Cyan Books Sets Up U.S. Shop

by Matthew Thornton -- Publishers Weekly, 3/6/2006

Cyan Books, an independent publisher of nonfiction based in London that launched its first list in 2004, has established an American office. The company's North American "co-coordinator," Stephanie Staal—working from an office in Brooklyn—will focus on publishing American authors and plans to acquire eight to 10 titles over the next year, with an eye toward building a list of about eight titles per season.

Staal's first acquisition, which will be part of Cyan's U.S. debut list in spring 2007, is Kristen Buckley's Tramps Like Us, a comic memoir about growing up in '70s/'80s suburban New Jersey, confronting everything from parental divorce to dead mobsters. Staal purchased world English rights from agent Richard Pine. Buckley is also the author of The Parker Grey Show and co-wrote the screenplay for How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the 2003 romantic comedy starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson.

Before joining Cyan, Staal served as a literary scout with Nina Collins, and most recently was a freelance/writer editor. While at Collins, she meet Cyan founder Martin Liu, who at the time was at Orion. Cyan will focus its list on business, health, self-development, humor and travel titles.

Cyan Books will be distributed in the U.S. and Canada by the Independent Publishers Group, which also handles distribution for most of Cyan's U.K.-originated titles.