Tosca Reno -- author, diet and fitness guru and reality TV star -- is taking her first steps into a new role. Following her husband publisher Robert Kennedy’s death last month, she is now president and CEO of Robert Kennedy Publishing (RKP).
Kennedy built a popular health and fitness brand based in Canada that includes magazines such as MuscleMag International, Reps!, Clean Eating, American Curves and Oxygen. Former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was a longtime friend. In 2006, RKP expanded the business into book publishing and has published more than 56 books.
A health and fitness expert and non-smoker, Kennedy died of lung cancer only three months after being diagnosed. “I’m very aware that this is a monumental change to lose our inspirational leader,” Reno told PW. “Everybody’s upset. Everybody’s feeling very uncertain.” But she adds that she hopes the staff will see that although Kennedy’s death is a tragedy, “the real tragedy would be letting Bob’s dream and vision fade away, so we have an obligation to do our best. My job is to try to guide us thoughtfully forward.” She says Kennedy has been “grooming and coaching her” for the last eight years or more.
Reno has been involved in both the magazine and book sides of the business for a number of years. She began her career writing a column for Oxygen and her first Eat Clean Diet book was among the first published by RKP in 2006. The first print run was 5,000 books and was expected to last for the year. “We sold out in two weeks and we never looked back,” she says. The series now has 14 titles, including a New York Times bestseller. The latest book is the Eat Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook.
Reno says she will focus on digital publications. “Although print is still the cornerstone and newsstand and subscriptions are an important piece, we don’t see inclines, we see declines, [sales] slowly eroding, and more going towards the digital,” she says. RKP has seen e-book sales go from a total of about 55,000 for all of last year up to 55,000 for one month this year.
Kennedy wrote 55 books himself. His last one, Bull’s Eye: Targeting Your Life for Real Financial Wealth and Personal Fulfillment, has just published. Reno received the first copy on the day of Kennedy’s funeral. “It’s very powerful to hear our leader speak through this book, and it is a very treasured piece of writing,” she said.
The book will be launched with a reception at the Toronto Pro Show for bodybuilding at the beginning of June, and Reno says a memorial event in Los Angeles will be held at that time as well.
