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Nov 22 – Nov 28, 2010 Edition Dorchester Names New CEO, Launches New Strategy
NEW YORK, NY/AUTHORLINK NEWS/November 22, 2010Struggling Dorchester Publishing, which publishes Leisure Books and Love Spell, has named Robert Anthony as its new CEO after the departure of John Prebich. Anthony, formerly CFW and CEO at Backe Marketing, plans to revitalize Dorchester, according to a company statement.
Dorchester had been criticized for not paying authors and for changing its plans after announcing it was moving to an all-digital list and was rumored to be on the edge of bankruptcy. Now, the company plans a full trade paperback program in January when it will begin re-issuing some of its major authors in that format.
Initially, Dorchester had elected to move to e-books only, because of financial difficulties stemming from the contracting mass-market industry. But it now plans, starting with September titles, to switch from mass market format to trade paperback format, while also offering titles in e-book format as well. The move to change printed formats was prompted by the decline in mass-market business.
Also, previously unavailable backlist titles from Dorchester will now be available online at www.dorchesterpub.com. The publisher also said that it plans on releasing its winter e-book list on November 23.
Dorchester will release five to six reissued paperbacks in the January through April period and will begin publishing new titles in both trade paperback and e-book formats in May, doing between five and 10 titles per month. Dorchester will be using Ingram Publisher Services to distribute the trade paperbacks and Ingram’s Core Source for digital distribution. Titles will be released under the Dorchester Trade Publishing name. The company will retain the Leisure Arts and Love Spell imprints and may add to them in time.
The new CEO will keep the company’s core staff in place, and says his first objective is to “reorganize and improve the accounting and internal financial reporting structure.” In the past few weeks, Dorchester has begun sending royalty checks to authors and more will be issued soon. Some authors have left the publisher, but a company spokesman said he hopes authors will give Dorchester another chance to re-establish itself as a solid publisher.
