Status of Seven Hills Uncertain

Distribution choices for small publishers, already diminished by the collapse of the LPC Group, may have narrowed even more following what appears to be the closing of Seven Hills Book Distributors. Publishers distributed by the Cincinnati company have not been able to reach executives there for about one week and calls to Seven Hills by PW also were not returned.

Several publishers contacted by PW said they have not been paid by Seven Hills since March, and are now faced with the prospect of not being able to get access to inventory stored in Seven Hills' warehouse. "Seven Hills closed their doors without any warning whatsoever, and left all their publishers dangling in the wind. All of us have inventory we can't get our hands on," said Joan Schweighardt, publisher of GreyCore Press. Problems at Seven Hills came at a particularly bad time for GreyCore, since two of its titles, Conjuring Maud and Done In by Innocent Things, have sold well recently.