Sourcebooks, which recently expanded into the mystery category, is acquiring the majority of Poisoned Pen Press's titles and will add its own mystery titles to create the Poisoned Pen Press imprint. The Poisoned Pencil YA mysteries will move to Sourcebooks' Fire imprint.
In a statement, Poisoned Pen Press editor-in-chief Barbara Peters and founder/president Robert Rosenwald, said: "It's a privilege to integrate Poisoned Pen Press with an independent, innovative publisher that shares our core values and has raised teamwork to not just the way it operates but to an art. We know that what started small 21 years ago has, like Sourcebooks, continually grown. To enhance the experience of our authors and their readers, as well as of our staff, this is the right time, with a fantastic fit, for Poisoned Pen Press to become the mystery imprint at Sourcebooks. In conversations with our authors, they are equally thrilled to be moving forward this way."
Rosenwald founded Poisoned Pen Press in 1997, naming it in tribute to wife Barbara's legendary mystery bookshop, the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, Ariz., which opened in 1989. The press publishes about 60 books annually.
Peters will continue to acquire frontlist titles as editor-in-chief of Poisoned Pen Press, while Sourcebooks senior editor Anna Michels will also acquire new titles and oversee the imprint. Rosenwald will stay on as director of development. Most Poisoned Pen Press employees will be retained and continue to work out of the Scottsdale office. The Poisoned Pen Bookstore remains under its current ownership.
"We couldn't be more excited to bring Poisoned Pen Press's illustrious name and roster of authors to Sourcebooks," said Michels. "Over the past 20-plus years, Robert and Barbara have curated a list that is unparalleled in terms of editorial excellence and appeal to the mystery reader, and our shared goal is to continue that tradition of publishing superb content while implementing a commercially oriented vision of wider distribution and increased marketing support. Sourcebooks and Poisoned Pen Press coming together really feels like a joining of powerful forces, and I can't wait to work with Robert and Barbara to create amazing things for all the authors housed under this new imprint."
"I love the way that Barbara and Robert think about mystery, and I look forward to doing what Sourcebooks does best--building big success for Poisoned Pen Press authors with broader sales distribution and innovative marketing," said Dominique Raccah, Sourcebooks publisher and CEO. "We love to support fellow entrepreneurs, and I can't wait to work with Barbara, Robert and our new Sourcebooks staff to expand their amazing impact in the world of mysteries, suspense, thriller and horror."