At Penguin, NAL Part of New Berkley Publishing Group

Effective July 1, in the Penguin Publishing Group, all Berkley and New American Library imprints are being combined to create the Berkley Publishing Group, which will be led by Leslie Gelbman, president of the group.

NAL will become an imprint of the Berkley Publishing Group, and beginning with the fall 2016 list, all nonfiction hardcover and trade titles will be published by NAL. All hardcover and trade fiction will be published under the Berkley Books imprint. Berkley and NAL already share marketing, publicity and advertising teams, and will now also have unified editorial, production and art departments. "A number of positions" in the editorial, managing editorial, art, copy and production departments are being ended.

Leslie Gelbman

In a memo, Gelbman said that that the "changes highlight our core strengths and firmly position us to provide the best possible forward-thinking, unwavering support and focus for our books and authors… Our goal has always been--and always will be--to find and publish author-driven projects that reach the wide range of readers who appreciate fiction and non-fiction with commercial appeal."

The changes come five months after the major reorganizations in other parts of Penguin. The Berkley and NAL changes are more related to mass market publishing, whose sales generally have declined in the digital era.

In connection with the changes:

Kara Welsh

Kara Welsh is promoted to senior v-p and publisher, the Berkley Publishing Group. She became publisher of NAL in 2001 and will be responsible for merging the two imprints, shaping our publishing program and managing day-to-day operations.

Claire Zion is promoted to v-p and editor-in-chief, Berkley Publishing Group, and will lead the newly combined editorial team. She has been NAL's editorial director.

Tom Colgan is promoted to v-p and editorial director, Berkley Publishing Group. He will work closely with Zion on building the list and integrating the editorial groups as well as overseeing the mystery program and science fiction/fantasy editors who acquire for Ace and Roc.  

Cindy Hwang is promoted to v-p and editorial director, Berkley Publishing Group. She will oversee the romance program and continue to build her women's fiction list.

Anthony Ramondo is named v-p, senior art director, Berkley Publishing Group. He was previously v-p, senior art director, NAL.

Judy Murello is promoted to v-p, art director, Berkley Publishing Group.

And in the Penguin Publishing Group art departments:

Paul Buckley, who has been with Penguin for 25 years, has been promoted to senior v-p, executive creative director, Penguin Publishing Group, overseeing the art departments for all the group's imprints with the exception of the Berkley Publishing Group.

Rich Hasselberger, v-p, executive creative director, Penguin Publishing Group, will be leaving the company as the result of the restructuring of the art departments.

Powered by: Xtenit