MQP Sells U.K. Assets; Sets Up in U.S.

by Calvin Reid, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 5/29/2007

Hachette's U.K.-based Octopus Publishing Group has acquired selected assets of MQ Publications, an independent U.K. publisher specializing in crafts, gift books, lifestyle and pop culture titles. MQP founder and publisher Zaro Weil retains ownership of the MQP name and logo and plans to shift her publishing operations to MQP's New York City office. Weil emphasized that assets purchased by Octopus do not include works or contracts still held by MQ Publications USA LLC, an independent company owned by her.

Alison Goff, chief executive of Octopus, said the company had acquired "the publishing rights previously owned by MQP." Ljiljana Baird, former editorial director of MQP, will join Octopus and will continue to direct the line of titles in the U.K.

Weil said Carol Judy Leslie, former publisher of Bulfinch Press, will join her at MQP USA, which will use Ingram Publishing Services as its distributor. Weil will be at BookExpo in the Ingram booth.

MQP USA will have two key titles for the fall: American Quilts & Coverlets in the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Amelia Peck, and China Map by Mary Dinaburg and Howard Rutkowski, a comprehensive survey of Chinese contemporary art. MQP will also continue its bestselling Handbook series, which includes The R. Crumb Handbook by R. Crumb and Peter Poplaski and Need More Love by Aline Kominsky Crumb.

"I am in this business for the long term," said Weil. "I'm proud, happy and excited by going forward with titles and authors I find stimulating and timeless."