Sourcebooks is launching Sourcebooks Wonderland, a children's imprint that "will comprise existing products and forthcoming acquisitions and publications of proprietary, customized and regional books," according to the company. Nicky Benson, former director of product management at Readerlink, joins Karen Shapiro, publishing manager of the Sourcebooks entertainment group and creator of the national bestselling How to Catch series of books, to lead the imprint.
Other notable books and series Sourcebooks has published in these categories include Welcome Little One by Sandra Magsamen and a bestselling regional publishing program that includes Santa Is Coming to [Chicago], Halloween Scare in [Chicago], Tiny the [Chicago] Easter Bunny, and more.
"Our goal is to delight, entertain, and inform kids and parents, and it's incredible to have been able to publish so many bestsellers in such a short period of time," said Todd Stocke, senior v-p and editorial director at Sourcebooks. "Nicky has a remarkable eye for writing and design that connects with a wide audience, and we're thrilled to add her to our growing team."
In further expansion, Sourcebooks is adding a dedicated middle-grade imprint, Sourcebooks Young Readers, and a children's nonfiction line, Sourcebooks eXplore. Helmed by editorial directors Steve Geck and Kelly Barrales-Saylor respectively, these imprints will join the flagship children's picture book and board book imprint, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, and the Little Pickle Press line of books. Together with Sourcebooks Wonderland, they will be under the umbrella of Sourcebooks Kids.
"Our children's business has grown immensely over the past several years" said Dominique Raccah, CEO and publisher of Sourcebooks. "Twelve years ago, we published our first children's book, and today we are the 12th largest children's publisher in the country. This expansion is a result of the extraordinary books our authors create, and the amazing opportunities we have with so many partners."
Heather Moore, director of marketing for Sourcebooks Kids, added: "This has been a really pivotal year for us, and I'm incredibly excited to build on the success we've already created. Bringing these new and established imprints under the cohesive umbrella of Sourcebooks Kids will create even more synergy to our editorial, sales, and marketing teams. It will also allow us to focus on the most dynamic and effective marketing strategies for each of our imprints."