Josalyn Moran, former executive at Barnes & Noble, Chronicle Books, and Albert Whitman, is starting a new imprint for Quarto Publishing Group USA, to be called Seagrass Press. Aiming to publish 12–16 titles annually, the first list will launch in fall 2016, with a focus on the physical world, for pre-K to fifth-grade readers. The name is also meant to underscore the imprint’s ethos; “a seagrass meadow protects the shoreline and is the ideal environment for juvenile coastal wildlife, both nurturing and sheltering young animals and plants as they grow,” Moran said in a release.
The children’s program at Quarto launched in 2014. Within a year, the U.S. arm of the U.K. publisher has released 176 children’s frontlist titles for trade and school/library markets under five imprints, and children’s books have grown to represent 20% of the Quarto Group’s business.
Moran was previously v-p of children’s books at Barnes and Noble. She left in 2009 to head the children’s division at Chronicle Books, and left Chronicle the following year to become v-p of publishing at Albert Whitman. She stepped down from Albert Whitman two years later to move into an advisory role.
Moran noted in the release: “As has been true throughout my career, my goal is to bring more books to more kids. Quarto’s strong entry into children’s books in the last year and the world-wide reach of its publishing programs are what make this partnership so exciting.” Ken Fund, president of Quarto Publishing Group USA, said that he is “looking forward to Josalyn’s keen insight into the marketplace,” as they develop “a creative and diverse new imprint. We’re thrilled she’s joining the team.”
