• The Wall Street Journal, Friday, April 4, 2008 11:15 AM

HarperCollins Publishers is launching a book imprint that will generously share its profit with writers and focus much of its sales efforts on the Internet, where a growing portion of book sales are shifting. But it will pay little or no advances to authors, won't accept returns from retailers, and likely won't pay for more desirable display space in the front of bookstores.

Veteran publishing executive Robert S. Miller, who is stepping down as president of Disney's Hyperion book publishing arm, will head the imprint. The venture is expected to publish about 25 titles a year, emphasizing shorter hardcover titles priced at about $20. Miller says that many authors who currently receive large advances won't be interested in the new model, but he thinks he will attract major authors who have a book in the desk drawer that doesn't fit their image, as well as up-and-coming writers.

The venture is aimed at improving the economics of book publishing, which has long been hobbled by the need to pay for space in stores and take back unsold books from retailers at full price. The practice of paying authors advances--offset against future royalties--also can be costly when books bomb.

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