Intervisual Books has struck a strategic alliance with White Heat Ltd. that calls for Intervisual to assume all production and sales responsibilities for books produced by the Albuquerque, N.M.-based packager. Under terms of the agreement, the two companies will remain separate entities, with White Heat focusing exclusively on the development of interactive books and sharing the profits with Intervisual that result from the sale of White Heat titles. In addition to selling new White Heat books, Intervisual will market the company's backlist.
Founded in 1989, White Heat has produced 180 titles and has annual sales of about $3.75 million. Intervisual expects to market 60 White Heat backlist titles and 17 new books at this year's Bologna Children's Book Fair. Among the books produced by White Heat are titles designed by Jan Pienkowski, Ron Van der Meer and David Carter.
Intervisual's Dan Reavis told PW the deal with White Heat "is a step in the right direction in restoring our sales base." For the first nine months of 1998, sales at Intervisual were down 41% to $8.3 million. Reavis said the first quarter of 1999 should show improvement over 1998, helped in part by better sales to foreign customers.
