A second year of double-digit sales growth and some high-profile author acquisitions in 2004 are indicative of how Rodale's book program has matured, said company president Steve Murphy. Revenue in the privately held publisher's book group rose 18% last year, led by a 25% increase in trade sales. "I think we've proven to agents and authors that we can deliver marketing and sales," Murphy said.
Despite the success the trade book unit has enjoyed in recent years, it will need to replenish its ranks. While Tami Booth has been promoted to editor-in-chief of a newly unified book team, Stephanie Tade and Jeremy Katz, who headed the general books and men's health units, respectively, have left the company. Tade has started her own literary agency, while Katz is headed to the literary firm of Sanford Greenburger. The departures, all parties insist, were unrelated to Booth's promotion. And last Thursday Amy Rhodes announced she will step down as publisher of the trade division after BEA. Murphy said Rhodes has done "a fantastic job," and that he has begun a search for a successor.
Rodale still has South Beach, which continues to be its most important franchise, with the three books already published reaching 14.4 million copies in print. Nearly eight million copies of The South Beach Diet, The South Beach Diet Cookbook and The South Beach Diet Good Fats/Good Carbs Guide were sold in 2004, and several new South Beach projects will be released later this year, Murphy said. The Abs Diet by Men's Health editor-in-chief David Zinczenko was released late last year and has sold about 300,000 copies through the trade and another 400,000 copies through direct mail. Abs, Murphy said, is another example of how trade sales can benefit from a direct-mail campaign, even a promotion that sells 400,000 books.
Murphy believes Rodale's 2005 list could be its strongest to date. Just out is Body for Life for Women, which has 255,000 copies in print, while Bill Maher's New Rules is set for publication in August. The Maher book, as well as books on Condoleezza Rice by Newsweek's Marcus Mabry and Lynn Sherr's autobiography, show Rodale's new interest in moving deeper into the public affairs area. "Rodale will also be anchored in wellness and fitness, but we're willing to tackle political issues," Murphy said.
