Sourcebooks has acquired B.E.S. Publishing from Peterson's Publishing. The acquisition, which Sourcebooks said is its largest to date, will bring more than 800 B.E.S. titles to Sourcebooks, including adult nonfiction and children's fiction and nonfiction titles.
The adult nonfiction backlist at B.E.S. includes pet care titles, crafting books, and adult activity books. Children's titles include novelty fiction, nonfiction picture books, holiday books, and such middle-grade graphic novels as the Goodnight series.
Kay Birkner, assistant publisher and associate director of publishing strategy for Sourcebooks' Jabberwocky and Young Readers imprints, noted that the company's children's business accounts for more than half of the publisher's sales. “We have largely done so without many partnerships in the co-edition universe, so we’re eager to open our publishing and acquisition pipeline to that opportunity,” Birkner said in a statement.
Dominique Raccah, Sourcebooks CEO and publisher, said in a statement that the "addition of B.E.S. adds breadth, variety, and depth to our rapidly expanding children's and adult nonfiction catalogue." She added that she is "excited by the opportunity to grow the audience for these great books."
The deal closed on November 1. Susan Reich and David Lamb of Book Advisors LLC represented Peterson's in the transaction.
