Sorting Out Harcourt...
In addition to Allyn Johnston leaving Harcourt, the company's acquisition by Houghton Mifflin has brought about a number of other changes as well. Here's the scoop I've gotten at this point.
Harcourt Children's Books, now an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group, will be moving all operations to New York by the end of June (same address as Clarion Books). Betsy Groban is the senior vice president and publisher of the HMH Children's Book Group, and Jennifer Haller is associate publisher. Art director Michele Wetherbee is leaving the company.
At this point, the status of imprints Voyager Paperback, Odyssey Paperbacks and Red Wagon Books are under consideration. Harcourt Children's Books will be publishing only hardcover picture books and fiction. The company continues to not accept unsolicited manuscripts, preferring agented material.
Here is the current Harcourt information as it stands:
HARCOURT CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group, 215 Park Ave South, New York, NY 10003. Web site: www.harcourtbooks.com. Senior Vice President and Publisher: Betsy Groban. Associate Publisher: Jennifer Haller. 20% of books by first-time authors; 50% of books from agented writers. "Harcourt Children’s Books publishes hardcover picture books and fiction only.”How to Contact/Writers Only interested in agented material.
- Harcourt Children's Books no longer accepts unsolicited manuscripts, queries or illustrations. Recent Harcourt titles Tails, by Matthew Van Fleet; Leaf Man, by Lois Ehlert; The Great Fuzz Frenzy, by Janet Stevens and Susan Steven Crummel; How I Became a Pirate and Pirates Don't Change Diapers, by Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon; and Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, by Adam Rex, are all New York Times bestsellers. Other Harcourt titles include Evil Genius, by Catherine Jinks; and Each Little Bird That Sings, by Deborah Wiles, a 2005 finalist for the National Book Award.
Illustration Only interested in agented material.
Photography Works on assignment only.
Terms Pays authors and illustrators royalty based on retail price. Pays photographers by the project. Sends galleys to authors; dummies to illustrators. Original artwork returned at job's completion.
I can't begin to describe what a privilege and what a delight it has been to work with Jody in the Class of 2k8.
Wonderful interview.
Are they going to have their own publicity department or share marketing staff with Houghton Mifflin? If the latter, that's bad news for new or not-so-big writers.
Mitali Perkins said...
Are they going to have their own publicity department or share marketing staff with Houghton Mifflin?
Mitali -- Since they will be sharing quarters with Clarion, perhaps they'll use Clarion's Marketing department, which is a wonderful group of people. Despite the fact that Clarion considered me a new/ not-so-big writer.
-wendieO