Kensington Gets Print Rights to Erotic E-books

by Jim Milliot, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 6/19/2007

Less than a week after signing an agreement with Hudson Publishing to expand its presence in the children's African-American market, Kensington Publishing has inked a deal with Samhain Publishing that will add more titles to its erotica and romance lines. Founded by Christina M. Brashear, Samhain publishes romantic and erotic e-books and has a backlist of about 300 titles.

Under the agreement, beginning in 2008 Kensington will publish up to 12 books annually in trade paperback or mass market formats. Kensington, which hopes to release the first titles next summer, will have exclusive print rights and will also handle various sub-rights sales to e-books for which Samhain has rights. Kensington CEO Steve Zacharius described the deal as a "co-venture in which we are equal partners." The deal partnership comes about one year after Kensington editorial director Kate Duffy approached Brashear about a possible agreement. "Many of our readers tell us they want the option of both e-published and traditional formats, and this is the perfect way to respond to that need," Brashear said.