Press Release: Orbit announces plans to expand in the US and UK
- - May 9th, 2008
Following its successful launch in the US in 2007, and a record year for the imprint in the UK, Orbit announces its intention to expand both lists. In the US, Orbit is going to double the size of the list over the next 3 years, taking its title output to 70-80 titles per year by 2011. In the UK, where Orbit is already the biggest SFF imprint, it will increase the size of the list by approximately 10% each year over the next three years.
Tim Holman, Orbit Publisher, said:
“The support that we’ve received for our launch season in the US – and the success that we’ve achieved internationally – has given us great confidence in our publishing strategy. There is a clear and significant opportunity for any SFF publisher looking to expand the core readership, and we intend Orbit to be at the forefront of the effort to attract more readers to SF and Fantasy. We will continue to publish a wide range of authors from across the spectrum of both genres with a common purpose: to reach the widest possible readership for each. I’m thrilled that we have this opportunity to increase the size of both lists over the coming years.”
Orbit is also expanding its publishing teams. In the US, it is currently hiring an additional editor, and will be making further appointments in due course. In the UK, Bella Pagan has been promoted to Commissioning Editor, and Marketing Executive Samantha Smith has taken on a number of editorial responsibilities. Darren Turpin has also joined the imprint as an additional Marketing Executive, focusing on online marketing campaigns.
Tim Holman said:
“Key to our future plans is the ongoing collaboration between our publishing teams in the US and the UK, as well as Australia, where Hachette Australia will start to publish SFF titles under the Orbit imprint later this year. We will continue to work closely together, not just on individual publishing plans for shared authors, such as bestsellers Iain M. Banks and Trudi Canavan, but also on our general publishing strategy.”
In the US, Orbit is an imprint of Hachette Book Group USA.
In the UK, Orbit is an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, an Hachette Livre UK company.
Curt Jarrell
May 9, 2008
at 4:55 pm
This is great news for me as a reader and a bookseller. I have enjoyed several of the Orbit titles published in the US and have had encouraging success with the books in my store. Readerships are growing and the Orbit future looks bright.
Curt Jarrell THE BEST FRIEND A BOOK EVER HAD
Alex
May 9, 2008
at 6:21 pm
Thanks Curt, for the kind words and the hand-selling!
gav (nextread)
May 9, 2008
at 8:25 pm
This is NOT good news! Orbit produces far too many first class books as it is. How are we supposed to find time to read even more jems??
Thomas
May 9, 2008
at 10:15 pm
Congrats to all at Orbit
You have worked really hard over the last few years and this just proves that fantasy and science fiction is strong and going well.
Looking forward to reading more new authors and favourites in the coming months.
stephen mcewan
May 10, 2008
at 12:26 pm
any chance you could increase your manga arm in the uk aswell? maybe even release stuff abit more often and of different types and genre’s? oh and find a way to make that jeff somers guy write more often
Dark Wolf
May 10, 2008
at 4:13 pm
Oh no! Please stop, I don’t have room for more books in my library
Congratulations, this are great news indeed. Also congratulations for your hired stuff for their promotions and the new stuff for their hiring.
Frank
May 12, 2008
at 5:44 pm
Great news! We’ll free up more space on our servers for Orbit reviews!
Hardy
May 14, 2008
at 5:41 pm
This is great news. I have bought many books just because they were published by Orbit. You guys have a great
track record of releasing quality reads.
hnu
May 15, 2008
at 3:45 pm
Congratulations! Any plans for an expansion into Romania?
Ros
June 4, 2008
at 2:19 pm
This is great news. There are far too many good writers who miss out on the benefits of traditional publication just because publishers don’t have big enough lists. But like others, I’m wondering where I will put them all, since I’m running out of shelf space as it is.