Ballantine Books is closing the West Coast editorial office of its Presidio Press imprint March 20 and moving its operations to New York. Ballantine acquired the military publisher last February (News, Feb. 25, 2002) and had already incorporated Presidio's production, marketing and publicity functions in New York. None of Presidio's six employees—three editors, a publishing director and two staffers—in the Novato, Calif., office will be moving to New York.

Ballantine said Presidio will continue to serve as the publisher's military imprint and will publish about 25 new titles annually. Zachary Schisgal, who has been working on the Presidio imprint from New York, will now oversee the line. There are no plans to hire new editors for Presidio, but all Ballantine editors will contribute titles to the imprint.