The recent consolidation at Greenwood Publishing (News, July 15), is about better market focus, explained company v-p and marketing director Linda May. May said that the company had conducted more than a dozen focus groups and at least three major surveys in recent months, leading up to the restructuring that was announced earlier this month.
According to May, the company will essentially break down into two divisions: Greenwood Press, which will focus on reference works for the upper-level high school, college and library markets, with a particular emphasis on multivolume reference works; and Praeger Publishers, which will become the single imprint for the company's monograph program. May confirmed that the imprints Ablex, Auburn House, Bergin & Garvey and Quorum will cease to exist as standalone imprints, but stressed that their publishing programs would be absorbed under the Praeger umbrella. Recently acquired Oryx will continue, but will be "repositioned" under the Greenwood Press umbrella to focus on reference works. (PW and Greenwood are both owned by Reed Elsevier).
May also confirmed that the company is substantially trimming its monograph program, from roughly 700—900 monographs per year to around 400. "We still believe in monographs, and expect them to account for the same amount of revenue," May said. "But rather than publish some in every area, we're going to focus on six to 10 key areas." May said that placing more emphasis on fewer books would lead to higher revenues and a stronger monograph program. Areas of focus will include history, political science, Third World studies, business and economics, criminology, psychology, education, literature and cultural studies.
Though the Greenwood Press publishing program has been restructured, the monograph publishing relationship with the American Council on Education, up to now published under the Oryx imprint, will continue. However, future titles will be released under the Praeger imprint. May expects the same number or more ACE titles to be published under Praeger.
