Berkley and New American Library Combined

Penguin Publishing Group has combined Berkley and New American Library into a new division, called Berkley Publishing Group. Berkley head Leslie Gelbman is president of the new division, which she says will shift to “an amplified focus on major commercial hardcover and trade paperback originals.” Hardcover and trade paperback fiction will appear under the Berkley Books imprint, and hardcover and trade paperback non-fiction under the NAL banner. The various imprints that publish in mass-market paperback, including Ace, Roc, Jove, and Signet, “will continue to be an important part of the Berkley Publishing Group mix.” A number of positions will be eliminated due to the merger, but details have not been released.

NAL publisher Kara Walsh has been promoted to senior vice president and publisher of the new unit.  Claire Zion was made vice president and editor-in-chief of the group, running the combined editorial department and reporting to Walsh. Tom Colgan was promoted to vice president and editorial director, and will oversee the mystery and SF/F editors at Ace and Roc, while Cindy Hwang was promoted to vice president and editorial director, running the romance lines.