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News 3 May 2005
The Random House Group and Mainstream announce a publishing partnership
On Monday 25 April, Gail Rebuck, Chairman and CEO of The Random House Group, announced the formation of a new publishing partnership between The Random House Group and Mainstream with The Random House Group taking a 50% holding in Mainstream. Mainstream, which since it was created 27 years ago has built an outstanding reputation as a publisher of non-fiction, particularly politics, current affairs, true crime and sport, will continue to publish under its own name. Bill Campbell and Peter Mackenzie will remain as joint Managing Directors and the company will continue to operate from the Mainstream offices in Edinburgh. Ian Hudson and Brian Davies of The Random House Group will join the Mainstream Board. Brian Davies, Group Director responsible for The Random House Group's overseas companies and the Ebury Publishing Division, will be responsible for the liaison between Mainstream and the Random House Group. The intention is that The Random House Group will take over Mainstream's UK and international sales with effect from late spring 2005 and there will be a further announcement giving details in due course.
Bill Campbell and Peter Mackenzie, Joint Managing Directors of Mainstream, comment:
"We are absolutely delighted with this new alliance. It is a positive prospect for Mainstream and our authors, present and future. While the company remains Edinburgh-based and Scottish in soul, we have also focused throughout the years on the wider UK and international markets. This conjunction with Random House, the UK's leading consumer publisher, allows us broader scope and considerable impact both in the short and long term. We have had a warm and fruitful relationship with various elements of the Random House Group in the past and look forward to working with them in growing Mainstream's already successful list."
Ian Hudson, Group Managing Director who led discussions on behalf of The Random House Group, comments: “This new partnership is an exciting development for The Random House Group. It will give us access to the thriving publishing scene in Scotland and extend the Group's non-fiction publishing particularly in the areas of sport and politics.”
Brian Davies said: “We are all looking forward to working closely with Bill, Peter and their colleagues capitalising on their considerable strengths which, combined with the Group's sales teams in the UK and overseas, will make the Random House Group/Mainstream partnership a formidable force in non-fiction publishing.”
For further information: Clare Harington, Group Communications Director, The Random House Group Ltd, 020 7840 8878 (charington@randomhouse.co.uk) or Bill Campbell, Mainstream Publishing, 0131 557 2959 (bill.campbell@mainstreampublishing.com)
Rights Deals
UNLOCKING THE SOLOMON KEY continues to sell tremendously well. We have accepted an offer from Heyne in Germany c/o Christian Dittus at Fritz Agency, Michelle Lapautre sold rights to Editions Michel Lafon in France, Amanda Shen at Big Apple Tuttle Mori has sold Chinese rights to Shanghai Translation Publishing House and Fiona Brownlee has accepted an offer from Anna Pataki at Patakis Publishing in Greece. Our Scandinavian agent, Jan Michael, has had a very successful week negotiating three terrific deals: UNLOCKING THE SOLOMON KEY was sold to de Boekerij in Holland, TERROR TRACKER was bought by Tirion Uitgevers in Holland and KATHY'S STORY was sold to Bra Bocker in Sweden.
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Publicity
Recent publicity has included some fantastic television exposure.
IN HITLER'S BUNKER was featured in the TV special Tod Im Fuehrerbunker broadcast on 1 May on the German cable channel, Spiegel-TV. Donya al-Nahi, author of NO ONE TAKES MY CHILDREN appeared on Loose Women on ITV on 28 April.
Events
Simon Cox, author of UNLOCKING THE SOLOMON KEY, Mark Oxbrow and Ian Robertson will be performing their show 'Rosslyn, the Grail and Cracking The Da Vinci Code' at this year's Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. The 90 minute stand up routine is scheduled for 13, 16-20 and 23-27 August in The Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh College of Art with a special one-night-only performance taking place in Rosslyn Chapel itself.
Sales
FOOTBALL IN OUR TIME continues to sell well. It has sold 3,000 in one shop, a figure which if replicated elsewhere would have ensured author Stuart Clarke a place in the bestseller list.
Throughout the World Snooker Championships, copies of MASTERS OF THE BAIZE have been on sale through World Snooker Limited at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.
And Finally...
Vital Klitschko, the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, has named his newborn son Max after the late Max Schmeling, subject of RING OF HATE. The third child of Vitali and Natalie Klitschko was born 1 April in Los Angeles.