Spinsters Ink Sold to Colorado Publisher

The feminist press Spinsters Ink has been acquired by Hovis Publishing Co. from Joan Drury, the owner of the company for the last eight years. Based in Denver, Hovis publishes the monthly newspaper Colorado Woman News, as well as an annual women's yellow pages, Colorado Women 2001 Directory. The purchase includes about 50 titles.

Kathy Hovis, president of Hovis Publishing, has become publisher of Spinsters Ink, while Sharon Silvas, editor-in-chief of Colorado Woman News, will serve in a similar capacity for the book imprint. Claire Kirsh, marketing and publicity director for Spinsters Ink, will handle those duties for Hovis on a consulting basis. The purchase of Spinsters Ink marks Hovis's entrance into book publishing: "We thought it was a good segue," Silvas told PW, noting that both she and Hovis have "long been concerned about keeping women's voices heard." Two new titles are set for publication in September, and six are scheduled for release in 2002. Silvas said that once "we get our feet wet, we plan to grow the list."

Among the company's bestselling titles are Lesbian Sex, Mother Journeys, Turnip Blues and Cancer in Two Voices as well as Val McDermid's Lindsay Gordon mystery series. Silvas said Drury decided to sell the press to concentrate on her writing, and she hopes to sign Drury to write for Spinsters Ink.