Sourcebooks has announced that it has acquired most of the assets of Poisoned Pen Press and that the award-winning crime and mystery publisher will become Sourcebooks' mystery imprint.
In addition to buying the assets, Barbara Peters, PP editor-in-chief, and Robert Rosenwald, company founder, along with the rest of the staff of Poisoned Pen Press, will become Sourcebooks employees. The Poisoned Pen Press offices will remain in Scottsdale, Az. The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, an independent mystery and crime bookstore founded by Peters more than 20 years ago, will remain under her ownership and is unaffected by the partnership with Sourcebooks.
In a joint statement, Peters and Rosenwald praised the new venture as a “fantastic fit,” and said that Poisoned Pen Press authors “are equally thrilled to be moving forward this way.” Founded by Rosenwald 23 years ago, the press publishes about 60 titles a year.
Sourcebooks senior editor Anna Michels will oversee the new Poisoned Press imprint and acquire some of its titles. Under the new arrangement, Peters will continue as editor-in-chief and acquire front list titles for the new Poisoned Pen Press imprint. Rosenwald will continue as director of development at the imprint.
According to a spokesperson, Sourcebooks has acquired the “majority” of the Poisoned Pen Press list—about 550 titles—which will be transferred to Sourcebooks. Along with some additional Sourcebooks titles, these works will become the new Poisoned Pen Press imprint at Sourcebooks, which has expanded its publishing program to include the crime and mystery category. In addition titles from Poisoned Pencil, PP’s young adult mystery imprint, will be transferred to Fire, Sourebooks’ young adult imprint.
Sourcebooks CEO and publisher Dominique Raccah said she was “thrilled” to welcome the Poisoned Pen founders and staff to Sourcebooks. “I look forward to doing what Sourcebooks does best—build big success for Poisoned Pen Press authors with broader sales distribution and innovative marketing.”
Corrections: Fire is Sourcebooks' YA imprint. It was incorrectly identified in an earlier version of this story.
