Sylvan Learning, Random Team for Imprint

By Karen Raugust -- Publishers Weekly, 9/20/2007 6:47:00 AM

Random House Information Group has partnered with Sylvan Learning to form Sylvan Learning Books. The imprint will debut in September 2008 and focus on trade paperbacks and educational kits for pre-k through grade 12, with about 20 titles released per year.

Tom Russell, Sylvan Learning Books’ v-p and publisher, said he is counting on Sylvan’s name recognition in education and tutoring to create a niche for itself in a crowded market. Sylvan operates 1,200 tutoring centers and has a high-profile media presence.

The first list will feature at least eight titles, mainly workbooks and kits containing workbooks, CD-ROMs and flash cards, for elementary-grade children; future plans include other formats, such as chapter books. “The core idea is to take the Sylvan service and translate it into a retail product,” Russell explained. “Sylvan has no retail products, so we’ll be creating everything from scratch. It’ll be a collaborative process.”

Sylvan recently has been extending its brand beyond its franchised centers, which have been the core of its business for almost 30 years. New initiatives, in addition to the books, include home-based and online tutoring and a supplemental reading and math program for schools. “All of these have expanded what Sylvan stands for,” said Peter Cohen, president and CEO.

The company has had a couple of retail products in the past, including a successful CD-ROM skills-assessment series in the mid-1990s. At the time, franchisees perceived retail merchandise as competitive and didn’t support the initiative. But, Cohen reported, subsequent research has shown that people tend to enter the supplemental education arena by buying a retail product, and then seek out a center if they need more assistance. “It’s really helping us drive more people to the service side of things.”