Publishing News, December 2020
Hachette Book Group has announced plans for a new imprint, Legacy Lit, “dedicated to books for and by people of color.” Executive editor Krishan Trotman has been promoted from executive editor to vice-president and publisher, reporting to Susan Weinberg of Perseus Books division. Beginning in 2022, Legacy Lit plans to produce 12 to 15 titles each year in various genres, and to “give voice to issues authors, and communities that have been marginalized, underserved, and overlooked.” Trotman said,
Fifteen years in book publishing have revealed to me a consistent craving by BIPOC authors, readers, and publishing insiders. That craving is to be understood, to be “seen.” Legacy Lit will be a home for writers where there’s a core understanding of culture and diversity. It’s an imprint where authors and staff can feel seen and heard, where books will be acquired, promoted and read by a team that authentically identifies with BIPOC authors.
Macmillan Children’s is closing Imprint, one of their children’s publishing imprints, originally launched under the leadership of Erin Stein in 2014. Six people were fired, effective December 1, 2020, and three marketing positions were eliminated in November 2014 to reflect the reduced workload. Books acquired for Imprint will be published under other imprints.
Penguin Random House has announced plans to raise starting salaries next year from $40,000 to $45,000 annually. “Second and third level non-exempt roles” will be better compensated too, with “minimum salaries of $50,000 and $55,000 respectively.” Exempt-level positions in New York City will rise to $60,000 from $58,500 (as low as they can legally be in the city). Employees located outside New York City will “hear individually how these changes may impact them.” Simon & Schuster also increased salaries for entry-level employees by an unspecified amount.
Penguin Random House Canada will begin handling its own foreign sub-rights again, ending a deal with the Cooke Agency International that began in 2009. They call the move “a strategic shift… in order to drive international growth across our publishing.” Adrienne Tang (formerly of Kids Can Press) will be vice-president, subsidiary rights, under CEO Kristin Cochrane. Tang was at Kids Can Press.
Wahida Clark Presents Publishing (WCP) has launched a new imprint, Sci-Fi Fantasy for the Culture. Their first offering is Chase Bolling’s Vanguard series, “influenced by hip-hop culture and current events such as the Black Lives Matter movement,” with more titles to come.
Kyanite Publishing is closing. Publisher Sam Hendricks says, “It has been an incredible journey, and we are grateful for our role in bringing incredible stories to market. Part of what makes Kyanite Publishing LLC so special is the community of authors, artists, readers, and other industry professionals that support each other throughout the publication process. That community, which has grown into a family for so many of us, lives on.” The publisher was founded in 2018. Books will remain available on their website until the end of the year: <kyanitepublishing.com>.
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