Each season we announce our new titles individually, each in their own post, to give you a little extra background behind the book. If you’ve missed any, you can check them all out here. All of Spring 2013′s intro posts are here.

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Some worlds are larger than their creators.

Middle Earth is probably the classic example; the world Tolkien brought to life in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit carries on though Tolkien himself does not. On the necessarily finite details of the framework he provided has been hung years of thought and study, decades of imagining. Books, films. Millions of readers’ dreams.

Star Wars (despite episodes 1 through 3) is a more recent one of these. So is Harry Potter. …

» Continue Reading “Ender’s World”

We’re, um, really excited about the Veronica Mars movie getting fully funded on Kickstarter. Like, really excited.

To celebrate, we’re giving away 2 paperback copies of our Veronica Mars anthology Neptune Noir, with terrific introduction from Rob Thomas on how Veronica Mars saved his soul (direct quote!). To enter, just leave us a comment on this post—say, with your favorite Veronica Mars quote—by midnight Central time this Sunday.  (Book giveaway ended! But read on.)

But we also wanted to do a little bit more. And so, starting today, until the end of this month, we’ll contribute 25% of the price for every e-book copy of Neptune Noir sold to the Veronica Mars movie cause.

For Amazon for Kindle and B&N for Nook, where …

» Continue Reading “Doing our part to put the Veronica Mars movie in space”

Teddy bears are cliché, roses die, and too many chocolates? That’s how you spend Valentine’s Day with an upset stomach (hardly conducive for a romantic evening). We’ve got the perfect present for you, though, readers: food for thought.

During the week of Valentine’s Day—February 11–15—our daily essays will be all about sex and love. When you’re a romantic at heart or a jaded curmudgeon or something in between, we’ve got an essay to match your mood. Scroll down to see what’s in store.

Happy reading, and happy Valentine’s! We hope your day is great.

» Continue Reading “We don’t have any candy hearts…but here are some essays!”

Next Tuesday is the official pub date for Shadowhunters and Downworlders, our anthology of YA authors talking about Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series. (Though you can already get a print copy, or pre-order the e-book, online. Or order the audio book!) And while usually this pre-publication book “introduction” feature gives a little extra behind-the-scenes info on the content of our books, I wanted to break from tradition here and talk a little about the design—in particular, the cover.

The cover art is gorgeous, of course; it’s the work of Cliff Nielsen, the man responsible for a lot of my favorite YA covers the last few years (including the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices covers). But I also love what Cliff did …

» Continue Reading “Behind the Scenes of Shadowhunters and Downworlders”

Are you a well-organized, detail-oriented, self-directed college junior/senior or graduate student in the Cambridge, Massachusetts area who is passionate about books and interested in learning about the publishing industry? Do you love YA literature, television, science fiction and fantasy, gaming, and/or film? Are you currently looking for a spring semester internship?

Look no further!

Internship Job Description

Intern will work directly with the Editor-in-Chief and Marketing Coordinator for Smart Pop Books, the pop culture imprint of BenBella Books. Forthcoming 2013 titles include an anthology on Ender’s Game edited by Orson Scott Card and a book on the history and future of fanfiction. Past titles include The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook and Finding Serenity (on Joss Whedon’s Firefly).

Intern will provide support for www.smartpopbooks.com and …

» Continue Reading “Wanted: Smart Pop Editorial and Marketing Interns for Spring Semester”

Each season we announce our new titles individually, each in their own post, to give you a little extra background behind the book. If you’ve missed any, you can check them all out here. All of Fall 2012′s intro posts are here.

For The Panem Companion, our latest companion book, on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy (from Mellark Bakery to Mockingjays), we’ve asked the book’s author, V. Arrow, to write the intro post. Read her thoughts on writing The Panem Companion below! And don’t forget, you can sign up on the book page to get a free excerpt.

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If I had known that staying up until 3 a.m. with a carton of ice cream to talk to my …

» Continue Reading “Return to Panem with author V. Arrow”

Join V. Arrow as she travels the 13 districts for The Panem Companion Victory Tour!

We didn’t have to fight to the death to publish The Panem Companion, but we still think its impending December 4 release is something to celebrate.

Over the course of the next 13 days—from November 26 to December 12—author V. Arrow will be traveling to 13 “districts” (which some of you may know better as top-notch Hunger Games fansites and book blogs) to share the excitement. Each district will be giving away a copy of The Panem Companion, and will feature an exclusive excerpt from the book! Some of them will also be interviewing V., and hosting other fun activities.

Luckily, following us on the tour doesn’t …

» Continue Reading “The Panem Companion Victory Tour”

As geeks with discerning taste ourselves, we know they can be hard to shop for.

Whether you’re buying gifts for a Potterhead, Whedonite, Twi-hard, or Trekkie–or something that’s too geeky to name–we’ve got the perfect pick.

Harry Potter

1. The Psychology of Harry Potter. Get inside Harry’s head, with professional help. [From Smart Pop]
2. Accio Keys Keychain. Know someone who’s always losing their keys? They won’t be able to put down this eye-catching keychain.
3. Golden Snitch Bracelet. 150 points to whoever wears this bracelet.
4. Deathly Hallows Necklace. The Deathly Hallows may have originated as a children’s tale, but this necklace will delight Harry fans of all ages.
5. Harry Potter Lightning Glasses Ring. Give the gift of a (removable) lightning scar.

 …

» Continue Reading “2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Assorted Geekery”

We don’t know if they have a winter gift-giving occasion in Panem.

But just in case, we’ve put together a (less deadly) cornucopia of gifts for the Hunger Games fans in your life—all of which can be obtained from the safety of your own home. Because let’s face it—the closer we get to Christmas, the more the mall starts looking like a Hunger Games arena.

1. The Panem Companion. Shameless self-promotion: our brand new Hunger Games companion, written by V. Arrow (the creator of this super-cool map of Panem), comes out December 4! The grad-school class of Hunger Games books, it answers the hardcore fan’s most burning questions about Panem.
2. Rue’s Song Print. For the musical Hunger Games fan, this print features the

…

» Continue Reading “2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Hunger Games”

I admit to a few moments of trepidation when we first announced we were publishing a book about Fifty Shades of Grey.

“Dexter, or the Hunger Games, or James Bond—sure, okay,” I imagined you guys saying, seeing the tweet or Facebook post or monthly newsletter. “Plenty to talk about there. Lots of deep and interesting thoughts. But really, Smart Pop, seriously—Fifty Shades of Grey?”

But here’s the thing about Fifty Shades of Grey: It’s more than just a book, at this point. Fifty Shades became a lightning rod for issues like feminism, sexuality (BDSM/alternative and otherwise), domestic violence—even, given the book’s fanfiction roots, issues of authorship and ownership.

Plus, you could practically taste the confusion and conflicted feelings of …

» Continue Reading “Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey (Or, Why We Wanted to Publish a Book About Fifty Shades)”