Authors Critique New Name

by Karen Holt and Lynn Andriani -- Publishers Weekly, 3/26/2007 1:00:00 PM

Back in October, when PW was the first to write about Warner's search for a new name, we invited several of the publisher's most prominent authors to suggest new monikers for the house--and they had plenty of ideas. Now that the house has settled on Grand Central Publishing--a name meant to evoke its new headquarters at 237 Park Avenue and its lofty ambitions--these sames authors are giving the change mixed reviews.

"Grand Central Publishing? Well, it’s a bold move, naming themselves after a railway station. I’ll admit it works better in New York than it would do in Britain. 'Bristol Temple-Meads Publishing' or 'Kings Cross St Pancras Publishing' definitely don’t have quite the same ring," says British novelist Tilly Bagshawe "Even so, I’m not sure associations of diesel engines and commuter branch lines are the way I would have gone."

Bagshawe added, "On the other hand, it is an unquestionably American name. And if reading it on their business cards helps them choke down the croissants and croques monsieurs every morning – who am I to judge?"

Brad Meltzer was a good sport about the choice, even though he'd been counting on something else. "Surprisingly, I truly like it. Sounds, in the very best way, old and new in the same breath. Plus, in comics, GCP is the Gotham City Police," he said. "Though I still feel lied to. I was promised Brad Meltzer Publishing. I understand from the gastrointesinal focus groups, no one wants BM Publishing. But they still could've gone with Meltzer Books."

Back in October, David Baldacci had three suggestions: Great Reads, Limited; Kirshbaum Publishing; and Not Bertelsmann Books Inc. "I was really hoping for that last one," he said today. But, like Meltzer, he was willing to look beyond his disappointment. "Grand Central Publishing is instantly recognizable. It’s a solid name for them. But I hope everybody realizes the name is only a name--it’s the people who really make the publisher. Grand Central Publishing is great, but they would’ve done great under a lot of names. A name is only a name; it’s what’s underneath that counts."

Nelson Demille, looked on the practical side. "I think it's a grand name. Easy to remember and has a good ring to it, and I like it," he said. "As long as they sign my checks in the right place, I'm okay with Grand Central Publishing."

And in a city obsessed with real estate, Theresa Park, agent for Nicholas Sparks, focused on the three things that matter most--location, location, location. "I guess they wanted a landmark name, and it is a landmark name. Let's just hope they don't move their offices," she said. "I guess this nixes the possibility that they'll ever move their offices to Soho."

The Warner name dates back to 1970, when Warner Communications acquired the Paperback Library. The name change was part of the deal Hachette made with Time Warner when it aquired Warner Books in 2006. The new moniker is meant to evoke more than just the fact that next month Hachette will move to a new U.S. headquarters near Grand Central.

Publisher Jamie Raab broke it down this way: Grand, "We are 'grand' because we are big, impressive, even magnificent at times"; Central, "We recognize the huge audience of readers between New York City and the West Coast who are looking for books across a wide range of tastes"; Publishing, "The future of our business depends on offering reading content through new channels and in many formats (not just books)."