In the latest sign of sliding fortunes in the direct-mail book business, National Geographic Society's book division has reduced its staff by about a dozen positions and will cut back on its membership mailings by 40%. The house said its overall number of titles published will not be affected significantly.

"We've seen a dramatic revenue shift from direct marketing to trade," said spokesperson M.J. Jacobsen, adding that trade sales now make up 30% more of the company's book business than they did several years ago.

The exact number of employees eliminated is unclear. Jacobsen said it is a difficult number to pin down because some employees were offered positions in other parts of the company, but that "it was fewer than 10." One source close to the company, however, put the number at a dozen. Jacobsen said the cuts came in departments across the board, including editorial and design.

Direct-mail books have taken their lumps over the last several years, with Smithsonian and Time-Life closing their operations. National Geographic, which specializes in natural history and photography, has always had a strong magazine brand. Its book division has traded on that brand, but also struggled to emerge from its shadow.

The book division reportedly went through a difficult 1999 and an even more problematic 2000. It recently underwent a management shakeup with the departure of vice-president and director Will Gray.