Harper Closes Collins
Following rapid expansion under Steve Ross, HarperCollins is “closing the Collins Division and realigning the imprint” and president and publisher of the division Ross is now leaving the company. In other realignments (see below), William Morrow publisher Lisa Gallagher is leaving the company as well. The Harper imprint, under Jonathan Burnham, will absorb the Collins general non-fiction list (which will be published as Harper titles), along with Collins Reference, which retains its name as an imprint, and Collins Business, which will publish as Harper Business going forward.
Bruce Nichols remains as publisher of Collins Reference and will also serve as executive editor at Harper; similarly, Hollis Heimbouch will continue to oversee the business books program and become executive editor at Harper. Both will report to Burnham, along with Elisabeth Dyssegaard at Smithsonian Books, executive editor Adam Bellow and senior editor Ben Loehnen.
Collins trade paperbacks, with the exception of Collins Reference and Collins Design, will be folded into Harper Perennial and Harper paperbacks under SVP, publisher Carrie Kania.
Collins Design publisher Marta Schooler and her team will report to Harper paperback svp Carrie Kania, who will now oversee the Avon trade paperback line.
Liate Stehlik takes over as publisher of William Morrow/Eos/Avon, and will continue to oversee Avon and Harper mass market titles. Collins Living titles will be published as William Morrow books going forward. Mary Ellen O’Neill joins that group as executive editor, and will now run William Morrow cookbooks too.
Harper CEO Brian Murray writes to employees: “Over the last several months, the unstable economy has had a significant impact on businesses and consumer spending. Our industry is not immune to these market forces, and there is increasing pressure on us, along with our retail and wholesale partners, to adjust….
“However, given the continued uncertainty in the market and soft revenues for the company, we need to take further action to align our cost basis with expected revenues. I have asked each division to evaluate their business and begin the process to meet this goal. Unfortunately, in some HarperCollins divisions, implementing these plans will result in a reduction in workforce. These are difficult decisions that were not made lightly.
“Although we are facing new challenges today, we know that our company will again see a strong market. HarperCollins has a nearly 200 year history of managing through business cycles much more difficult than today’s. I am confident that our authors, our ambitious publishing plan and our creativity will carry us forward.”
Wow, as I mentioned before, times are tough for everyone. I am very pleased in how Morgan James is weathering the storm. It is a true testament to the Entrepreneurial Authors within.
