HarperCollins Announces Layoffs; Collins Division Shuttered

HarperCollins announced today the shuttering of its Collins division, which was founded by erstwhile CEO Jane Friedman in 2006. Among the layoffs are Steve Ross, who came to  Collins  from Crown after original US publisher Joe Tessitore retired. Lisa Gallagher, another HarperCollins honcho, was also let go, and insiders suggest there are more to come.

HarperCollins, is a division of Newscorp, which showed a near 100% drop in profits last year.  

The demise of Collins signifies one more cut to its ties with Friedman, who was forced out of her job last year.   It was intended to be a nonfiction-heavy, practical imprint.  While Collins feted itself with a star studded book party last fall — Roger Moore’s autobio was one of theirs, and he was present — it had few bestsellers.

 

Insiders are devastated and wonder about the fate of another Friedman-inspired imprint, the paradigm-busting HarperStudio, which will soon launch its first book.

More to come.

 

 

Comments