiples of the traditional print sales. She went on to state, ?I was not surprised by smashing success in digital. Most of Robert?s readers are affluent teens and adults who spend a lot of time online. An August 2008 TeenReads.com survey asked teens if they could organize a ?midnight madness? event for any book that either already has been published or has yet to be released, which would you choose? Robert Stanek and his Ruin Mist books were second only to Stephenie Meyer and her Twilight books.?

Though Reagent Press has been wildly successful with both Robert Stanek?s books and J R King?s books, you won?t find the books in most traditional bookstores. Of this Kim says, ?Borders and the rest of the brick-and-mortar stores don?t understand us or our products. They don?t want to, they don?t try to, and we don?t care. By not carrying Reagent Press products, Borders has lost $ 3 ? $ 5 million in sales since 2002 and if $ 3 ? $ 5 million in sales are nothing to them, our resources are better spent with partners who value our products and our business. With our current partners, our products have been top-sellers in every category and we are always looking for new partners who understand the digital revolution taking place.?

For up-to-date information on Reagent Press, visit http://www.reagentpress.com. For more information on Bugville, visit http://www.bugvillecritters.com.

About Reagent Press:

Reagent Press books are available through Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), Barnes & Noble.COM (NASDAQ:BNBN), and Books-A-Million (NASDAQ:BAMM). The US distributors are INGRAM and BAKER & TAYLOR and the books are listed in Bowkers Books-in-Print. The UK distributor is BERTRAMS and in the UK, the books are listed with Book Data and Whitaker. Vendor: LIGHTNING.

Reagent Press, RP Audio, RP Video, and RP Graphics are all trademarks of Reagent Press. Ruin Mist and Bugville Critters are trademarks of Robert Stanek.

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