Perseus Phasing Out Marlowe & Co. Name
By Rachel Deahl -- Publishers Weekly, 6/19/2007 10:11:00 AM
Marlowe & Company will soon be no more at the Perseus Books Group. The imprint, part of the former Avalon Group, will be folded into Da Capo Press’s wellness imprint, Lifelong Books. Marlowe, which had a list similar to Lifelong's, was, according to Da Capo v-p and publisher John Radziewicz, not as well known in the category. "Lifelong speaks more to the nature of a wellness imprint than does Marlowe," he said, adding that the company thought Lifelong would "be the more embracing name." Originally, as part of the integration of Avalon and Perseus, Marlowe was to complement the Lifelong series under the Da Capo umbrella.
The decision to eliminate the Marlowe name also comes on the heels of Marnie Cochran’s pending departure from Da Capo/Lifelong. Cochran, who spent nine years at Perseus, has taken an executive editor position at Ballantine Books where she will report directly to senior v-p and publisher Libby McGuire. Cochran will continue to work out of Boston and start with Ballantine on July 23.
When asked how much the changes at Perseus were owed to Cochran’s leaving, Radziewicz said it "did get the wheel turning." As a result of the changes, Matthew Lore, currently v-p and publisher of Marlowe, will become v-p and executive editor of Lifelong. Also being promoted, from editor to senior editor, and reporting directly to Lore, are: Wendy Holt Francis (currently at Da Capo); Kathryn McHugh (of Marlowe); and Renee Sedliar (also of Marlowe). According to Radziewicz, the Marlowe name will be officially out of use by January 1.
The elimination of the Marlowe name is also the latest in a series of changes at Perseus. The publisher has been going through a major reorganization, having acquired the Avalon Publishing Group and, in the wake of the addition, laying off nearly 40 employees and closing both the Carroll & Graf and Thunder's Mouth Press imprints.
