Unable to unload its financially imperiled Alyson Books publishing unit, Here Media’s Paul Colichman and Steve Jarchow are instead doing away with the “publishing” part of it. Alyson is now going e-book only. But what about Don Weise’s attempt to buy the company? And what about all those authors — like Michael Musto — under contract who never had their books put out?
When Queerty was the first to tell you about Here trying to dump Alyson, we heard its publisher Don Weise was trying to scrounge together some cash to buy it from his former bosses. Now that’s not happening, says Publishers Weekly. Instead, he’s simply leaving and John Knoebel, Here’s VP of consumer marketing, steps in as interim head.
Meanwhile, don’t think Alyson is going to immediately start churning out e-books: They’re about a year away at least, says Knoebel. Between now and then Alyson will contact the two dozen authors still under contract whose book publishing dates came and went without anything hitting store shelves — something no Alyson book has done since late 2009, when operations essentially ceased. Those authors will have the opportunity to take back ownership rights or move forward with an e-book plan. Which, for LGBT authors already catering to a niche audience, could make then ones of hundreds of dollars.
The move comes months after Here shuttered The Advocate as a stand-alone publication. And then of course was March’s shuttering of Unzipped. It’s totally just market forces at work, right, and not serial money mismanagement at the company?
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TiredOldQueen@Queerty
Well that’s unfortunate.