April 27, 2025

A More Perfect Union

The November purchase of Union Square & Co. sparked an 8.9% increase in sales at Hachette Book Group in the year’s first quarter. Meanwhile, the news is a bit less sunny at children’s publisher Albert Whitman & Co., which has filed for bankruptcy, and digital catalog platform Edelweiss, which lost 15% of its staff to layoffs. The ALA’s lawsuit against the Trump administration’s gutting of the IMLS is moving ahead, while some are wondering why HarperCollins didn’t join the rest of the Big Five in condemning the White House’s cuts to the agency. And what books children should have access to continues to be litigated in Iowa, Florida, and the Supreme Court.

PEN America hosted a writing panel at P&T Knitwear in Manhattan on April 22. In attendance were (from l. to r.) Nana Twumasi, VP and publisher at Hachette; Emi Ikkanda, editor at PRH; author Lester Fabrian Brathwaite; writing professor Susan Shapiro; and literary agents Pronoy Sarkar, Kate McKean, and Marin Takikawa. (Courtesy Susan Shapiro)

Union Square Purchase Boosts HBG in First Quarter

Contributions from Union Square & Co., acquired in November, helped first quarter sales at Hachette Book Group rise 8.9% over a year ago. Parent company Lagardère reported that total publishing revenue was €623 million, up 8%. more

Albert Whitman Files Petition for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Albert Whitman & Co. filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last Tuesday. The children’s publisher founded in 1919 that once owned the rights to the Boxcar Children series has struggled for years to maintain its financial sustainability. more

Layoffs Hit Edelweiss

Above the Treeline, the developer of the digital platform Edelweiss, laid off 15% of its Edelweiss workforce last week. The move comes six months after Above the Treeline's acquisition by Montreal-based software company Valsoft Corporation. Edelweiss hosts around 95% of U.S. frontlist titles, serving roughly 1,200 companies and 250,000 users. more

Open Letter Implores HarperCollins to Defend IMLS, Libraries

An open letter signed by Authors Against Book Bans, the HarperCollins union, and nearly 400 authors, librarians, booksellers, and agents is calling on HarperCollins to speak up on behalf of the beleaguered Institute of Museum of Library Services. more

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