Feels to me like the publishing industry, like businesses everywhere, is looking for new ways to stay vital and grow in the economic downturn. Of note this week:

*A month after shutting an entire division, on Thursday HarperCollins rolled out a new imprint. It Books will publish 21 hardcover and paperback titles this year. The first one? Twitter Wit.

*On Wednesday, Thomas Nelson announced a new program called NelsonFree, which bundles together the e-book and audio versions of a title with the physical book. One of the first titles in the program is Collapse of Distinction by our client Scott McKain. The publisher plans on releasing ten additional titles in this format by the end of the year.

*Amazon launched the new version of the Kindle to mostly positive reviews, with the New York Times calling it lighter, brighter, and chattier. I haven’t ordered one yet, although after taking a look from the briefcase of my friend Tom Hayes, a former New York Times writer who reads the newspaper of record on his, along with several pithy books, I am tempted.

*Random House bought Ten Speed Press, an independent house in Berkeley that has long been known for its cookbooks, business books and spiritual titles. The Moosewood Cookbook and the million copy bestseller What Color is Your Parachute? are on Ten Speed’s list. We imagine that career guides are selling steadily as more and more Americans are forced to look for work.

*The first ever Christian Book Expo will make its debut this month, with a March show in Dallas. Looks like they are anticipating a crowd.