Hachette Books, formerly Hyperion Books, is a general-interest book imprint of the Perseus Books Group, which is a division of Hachette Book Group and ultimately a part of Lagardère Group. Established in 1990, Hachette publishes general-interest fiction and non-fiction books for adults. A former subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, it was originally named after Hyperion Avenue, the location of Walt Disney Studios prior to 1939. Hachette took over a 1,000 book backlist when Hyperion was purchased from Disney in 2013[3] with 250 bestselling novels, including Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Meet in Heaven.[4]

Hachette Books
Parent companyPerseus Books Group
(Hachette)
Founded1990[1]
FounderMichael Eisner[1]
Robert S. Miller[2]
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationNew York City, New York, U.S.
Key peopleSusan Weinberg (SVP and publisher, Perseus Books Group)
Mary Ann Naples (vice president and publisher)
Publication typesBooks
Imprints
Official websitewww.hachettebooks.com

History edit

Hyperion Books edit

 
Logo of Hyperion Books, former name of Hachette Books

Hyperion Books was founded in 1990 from scratch with no backlist under Disney's then-C.E.O. Michael Eisner[1] and Robert S. Miller.[2] Hyperion's strategy was to not purchase backlists, but to go after newer or lesser known authors and to "capitalize on Disney talent and products."[1] Hyperion Books for Children (HBC) and Disney Press were also launched in 1990.[1] The Disney Publishing Group was incorporated in January 1992[5] and included the already formed Hyperion Books, Hyperion Books for Children, Disney Press and other units. Hyperion took losses until 1994 when it published its most successful book to date, Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man by Tim Allen with 1.1 million copies sold.[1] In March 1995 with the market too crowded with Disney books, Hyperion Books for Children merged with Disney Press.[1] Hyperion Books for Children started a new imprint, Jump at the Sun, on September 7, 1998 for the African-American children's market.[6] On April 9, 1999, Hyperion Books, sans its for-children stable mate, was transferred to Disney's ABC Group.[7]

On May 14, 2004, Hyperion and Wenner Media agreed to a publishing and distribution deal for Wenner's new imprint Wenner Books beginning in spring 2005.[8] On September 28, 2007, Hyperion Books moved its offices from the ABC headquarters at 77 West 66th Street to the Disney Publishing Worldwide offices at 114 Fifth Avenue, occupying two floors of the building, during the course of a partial move of Hyperion's operations to White Plains, New York.[9]

Hachette Books edit

On June 28, 2013, Hachette announced that it would acquire Hyperion from Disney.[4] In the deal, Hachette will take on Hyperion's adult trade list including works by Mitch Albom and Michael J. Fox and 25 books to be published. Hyperion's books related to existing Disney–ABC Television Group properties and young adult titles will join the Disney-Hyperion imprint at Disney Publishing Worldwide.[10] On March 12, 2014, Hyperion was renamed Hachette Books, with the naming of Crown Archetype's editor-in-chief Mauro DiPreta as the new unit's vice president and publisher.[3] On October 12, 2017, Hachette Book Group discontinued the Weinstein Books imprint due to the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations, with the imprint's staff and titles transferred to Hachette Books.[11]

On January 8, 2015, Black Dog & Leventhal (BD&L) was purchased by Hachette Book Group and became an imprint of Hachette Books, with J.P. Leventhal, continuing his position as publisher of the imprint he founded in 1992.[12] With Leventhal's announcement of his retirement on October 17, 2017, BD&L imprint was transferred to Running Press.[13] In 2018, Hachette Books became an imprint of Perseus Books Group, with publisher DiPreta exiting the unit. Concurrently, Da Capo Press and Da Capo's Lifelong became part of Hachette.[14] On April 8, 2019, the Perseus Books Group hired Disney Publishing's Mary Ann Naples as vice president and publisher of Hachette Books.[15]

Best sellers edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Harris, Kathryn (April 30, 1995). "The Tie-In King : Hyperion Books Rides the Crest of Disney's Successes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  2. ^ a b Getlin, Josh. Hyperion founder exits. April 04, 2008. Los Angeles Times. Accessed July 3, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "DiPreta Named Publisher of Hachette Books". PublishersWeekly.com. PWxyz. March 12, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Lee, Edmund (June 28, 2013). "Hachette Will Acquire Disney's Hyperion Book Publishing Business". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  5. ^ "DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE, INC". Entity Information. State of New York. Retrieved 11 December 2012.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ Angel, Karen. BOOKS AND MAGAZINES; CHILDREN AND FAMILIES; Media Talk; High-Profile Authors Turn To Much Younger Readers. September 07, 1998. The New York Times. Accessed July 3, 2013.
  7. ^ McGee, Celia (April 9, 1999). "Grownups Take Hike At Disney". NY Daily News. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  8. ^ "Wenner Books Announces Venture with Hyperion". The Write News. xvc. May 14, 2004. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  9. ^ Jim Milliot (September 28, 2007). "Hyperion to Move Downtown". Publishers Weekly.
  10. ^ "Disney Sells Hyperion Adult Trade List to Hachette". digitalbookworld. June 28, 2013. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  11. ^ Maher, John (October 12, 2017). "Hachette Shutters Weinstein Books". PublishersWeekly.com. PWxyz. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  12. ^ Milliot, Jim (January 8, 2015). "Hachette Completes Black Dog Buy". PublishersWeekly. PWxyz. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  13. ^ Maher, John (October 17, 2017). "J.P. Leventhal to Retire, BD&L Folded Into Running Press". PublishersWeekly. PWxyz. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  14. ^ "Hachette Book Group Reorganizes Lines, Announces About 25 Layoffs As DiPreta Departs". Publishers Lunch. 2018-11-13. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  15. ^ Maher, John (April 8, 2019). "Naples Named Publisher at Hachette Books". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved January 13, 2020.

External links edit