M&A

Princeton University Press has acquired environment-focused publisher Island Press. Effective January 1, PUP will manage all publishing and rights responsibilities for Island Press publications, including its backlist. PUP director Christie Henry says, “Island Press books have influenced policy, informed global public debate, and empowered individuals and organizations to take action toward a more sustainable, healthier future. Princeton University Press is incredibly grateful and excited to now be a part of that future, and to unite the missions of PUP and Island Press in symbiotic support of the ongoing resilience of ecosystems of knowledge.” Island Press president and publisher David Miller […]

Harper Collins has closed their acquisition of the manga publishing operations of global anime brand Crunchyroll in France and Germany. Hideki Iyama-Desseigne will lead the team, reporting to Chantal Restivo-Alessi, ceo of international foreign language publishing. Day-to-day operations will be supported by Harper France and Germany. Brian Murray, president and ceo, HarperCollins said, “We are pleased to formally welcome the Crunchyroll publishing teams and authors to HarperCollins. The addition of these manga businesses, with a loyal audience, will help us to quickly expand our manga portfolio in Europe and beyond.”

Readerlink’s deal to acquire “the business and substantially all the assets” of Baker & Taylor — due to close by Friday, September 26 — has been terminated instead. Readerlink indicated there is no formal statement about the termination. Baker & Taylor’s open invoices with publishers were to remain with the current owners, and publishers were expressing concern about getting paid. Earlier this year, several librarians reported shipping delays from B&T and books being backordered at the wholesaler, which the company attributed to post-pandemic supply chain issues. On Reddit, a number of customers report switching their business to Ingram, Brodart and other […]

Newly-formed publishing company Civica Media, funded by private equity firm BlackBern Partners, has acquired hybrid publishers Greenleaf Book Group and Amplify Publishing Group. Civica writes in a release that they are pursuing “acquisitions and partnerships that will add scale and capabilities in traditional, niche, and hybrid publishing.” “Greenleaf and Amplify are two of the strongest independent publishing brands in the market today,” said Civica Media ceo Laura Albero. “They exemplify the potential of the hybrid model, and we’re excited to provide the resources and platform to help them scale.”