The restructuring of Crown Publishing that began with the appointment of Maya Mavjee in December and the moving of its non-trade operations into a new unit continued today with the realignment of the group into three new divisions and shrinking the number of imprints from 16 to 14. As part of the restructuring Shaye Areheart Books will be closed with Areheart becoming editor-at-large and the Crown Business and Broadway Business imprints are being combined under the Crown name.
The realignment will place all of the group's general interest fiction and narrative nonfiction titles under the Crown Publishers and Broadway Books imprints. In her memo, Mavjee said the imprints will retain their separate identities, but will report to one person; a search is being conducted to find the right executive. Diane Salvatore, who had been v-p and publisher for Broadway, is leaving the company with the elimination of her position; Broadway senior editor Lorraine Glennon is also leaving. David Drake, newly promoted to oversee all publicity for Crown, said the changes don't mean Crown will be doing less fiction but rather that all fiction will be released under Crown.
A second new area created under the restructuring is a category and branded publishing unit that will be home to well-known authors with platforms (Suzanne Sommers for example). Those titles will be released primarily under a new imprint, Crown Archetype. Also part of the group will be Harmony Books, which will now focus on mind/body/spirit, the combined Crown Business as well as Crown Forum. Tina Constable, who had been Crown publisher, will oversee the new group.
The third group will house Crown's four-color, lifestyle and cooking titles under the direction of Lauren Shakely. The Clarkson Potter imprints, Watson-Guptill, The Monacelli Press and Ten Speed Press are all part of the new unit.
The restructuring has also resulted in combining the group's trade paperback imprints under one person, Tina Pohlman. Formerly senior editor at Spiegel & Grau, Pohlman will oversee the Three Rivers Press and Broadway Paperbacks imprints.
A new marketing spot has been created for Philip Patrick, who had been v-p and publisher of Three Rivers. Patrick is now v-p for digital and marketing strategy and publisher of Crown Digital Publishing. He will direct the development and marketing of all e-books, apps and digital content.
With the consolidation of publicity under Drake, Katie Wainwright will be leaving the company. There are no changes in the duties of Michael Palgon and Pete Muller.
Drake said the restructuring is aimed at giving more definition and identity to the different Crown imprints and creating a structure that will better be able to support Crown's authors.
