Random House of Canada has created a new publishing division, The McClelland & Stewart Doubleday Canada Publishing Group. The new division integrates the Doubleday Canada Group with McClelland & Stewart, the century-old Canadian publishing house that Random House of Canada acquired full ownership of this year, taking control of the 75% share that former owner Avie Bennett donated to the University of Toronto in 2000.
“When we assumed full ownership of McClelland & Stewart in January,” said Brad Martin, president and CEO of Random House of Canada, “we committed to further developing its tremendous print and digital publishing potential as we build upon its incomparable cultural heritage. We remain passionately dedicated to doing so.”
Editorial identities will remain distinct, but Martin told PW that the new larger division will pool the talents of not only Doubleday and M&S, but also Robert McCullough, publisher of the new lifestyle imprint Appetite, Jordan Fenn publisher of the sports imprint Fenn/McClelland & Stewart, and Tundra Books, which is now Random’s children’s imprint.
Over time, the focus of the lists will sharpen, said Martin. He foresees M&S publishing more Canadian literary fiction but buying fewer foreign titles, though he was quick to add that Signal, M&S’s new nonfiction imprint, would still include buy-ins “because Signal is an ideas list for Canada and the world.” Doubleday’s fiction will be more commercial titles.
Kristin Cochrane, who has been publisher of Doubleday Canada, will be executive publisher of the new division. Martin praised Cochrane as a brilliant publisher and “great leader who thinks strategically and creatively. This makes her uniquely qualified to lead this unified Canadian publishing powerhouse,” he said.
“I am honoured to have the opportunity to build upon the incomparable legacy of McClelland & Stewart and contribute to its growth and success," said Cochrane. "I am looking forward to working closely with the strong team at McClelland & Stewart and Tundra and their esteemed list of authors, as well as with my valued colleagues at Doubleday Canada and our talented authors.”
There are no plans to reduce staff and there are no changes to the Knopf Random Canada Publishing Group, the other Canadian publishing division of Random House of Canada Limited.
Doug Pepper, who has been president and publisher of M&S since 2004, will now be publisher, Signal/McClelland & Stewart and v-p, Random House of Canada. “Since its inception last year, Signal/M&S has been a passion for me: creating and being the publisher of an imprint that houses Canada’s and the world’s most provocative and insightful authors, writing on topics as diverse as politics, business, culture, religion, and history," said Pepper. "The opportunity now to concentrate my time to make the most of Signal/M&S, working with a range of editors and with Random House of Canada’s first-rate marketing and digital teams, is truly exciting."
Literary editor Ellen Seligman will be publisher of McClelland & Stewart and has also been named vice-president, Random House of Canada. Alison Morgan continues to head Tundra Books but has the new title of publisher of Tundra and v-p, Random House of Canada.
M&S and Tundra will be moving from their offices on Sherbourne Street in Toronto to the Random House offices on Toronto Street. Martin said M&S was still not on all Random House systems, such as the royalty management system, and the move would help integrate them into such operations. The Sherbourne Street space will continue to house the design department, but sales, IT and accounting will move into the offices from their current location in Mississauga, Ont.
