Kaplan Publishing has acquired “the majority of the assets” of the Cleveland Clinic Press, including 29 titles in the Cleveland Clinic Guides health reference line, and seven other books. The guides comprise “consumer health books written by Cleveland Clinic experts in various subject areas.” Started in 2005, the press’s staff was disbanded last spring. (Kaplan notes that it was Publishers Lunch report on trouble at the press “that led to this agreement coming into place.”)
Kaplan president and publisher Maureen McMahon says in the announcement, “Last spring we began looking to expand our trade publishing program and this move allows us to put our publishing muscle behind the impeccable brand of the Cleveland Clinic and its amazing medical expertise.”
In other sale news, VanderWyk & Burnham has been acquired by Quick Publishing of St. Louis. The company published over 25 books, including Brad Cohen’s inspirational memoir of overcoming the obstacles of Tourette’s, the basis of a recent CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame adaptation.
Also, Bloomsbury has bought the Arden Shakespeare series from Cengage Learning and will integrate it into their Metheun Drama imprint, part of the A&C Black reference division. The Arden series was actually created by Metheun in the late 19th century.