Inkyard Press, an imprint of HarperCollins, is set to close down, resulting in staff layoffs

It has been a difficult week for the publishing industry, with Penguin Random House reducing its workforce through buyouts and layoffs and Independent Publishers Group letting go of nine employees.

on Jul 24, 2023

Inkyard Press, an imprint of HarperCollins, is set to close down, resulting in staff layoffs | Frontlist

It has been a difficult week for the publishing industry, with Penguin Random House reducing its workforce through buyouts and layoffs and Independent Publishers Group letting go of nine employees. Adding to the unfortunate news, HarperCollins has announced that it will close down Inkyard Press, the young adult imprint under its Harlequin Trade Publishing division. The staff will be laid off on August 1st. This decision comes just a few weeks after PRH closed its Razorbill imprint, which is happening during a year when sales of books for children and young adults have been low.

A spokesperson from HarperCollins and Harlequin recently made an announcement that Inkyard used to publish approximately 2-4 books every month. These books will now be moved to imprints under HarperCollins Children's Books. When questioned about the number of employees who are impacted by this transition, the spokesperson declined to provide any details. However, media reports suggest that some key members of the team, including senior publishing director Bess Braswell, editors Meghan Maria McCullough, Claire Stetzer, and Olivia Valcarce, as well as senior marketing manager Britt Mitchell, have been laid off.

HarperCollins recently announced plans to reduce its North American workforce by 5%, following some layoffs in fall 2022. Unfortunately, this includes the closure of the Harper Design imprint, as well as potential layoffs at Inkyard. It's unclear whether these job cuts are part of the original plan to be completed by June 30, or an entirely new round of layoffs.

Inkyard, formerly known as Harlequin Teen, was founded in 2009 and rebranded in 2019. While initially focused on young adult literature, the imprint expanded to include middle grade books in 2021. Inkyard has published several notable authors, including Adi Alsaid, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Melissa de la Cruz, H.E. Edgmon, Julie Kagawa, Rex Ogle, Aden Polydoros, Gina Showalter, and Eric Smith. The imprint has been praised for its commitment to promoting diversity in both its books and authors.