Hearst Magazines has announced the launch of two new illustrated lifestyle book imprints designed to take advantage of the media company’s portfolio of brands. Hearst Home and Hearst Kids will be overseen by Jacqueline Deval, v-p and publisher of Hearst’s book businesses.
The new imprints will include cookbooks, diet, nutrition, health and wellness, decorating, pop culture, and self-help books. Its first three titles, which will be released next spring, are Healthy Keto: Prevention Healing Kitchen, 75+ Plant-Based, Low-Carb, High-Fat Recipes (March); Food Network Magazine's The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook: 150+ Recipes for Young Chefs (April); and Sugar Shock: The Hidden Sugar in Your Food, Its Dramatic Impact on Your Health, 100+ Smart Swaps to Cut Back (May).
In recent years, Hearst’s book efforts have focused on striking deals with other publishers that have resulted in the publication of a number of bestsellers, including Delish: Eat Like Every Day’s the Weekend (HMH); Food Can Fix It by Dr. Mehmet Oz (Scribner); and What I Know for Sure, by Oprah Winfrey (Flatiron Books).
Deval said the creation of two imprints gives the company “more control over our list” and a better opportunity to grow its book business. Hearst expects to publish a total of 12 books next year, and Deval said that when the imprints are fully ramped up, she expects to do 15 to 20 titles a year. She added that as the business grows, Hearst will add more staff. Despite the move into publishing, Deval said Hearst remains opened to licensing deals “for the right opportunity.”
Distribution of Hearst Home and Hearst Kids will be handled by Penguin Random House Publishers Services. “I’m excited to grow the business through this partnership with PRH,” Deval said.
The launch of the two imprints marks Hearst's biggest move into book publishing since it sold Morrow and Avon to HarperCollins in 1999.
