Harlequin Restructures
The majority of the roughly 40 jobs to be eliminated at Harlequin will be in the publisher's North American operations, said company chief Donna Hayes. Harlequin, which has had declining profits this year, expects to save C$3 million after the reorganization is completed. The staff cuts will not mean a significant drop in title output. Hayes estimated that the 2007 list will have 15 to 20 titles fewer than the 2006 list; Harlequin publishes more than 1,100 titles annually.
The Red Dress chick-lit imprint will be one area to scale back output, but Harlequin will continue to add new series in other categories.
IPG Adds Trafalgar Square
The senior management team of Chicago Review Press has acquired Trafalgar Square Publishing and will add the distributor to CRP's distribution arm, Independent Publishers Group. Trafalgar specializes in the distribution of U.K. publishers and has 50 clients. Trafalgar will continue to operate its distribution business out of its North Pomfret, Vt., headquarters until the end of 2006, at which time it will move the operation to IPG's Chicago facilities. The IPG and Trafalgar lists will be combined for ordering, shipping and discount beginning with the 2007 spring season.
Klopotek Buys GTS
Klopotek has acquired Global Turnkey Systems. The deal will create a company with a workforce of 180 and sales of over $23 million. GTS has been a supplier of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) products to the publishing industry for 20 years. Klopotek, based in Germany, provides management software and other services to publishers worldwide; it opened a U.S. unit this year.
Hachette to Distribute Weinstein Books
Hachette Book Group will be the distributor of Weinstein Books when the company launches its list next fall. The deal will keep the Weinstein brothers, Harvey and Bob, in the Hachette family. Hachette has been the distributor for their Miramax Books imprint through its distribution of Hyperion.
The Weinsteins formed their new company and book group after they split with Disney in 2005. The deal runs through 2009 and will see Hachette handling worldwide distribution of up to 15 titles annually.
Kids Series From T.O.
Dallas-based BenBella Books has signed controversial Dallas Cowboys star Terrell Owens to do a series of five children's books, dubbed T.O.'s Time Out. The first title, coauthored by television writer Courtney Parker, will be released next month. The initial print run will be 10,000 copies, with a $20,000 publicity budget. IPG is distributing the book and handling publicity.
