Simon & Schuster has formed a joint venture with the Wall Street Journal to create a new imprint, Wall Street Journal Books, which will release its first titles in early 2001. The partners expect to publish 12 books a year in both hardcover and trade paperback formats. The imprint will include books written by Journal reporters and editors, as well as reference and guidebooks in such areas as career development, education and personal finance.
Dick Tofel, a spokesperson for Dow Jones, parent company of the Journal, told PW the agreement with S&S provides an effective way for the company to develop a cohesive publishing program. The deal will also provide Journal writers with an outlet for book projects, although Tofel noted that Journal editors and reporters will not be required to publish their books under the new imprint. "If they can get a better deal elsewhere, good for them," Tofel said.
Stephen Adler, an assistant managing editor of the WSJ, will oversee the newspaper's role in the venture, and Douglas Sease will be the paper's editor for the series. S&S v-p and senior editor Fred Hills will edit the series, while Bill Rosen, v-p and director of reference publishing, will oversee the imprint's operations. As part of the agreement, imprint titles will be promoted in the WSJ. S&S holds world rights on all titles and plans to do spoken-word audio editions of the imprint's books.
Chapman Picked for U.K.
Moving quickly to name a successor to Nick Webb, who announced his resignation as head of Simon & Schuster U.K. last week, the company has appointed Ian Stewart Chapman managing director and chief executive of the U.K. subsidiary. Chapman, currently managing director of Macmillan general books, will start January 10.
