Open Road Integrated Media and Lakeside Book Company Announce Multi-Faceted Partnership
Open Road Integrated Media and Lakeside Book Company announced a multi-faceted partnership on November 10, 2026, combining digital marketing technology with book manufacturing and distribution services.
Under the new agreement, Lakeside Book’s distribution clients and its Dover Publications division will gain access to Open Road’s Ignition ebook backlist marketing program. At the same time, Open Road signed on as a printing and distribution client of Lakeside Book for its print books, as reported by Open Road Integrated Media.
“Lakeside Book is a longtime industry leader making major investments in building its distribution service,” said Open Road CEO David Steinberger. “We’re looking forward to partnering with the great Lakeside Book team on this next stage in their growth.”
Open Road currently markets more than 100,000 books across every genre. The company serves over 100 publishers, ranging from small niche presses to the major traditional houses.
“Open Road’s digital marketing is proven to lift sales,” said Lakeside Book CEO Dave McCree, “and we’re excited to bring this growth opportunity to the burgeoning list of publishers we represent and distribute.”
The agreement follows a period of rapid expansion for Lakeside Book Company. In November 2025, Lakeside Book acquired Baker & Taylor Publishing Services. The company also hired veteran distribution services leader Todd McGarity as Senior Vice President of Business Development earlier this year.
Separately, book manufacturing giant Lakeside Book expanded its printing capacity further through the acquisition of Bradford & Bigelow, which prints materials for the K-12, higher education, and trade markets, Publishers Weekly reported. Bradford & Bigelow operates manufacturing and fulfillment facilities in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and Newton, New Hampshire.
Today, Lakeside Book provides distribution services to more than 150 independent publishers. All of these clients will now gain access to Open Road’s proprietary marketing technology.
“Being able to offer Open Road’s Ignition program to our clients in order to grow their backlist sales will be another Lakeside Book differentiator in a market with fewer viable distribution options,” said Todd McGarity.
For Open Road, the partnership scales up its publishing program, which includes a backlist of more than 10,000 titles and a growing frontlist. That frontlist features the Rediscovery Lit initiative, which brings reverted and out-of-print titles back to the market.
“This partnership with Lakeside Book will enhance the outstanding services we are committed to providing to our authors and estates,” said Christine Gillespie, Open Road SVP and Publisher.
The cutover from Open Road’s current distributor, IPG, is scheduled for Summer 2027. Open Road CFO and COO Rob Zaffiris thanked the IPG team for their work and noted that the company expects a smooth transition to Lakeside Book.