Penguin Random House has signed a multi-year sales and distribution agreement with Wattpad Webtoon. Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS) will sell and distribute both frontlist and backlist books published by the Wattpad Webtoon Book Group (WWBG) across all channels worldwide as of September 1. WWBG comprises the fiction imprints Wattpad Books, W by Wattpad Books, and Frayed Pages x Wattpad Books, as well as its graphic novel imprint, Webtoon Unscrolled, and publishes more than 40 titles a year.
Wattpad has continued to expand since its 2021 acquisition by South Korea’s Naver, including growing its print book business. The deal also marks the continuation of a trend at PRHPS of bringing aboard major comics and graphic novel publishers. In 2022, the division inked a deal with Dark Horse Comics for distribution to the direct market, the dominant distribution channel for comic books to comics shops in the United States. In 2021, it cemented deals with IDW and Marvel, followed by a distribution agreement with the entire publishing wing at Disney—which owns Marvel—the next year.
“Fans around the world have proven time and again that they will follow their favorite webcomics and webnovels to print format, so we are thrilled to be starting the next chapter in our publishing journey with Penguin Random House Publisher Services,” Tina McIntyre, senior v-p and head of global publishing at Wattpad Webtoon Studios, said in a statement. “Their enthusiasm and proven success in building brands is unmatched, and we can't wait to see what we will do together for our titles and creators.”
