Dorling Kindersley relaunches Idiot's Guide series

DK is relaunching the Idiot’s Guide series, 20 years after it was first published.

Originally released by Alpha Books, a division of Penguin USA which joined DK in 2012, more than 800 Idiot’s Guides have been released, with 450 still in print.

The relaunch will see 12 titles released in print and digital on 2nd September at £11.99 or £12.99, covering topics such as knitting, drawing, and playing guitar, with plans to offer 48 more each year.

Mike Sanders, publisher of Alpha Books, said: "The great thing about using DK's co-editions system is that where as before some of the books have been text heavy, they will now be in full colour and truly accessible."

He added that their author model had also changed from a royalties model to work for hire, giving full rights to the publisher.

Sanders said: "It gives us greater flexibility to how we use the content, whether using it online or putting different works together for new packages. Previously, if we wanted to use extracts from 20 different guides in a magazine piece, it would mean 20 different negotiations. Now, the process is much simpler."