I've mentioned in previous posts our interest in building up the children's books part of the business - from publishing to distribution to retail.

On the publishing front, we've started the Autumn Wonders imprint. The first book in the imprint, Water Buffalo's Reward, was published early this year. This was the first book in the Asian Values series, and the second and third books are scheduled for publication later this year and early next year respectively.

Another series that we will be starting is the Hike It! series. This is a series of walking guides for children. The first book, Hike It! Bras Basah & Waterloo, will be launched in the first week of August.

On the retail front, we have built up a good collection of children's books with Asian themes at Select Books. Our related company, Summer Fields, has also built up a reputation for selling quality children's books.

On the distribution front, we've started to represent a few publishers with children's books. But this is an area that we want to continue to build on. We are actively seeking independent book publishers with children's titles that require a distributor in Singapore. We believe that we will be able to achieve better market visibility and efficiencies if we can achieve a critical mass of titles. As an independent publisher ourselves, we understand the needs and constraints of other independent publishers. So, we're eager to work out arrangements that will work for both parties. Contact us to meet up. At the minimum, we can have a good chat about a shared passion - children's books!

I've mentioned in previous posts our interest in building up the children's books part of the business - from publishing to distribution to retail.

On the publishing front, we've started the Autumn Wonders imprint. The first book in the imprint, Water Buffalo's Reward, was published early this year. This was the first book in the Asian Values series, and the second and third books are scheduled for publication later this year and early next year respectively.

Another series that we will be starting is the Hike It! series. This is a series of walking guides for children. The first book, Hike It! Bras Basah & Waterloo, will be launched in the first week of August.

On the retail front, we have built up a good collection of children's books with Asian themes at Select Books. Our related company, Summer Fields, has also built up a reputation for selling quality children's books.

On the distribution front, we've started to represent a few publishers with children's books. But this is an area that we want to continue to build on. We are actively seeking independent book publishers with children's titles that require a distributor in Singapore. We believe that we will be able to achieve better market visibility and efficiencies if we can achieve a critical mass of titles. As an independent publisher ourselves, we understand the needs and constraints of other independent publishers. So, we're eager to work out arrangements that will work for both parties. Contact us to meet up. At the minimum, we can have a good chat about a shared passion - children's books!

In recent months, Select Books has been appointed as the distributor for a number of books on art and photography. It’s a fairly new area for us as far as distribution is concerned, but we’re pleased to have made a start. It’s certainly opened our eyes to the quality of these works:

• 08.08.08: Beijing's Road to the Olympics by Chua Chin Hon. Chin Hon was the Straits Time Bureau Chief in Beijing when he photographed and wrote the essays for the book.

• 30th Feb by Chow Chee Yong. Chee Yong is one of only three Singaporeans to have their photographic prints acquired by Japan’s prestigious Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts in Yamanashi.

• Shanghai In .JPG by Jean-Philippe Gauvrit. Jean-Philippe has been photographing cities since 1993, and won an online competition organized by vis-à-vis International Magazine in 2007, with 6 images extracted from the photographs presented in this book.

• Bus Stopping by Stephen Black. Stephen is a consultant based in Singapore. Bus Stopping is a wonderful book which looks at life in transit, relaxing yet subtly emotional.

• Dance Me Through The Dark: The Photography of Tan Ngiap Heng by Tan Ngiap Heng. Ngiap Heng’s creative enterprise straddles engineering, dance and photography. He has a close relationship with the arts scene and continues to photograph the performing arts groups.

• Something Beautiful by Zhang Jingna. Jingna is a young commercial and fashion photographer with a growing portfolio of work for international advertising agencies and fashion houses. She is also one of the most popular artists on community art site deviantART, using the pseudonym "zemotion".

• Foundations: The Consolidations of Museology by Michael Lee Hong Hwee. Concerned with the relation between desire and space, Michael explores different forms and media, especially model, book, installation, photography, video, text and exhibition.

• Send Me An Angel by Michael Lee Hong Hwee and Tan Ling Nah. Ling Nah has held several solo exhibitions, and co-ordinated and co-curated exhibitions, and the recipient of several art awards. Through her works, she seeks to reflect and address the conditions of the modern city, particularly the lack of interpersonal intimacy in urban life.

In recent months, Select Books has been appointed as the distributor for a number of books on art and photography. It’s a fairly new area for us as far as distribution is concerned, but we’re pleased to have made a start. It’s certainly opened our eyes to the quality of these works:

• 08.08.08: Beijing's Road to the Olympics by Chua Chin Hon. Chin Hon was the Straits Time Bureau Chief in Beijing when he photographed and wrote the essays for the book.

• 30th Feb by Chow Chee Yong. Chee Yong is one of only three Singaporeans to have their photographic prints acquired by Japan’s prestigious Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts in Yamanashi.

• Shanghai In .JPG by Jean-Philippe Gauvrit. Jean-Philippe has been photographing cities since 1993, and won an online competition organized by vis-à-vis International Magazine in 2007, with 6 images extracted from the photographs presented in this book.

• Bus Stopping by Stephen Black. Stephen is a consultant based in Singapore. Bus Stopping is a wonderful book which looks at life in transit, relaxing yet subtly emotional.

• Dance Me Through The Dark: The Photography of Tan Ngiap Heng by Tan Ngiap Heng. Ngiap Heng’s creative enterprise straddles engineering, dance and photography. He has a close relationship with the arts scene and continues to photograph the performing arts groups.

• Something Beautiful by Zhang Jingna. Jingna is a young commercial and fashion photographer with a growing portfolio of work for international advertising agencies and fashion houses. She is also one of the most popular artists on community art site deviantART, using the pseudonym "zemotion".

• Foundations: The Consolidations of Museology by Michael Lee Hong Hwee. Concerned with the relation between desire and space, Michael explores different forms and media, especially model, book, installation, photography, video, text and exhibition.

• Send Me An Angel by Michael Lee Hong Hwee and Tan Ling Nah. Ling Nah has held several solo exhibitions, and co-ordinated and co-curated exhibitions, and the recipient of several art awards. Through her works, she seeks to reflect and address the conditions of the modern city, particularly the lack of interpersonal intimacy in urban life.