Fred Ciporen, the longtime publisher of Publishers Weekly and its sister publications Library Journal, School Library Journal and Críticas, is leaving his post to start a book publishing division for PW's parent company, Reed Business Information. Joe Tessitore, who joined RBI in November as managing director of the publishing group, has been promoted to v-p, group publisher, succeeding Ciporen.
Although still under development, the book division, to be called RBI Press, will offer titles of interest to the institutional, school, library, business and professional markets. RBI Press expects to publish between 12 and 18 books a year. It will announce its fall list at BookExpo America in May.
In his 15-year tenure at PW, Ciporen was known for a deep identification with, and passion for, the people and ideas that fuel the publishing industry. He had a keen eye for the big picture; staff members, publishers and partners who attended meetings with him often remarked on the workings of his fertile mind. "We will miss Fred," said PW editor-in-chief Nora Rawlinson. "He has a deep respect for the editorial side of the magazine. He loves ideas and always encouraged staff to try new things. He believes that magazines should see themselves as serving a constituency and that editors should view themselves as occupying an office, and we intend to continue in that tradition."
RBI CEO Jim Casella added, "Fred Ciporen has spent 15 years in a pivotal role observing the best ways to market great books. We're excited that he has agreed to step into this critical role to launch this new business."
In Tessitore's new role, he will continue to be responsible for strategic development of Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, School Library Journal and Críticas, and will oversee new business initiatives including educational industry forums and industry research. He will also head up the group's advertising sales efforts.
