Little, Brown has a new suspense fiction imprint. Mulholland Books, named after the dramatic and winding road in the Hollywood Hills that has inspired works by Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy, David Lynch, and others, will release its first list in spring 2011. On the docket are novels by L.A. prosecutor Marcia Clark, and mystery writer Lawrence Block.
Marketing director Miriam Parker told PW, “We felt that while Little, Brown is great at publishing in this category, with the small list we had we didn’t have the opportunity to discover new talent. With an imprint list focused just on suspense fiction, we have great opportunity for growth and immersion in the category.” LB publisher Michael Pietsch said the company plans to take advantage of new media to promote Mulholland Books. He said the imprint's goal is “to single out these writers and publish them with an eye to community building and fresh marketing that has only become possible today.” Parker's efforts will focus on online community building and Internet marketing.
Mulholland Books is helmed by editor John Schoenfelder, who joined LB in January, and other LB editors also acquire for the imprint. The plan is for Mulholland to grow to 24 books a year, one hardcover and one paperback a month, by 2012. Right now only new acquisitions are going onto the Mulholland Books imprint, although Parker said that could change in the future.
In addition to novels by Clark and Block, Mulholland's list will include works by U.K. prize winners Mark Billingham and Michael Robotham, a trilogy of novels by Marvel Comics writer Duane Swierczynski to be published over five months, a border thriller by L.A. Times vet
Sebastian Rotella, and trade paperback editions of Daniel Woodrell’s Bayou Trilogy of novels set in Louisiana.
