Amazon Publishing has bought the rights to more than 3,000 backlist titles--mostly romance, mystery and westerns--published by Avalon Books (not to be confused with the Avalon Publishing Group, which Perseus bought in 2007). The titles will be published under Amazon's West Coast imprints, including Montlake Romance and Thomas & Mercer.
Amazon plans to digitize the titles, which have not yet been sold as e-books, and is seeking rights for some of the older titles for which Avalon does not have e-rights. The books will continue to be available in print for booksellers and libraries.
Ellen Bouregy Mickelsen, publisher of Avalon Books since 1995 and daughter of founder Thomas Bouregy, said, "It is time for me to explore the next chapter of my life. I chose Amazon Publishing because they care deeply about the writers, readers, and categories that have long mattered to our family business and they are uniquely positioned to assure that our titles make the leap forward into the digital future. I am pleased they have asked me to assist during a period of transition to provide continuity and support for our authors."