self publishing acquisition

**j* e* m* s* <h*@sbcglobal.net>**

(BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - October 10, 2007) Author Solutions, Inc. today 
announced it closed the previously announced acquisition of 
iUniverse, a leading self-publishing company. iUniverse will join 
AuthorHouse as one of the brands of Author Solutions, the world's 
leading self-publishing company. Author Solutions, a Bertram 
Capital-owned holding company, was acquired by Bertram in January 
2007. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"iUniverse's commitment to providing authors with the publishing 
expertise required for professional results falls directly in line 
with the goals of Author Solutions," said Jeff Drazan, managing 
director of Bertram Capital. "Both iUniverse and AuthorHouse will 
provide authors of all experience levels with the most comprehensive 
knowledge base and tools necessary to help them achieve their 
self-publishing goals."

Author Solutions is committed to strengthening the offerings of 
AuthorHouse and iUniverse while maintaining their respective 
identities in the marketplace.

"Together, these two companies, along with Wordclay, our free DIY 
online book publishing solution, are poised to dramatically change 
the publishing landscape," said Bryan Smith, CEO of Author Solutions 
and AuthorHouse "As the trend of author-centric publishing continues, 
our large size and vast knowledge of the publishing industry are 
invaluable to authors looking for everything from the control of a 
free DIY Web-based publishing option to high-end personal attention 
with unwavering support throughout their publishing experience." 
Smith added, "In the end, this makes the world better for authors and 
readers because together we can offer more options, more services and 
more opportunities.

"We want to provide authors with the widest range of resources to 
self-publish, so we will continue to identify the different strengths 
of each company and work hard to further enhance and expand those 
offerings," said Susan Driscoll, president and CEO of iUniverse. "One 
of our goals is to provide clarity in the marketplace so 
self-published authors can easily choose the path that is best for 
them. We will draw on the expertise of AuthorHouse and iUniverse 
professionals worldwide to help us achieve that goal," according to 
Driscoll.

AuthorHouse and iUniverse offices will remain open in all six 
locations around the world.

For more information on Author Solutions, Inc., please visit 
www.authorsolutions.com. Further information on AuthorHouse and 
iUniverse can be found at www.authorhouse.com and www.iuniverse.com, 
respectively.

About Author Solutions, Inc.

Author Solutions, Inc, which is owned by Bertram Capital, is the 
leading company in the world focused on helping authors publish, 
promote and sell their books. Through a variety of brands, the 
company offers the most comprehensive range of services to help 
authors reach their book publishing goals. Currently, Author 
Solutions provides services around the globe through the AuthorHouse, 
AuthorHouse UK, Rooftop, Wordclay and iUniverse brands. These 
different brands operate from offices in Bloomington, Ind.; 
Indianapolis, Ind.; and Milton Keynes, England; Lincoln, Neb.; New 
York City and Shanghai, China. www.authorsolutions.com

About Bertram Capital

Located in Palo Alto, Calif. near Stanford University, Bertram 
Capital is a $350 million private equity firm. Bertram invests in 
innovative companies throughout the United States and abroad, 
providing strategic insight, technical savvy and operational 
expertise that make it an attractive partner for companies looking to 
expand. Bertram's mission is to build value for equity holders, 
employees, customers and partners by helping already profitable 
companies realize their full operational and financial potential. For 
more information, please visit www.bertramcapital.com.

About AuthorHouse

Headquartered in Bloomington, Ind., AuthorHouse is the leading 
provider of publishing and marketing services for authors around the 
globe; last year publishing one out of every 30 titles in the United 
States. Since its founding in 1997, AuthorHouse has served the 
publishing needs of nearly 30,000 authors and produced more than 
40,000 titles. AuthorHouse titles are available at more than 25,000 
retail outlets worldwide including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. 
For media inquiries, contact Lauren Kinzler of Dittoe PR at 
317-202-2280 or lauren@dittoepr.com. For company information, please 
visit www.authorhouse.com.

About iUniverse

Founded in October 1999, iUniverse has sold over 5 million books and 
is one of the largest self-publishing companies in the United States. 
In addition to the bookselling expertise provided by a strategic 
alliance with Barnes & Noble, iUniverse is the only self-publishing 
services provider that offers the same full range of services that 
authors would expect from traditional publishers, including 
industry-standard publishing, editorial and marketing services. 
iUniverse has helped more than 5,000 authors a year achieve their 
dream of becoming a published author. iUniverse has offices in New 
York City, Shanghai, China and Lincoln, Neb. For media inquiries, 
contact Heather Williams of Planned Television Arts at 212-583-2729 
or williamsh@plannedtvarts.com. For company information, please 
visit, www.iuniverse.com.

Source: Author Solutions, Inc.
-- 
Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
Garden writer, speaker, author, photographer
Region III Director Garden Writers Association
Phone: (317) 251.3261
Fax: (317) 251.8545
E-mail: hoosiergardener@sbcglobal.net
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