Publishers Group West, which lost three computer book publishers as well as some other houses over the past few months, has added 11 new publishers that work in a wide range of genres. The company has also added new clients to its worldwide service and will begin a children's group next year.
PGW president Rich Freese said the addition of the new publishers gives the distributor "a well-balanced bag." Among the publishers moving to PGW are Dark Horse's new book lines, M Press, which will debut this fall, and DH Press, which will focus on genre fiction and pop culture. (Diamond will continue to represent Dark Horse's graphic novels in the U.S.) Other new clients include Big Tent Entertainment, publisher and licensing partner in the U.S. for Miffy and Friends, a series that has sold more than 80 million books in 40 languages; Filipacchi Publishing, part of Hachette Filipacchi Media, which does branded products related to Elle, Elle Decor and Metropolitan Home, among other magazines; and U.K. children's book publisher Frances Lincoln. PGW will also represent New York—based Contemporary Books, esoteric press Watkins Publishing, Kabbalah Publishing, Trinity University Press and three California indies: Too Far, Perceval Press and UglyTown. Freese said PGW's international service, PG Worldwide, was active at the London Book Fair. New clients joining PG Worldwide include Motorbooks International, which PG Worldwide will represent in the U.K., and Dark Horse, which is looking to PG Worldwide for distribution to the book trade in the U.K. and Australia.
In addition to adding new publishers, PGW has recently hired two marketing managers—Eric Kettunen, former U.S. general manager for Lonely Planet who replaced the departed Michele Crim, and Rick Bauer, former senior v-p of Viz. PGW also plans to add four telemarketers and other sales staff over the next year or year and a half.
Other PGW plans going forward will capitalize on the addition of several new children's lines with the launch of PG Kids in 2005.
