Vibe Books, Kensington Ink Publishing Pact

by Felicia Pride -- Publishers Weekly, 6/28/2006

After seven years, Vibe, the urban music and culture magazine, has ended its publishing relationship with Random House and has entered into a joint partnership with Kensington Publishing to co-publish a line of books called Vibe Street Lit under the Vibe Books imprint.

Beginning In January 2007, Vibe Street Lit will publish four trade paperback originals with a focus on fiction and will target the audience for Vibe and Vibe Vixen (its female counterpart). Rob Kenner, editorial director of Vibe Books, will acquire and edit for the imprint, working closely with Karen Thomas, Kensington editorial director. Kenner said initial titles will be announced soon.

"They know this marketplace and they hustle as hard as we do," Kenner said about the switch from Random House to Kensington, which has been increasingly focusing on the African American market. Although Kenner said he expects Vibe Street Lit to take the popular urban fiction genre to "another level," he emphasized that Vibe Books will publish other categories beyond "street-based" fiction and nonfiction.

The companies will work together, mutually agreeing on all aspects of the publishing program and hope to capitalize on marketing opportunities available through Vibe Venture, the magazine's parent company, through print advertising, contests, publicity, street marketing, events and internet marketing. Production, distribution, and subsidiary rights will be handled by Kensington. Manie Barron of the Menza-Barron Agency brokered the agreement.