A year after reviving Loveswept as a digital-only romance imprint, the Random House Publishing Group announced three additional genre-focused digital imprints: Alibi, for mystery/thriller/suspense; Hydra, for science fiction & fantasy, and Flirt, for New Adult (i.e “targeting women in their twenties and thirties.”) Each imprint will publish original short content (ranging between 10,000 and 30,000 words) and short books (40,000-60,000 words) as well as previously published books for which author controls all print and digital rights.
The new imprints will be overseen by vp, digital publishing director Allison Dobson working with svp, publisher of digital content Scott Shannon and vp, director of digital strategy Matt Schwartz. Associate publisher Gina Wachtel will spearhead editorial strategy, working with Sue Grimshaw (responsible for Loveswept and Flirt), Randall Klein (for Alibi), and Sarah Peed (for Hydra.)
“There are many readers out there looking for exactly what Loveswept offers—compelling characters and great stories published frequently at an affordable price,” said RHPG president and publisher Gina Centrello. “We are thrilled to expand this program.” Dobson added: “As publishing continues to evolve, with more authors finding their first home in digital, our challenge is to create new ways for readers to discover books,” said Dobson. “This dedicated team understands both the content and medium, and can effectively break out authors in the digital space.”
Alibi, Flirt, Hydra, and Loveswept are apparently accepting unsolicited submissions from authors, with details available here. The imprints tout that authors “will have a complete and unique publishing package” and that “every book will be assigned to an accomplished Random House editor and a dedicated publicist. They will also have the invaluable support of Random House’s experienced marketing and digital sales teams, who know how to reach out to and expand each book’s dedicated readership.”
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