For the last 15 months, Kristin Kiser has been leading one of the more distinctive divisions in publishing—the Workman Running Press Group. As its name suggests, the division consists of two separate publishing groups that came together late in 2024 as part of a reorganization by Hachette Book Group. HBG had previously acquired Running Press as part of its purchase of Perseus Books Group’s publishing division in 2016, and later bought Workman in 2021.

Pairing Running Press and Workman together made sense since both are known brands among consumers; both also publish books with innovative touches and in a variety of formats.

“Workman and Running Press are what I call format-forward,” Kiser said. “They are always pushing the boundaries of format. Not just the cover, but packaging in general. The people here work in 3D.”

Kiser has been associated with Running Press since 2015, when she was named president and publisher. When Workman publisher Susan Weinberg decided to retire at the end of 2025, HBG CEO David Shelley put Workman and Running Press into one group under Kiser’s direction as president and publisher.

“Though Workman and Running have different points of view in their publishing approach, there are some underpinning that are very similar,” Kiser said. The combined group has six publishers, 13 imprints, five offices, and publishes more than 500 titles annually.

Kiser believes it’s important to keep the different publishers in their home bases and close to subject experts. The Workman Running Press imprint Storey Publishing, for example, remains in North Adams, Mass. keeping the publisher in touch with trends in the homesteading and natural living fields.

Another of Kiser’s operating principals is to keep the Workman and Running Press groups separate in terms of editorial, creativity, and marketing. “Workman has an incredibly strong culture that predated Hachette, and my goal is to preserve as much as the culture as possible within a Big Five company structure,” Kiser said. “My duty is to keep these publishers operating within their strengths.”

That isn’t to say Workman Running Press doesn’t benefit from being part of HBG. Sales is one area where HBG’s clout pays off, Kiser said, noting that in the gift and special market channels, Workman Running Press is HBG’s biggest group, as well as a major player in the international market.

Past, present, and future

The variety of formats that Workman Running Press can publish in allows it to create content in the format consumers want, Kiser said. She pointed to the blockbuster success of Running Press’s mini kits, which feature toys, games, and collectibles in a gift box and which sold more than 6 million copies last year through such series as the Wacky Wavy Inflatable Tube Guy.

Meanwhile, despite the competition from all things digital, such Workman mainstays as its Brain Quest program and its calendar program remain popular and have sold more than 56 million and 210 million copies, respectively, since they were launched.

With the exception of the guide book publisher Avalon Travel, the other 12 imprints of Workman Running Press generate 75%–80% of their business from backlist. To that end, Kiser said the company works to keep its different brands fresh, noting the such iconic titles as What to Expect When You’re Expecting, continue to sell well.

But the group is not resting on its laurels. This June, Storey will publish The Art of Saving Democracy: An Action Kit for Making Change with the progressive advocacy group People for the American Way. The guide will feature a book, 50 postcards, five mini posters, and four sheets of stickers. “I think it is going to be big,” Kiser predicted.

Teaming up with People for the American Way reflects another to Workman Running Press’s success—its work with publishing partners. Running Press alone has about 80 licensing agreements that allows it, among other things, to develop programs around popular fiction brands.

One example of that approach is an agreement with Empyrean author Rebecca Yarros for Fourth Wing Tarot: The Official Deck and Guidebook. Set to be released in winter 2027, Fourth Wing Tarot features 78 cards that include original scenes and a 120-page guidebook. In a different vein, in an agreement with Turner Classic Movies, Running Press will publish its first cozy mystery, Murder at the Movies by TCM host Alicia Malone in the fall. And next year, Running Press will publish a noir book by another TCM host, Eddie Muller.

With its ability to publish in different types of formats, Kiser believes Workman Running Press is benefitting from people’s desire to get away from their screens and have a tactile experience. “We’re living proof people want beautiful books,” Kiser said.

Kiser’s boss is pleased how the first year of the new group played out in 2025. “The Workman Running Press Group had a fantastic year in 2025, with outstanding performances from both Workman and Running Press,” Shelley told PW. In addition to the mini-kits, Shelley pointed to strong sales for Workman Kids’ Painter by Sticker books and Workman and Artisan’s high-end illustrated books. “The group is thriving under Kristin’s leadership,” Shelley said.