HMH Lays Off More Staff
By Rachel Deahl -- Publishers Weekly, 12/4/2008 7:45:00 AM
The bad news, it seems, is not over. While the industry was rocked yesterday by a steady stream of announcements about major changes — 35 jobs cut at Simon & Schuster, 54 at Thomas Nelson and the reorganization of Random House — HMH was quietly making cuts of its own.
In a statement from an HMH spokesperson, it was confirmed that more cuts are being made at the trade and reference group, although no figures were disclosed. PW has learned that at least eight staffers have been laid off. A number of sources confirmed that among those let go on the adult side were executive editor Ann Patty, senior editor Anjali Singh and Harcourt fixture, senior editor Drenka Willen. In the children's division, several staffers have been laid off, including three from Clarion Books: editor Marcia Leonard, managing editor Jim Armstrong and creative director Joann Hill. Also, Sarah Shealy and Barbara Fisch, associate publicity directors at Harcourt Children’s Books, have been laid off.
The cuts at the trade and reference group are part of an overall streamlining at the company that includes the reorganization of the much larger k-12 organization. In mid-November, HMH announced that it was combining five standalone companies, including those acquired in HM's purchase of Harcourt, into a single unified unit. Those divisions include School Publishers, Holt McDougal, Supplemental Publishers, Heinemann, and International Publishers. In his statement issued today, the spokesperson said HMH is now moving ahead with the integration, a process that will include the elimination of some positions "even as new roles are created." The statement added that "in light of the challenging conditions worldwide, the company has taken a hard look at its business and is making changes in some of its other operations to lower expenses."
