Amsterdam 1 July 2011
WPG Publishers merges book publishing houses De Arbeiderspers with A.W. Bruna and Balans with De Bezige Bij
WPG-group publishers De Arbeiderspers and A.W. Bruna have announced plans to merge their publishing houses as of 1 January 2012. De Bezige Bij and Balans aim to become the most important publisher of literary non-fiction in the Dutch-language area.
Lex Jansen, publishing director at De Arbeiderspers and Balans: “The book trade is going through challenging but also fascinating and exciting times. Pressure on consumer spending, digital developments and a changing role for the publisher are forcing us to think about how to bring our authors and their work to readers in ways that give them the best possible chances. We are creating space for new developments, for innovation, from a solid financial base. This combining of forces with our sister company A.W. Bruna, which has built up convincing commercial expertise, therefore represents an exceptional opportunity for us to concretize our aims. The merger will no doubt force the organization to make even tougher choices on the costs side of the publishing company, but at the same time I see great opportunities for growing De Arbeiderspers further from this reinforced foundational position.”
Joop Boezeman, publishing director at A.W. Bruna: “I hear many colleagues in the trade, both at home and internationally, moaning and groaning about tough market conditions. We have no desire to join them. We were asked by our publishing group WPG Publishers to draw up plans for the most powerful organizational structure possible, while preserving respect for the existing lists. Gradually, in the course of our conversations, Lex and I became increasingly enthusiastic about the huge potential a combining of forces would represent. Over the coming weeks we are going to take careful steps to make these plans more concrete, looking above all at smart ways of cooperating behind the scenes.”
The new company, which will be based in Utrecht, seeks a turnover of thirty million euro. For the excellent contacts each of the publishing houses maintains with authors, the press and other players in the cultural world, a location in Amsterdam will be established where gatherings, launches and appointments can take place.
Balans and De Bezige Bij, two of the Netherlands’ foremost non-fiction publishing houses, plan to combine forces with the explicit ambition of remaining at the head of their field. With this in mind, Balans, while retaining its own name and identity, will be merged with De Bezige Bij on or before 1 January 2012.
Both Balans and De Bezige Bij / Non-Fiction will remain fully-fledged, independent houses, but they will henceforth operate from the same building (Van Miereveldstraat 1), adopting a jointly developed strategy, a well-coordinated publishing policy and a powerful combined approach to the market.
Publisher Plien van Albada, who is celebrating Balans’ twenty-fifth anniversary this year: “To me it is completely logical to keep on asking questions about how you can best fulfil your ambitions. I see a unique opportunity for Balans and its authors in working together with De Bezige Bij, a passionate and dynamic house where our colleagues have done successful business over recent years in the field of non-fiction. Through this cooperation we hope to be able to strengthen our position in the market even further.”
Robbert Ammerlaan, director and publisher at De Bezige Bij: “I regard the arrival of Balans, one of the best and most tasteful non-fiction publishers in our language area, as a magnificent addition to our publishing house. De Bezige Bij and Balans are, I believe, kindred publishers, oriented towards quality, towards authors and towards creativity. Together we will undoubtedly be capable of growing into the most prominent publisher of literary non-fiction in the Dutch-language market. We heartily welcome the authors and staff of Balans to our publishing house and look forward to a pleasant and fruitful cooperation, and to a wonderful and challenging publishing adventure.”
All the parties involved, including authors and employees, were informed this week about the intended changes. The directors of WPG Publishers and the central works council will exercise all possible care in mapping out the new form its organizations are to take.
A.W. Bruna Publishers has been putting out products with their heart and soul for well over 140 years. Their books, DVD’s, and e-books are consumed with love by the masses. Therefore, it is impossible to get around this publishing house in the Dutch literary world. Many great authors from the A.W. Bruna list have become their own popular brands. Authors such as: Carlos Ruiz Zafón, John Grisham, Elizabeth George, Havank, Stieg Larsson and David Baldacci.
Number one
With more than 135 new titles every year, A.W. Bruna (AWB) has grown to become one of the largest and most successful publishing houses in The Netherlands and Flanders. Since its foundation in 1868, AWB has worked its way up in terms of turnover, growth and sales, to the number one position in the Dutch language-publishing world. The various imprints – A.W. Bruna, Lev., Signatuur and Orlando – all contribute to this success.
Since the beginning of 2010, AWB is part of WPG Publishers. WPG is an independent group of multimedia companies in The Netherlands and Flanders. Included are: WPG Publishers Belgium (formerly known as Standard Publishers), De Arbeiderspers, De Bezige Bij and magazines like Vrij Nederland, Opzij, Voetbal International and Psychologie Magazine.
Not afraid of commercialism
It is with great honor that AWB can offer big commercial
successes like John Grisham, Stieg Larsson or Elizabeth
George a (growing) position in the Dutch and Flemish markets.
That we, as publishers, are capable of doing this has
been proven again and again over the years. At the core
we are a commercial publishing house that is capable of
making authors successful and prolonging those successes
over the years. Selling as many books as possible without
fear of commercialism but with true integrity and a personal
philosophy.
In order to become successful you have to make choices. Be honest and realistic about what you can and what you cannot do. Give great thought to whether something is an exact fit for your company. Grab your chances on time without ever losing or compromising your target audience. This is what AWB does, which benefits the various imprints and marketing of the authors greatly as well as benefiting the profits and returns. This allows us to constructively and solidly build on our previous successes. Our eyes and ears are constantly open to finding new gems and helping them find their way to success. From the instant one of those gems is enclosed in our hearts, we are committed to a fulltime investment in the author and his or her work and in properly placing them in the market. This is a long-term commitment, never just a fleeting moment. AWB consciously chooses not to frivolously publish new books and authors. We have very well defined boundaries.
Remain innovative
With such a solid base there is also more room to think
“outside of the box”. AWB is well known for its somewhat
non-conformist approach. We dare to experiment with new
genres and innovative marketing and we are not afraid to
take new or relatively unknown roads in publishing land,
like Sustainable Business for instance. In other words, there
is room for a refreshing new approach to publishing.
In order to remain successful in the future, AWB has to remain innovative. In a time where e-readers and iPads are conquering the world, we, as publishers are open to any new approach or forms of publishing. AWB has gained a lot of knowledge in this area. We are, in fact, the number one publisher of e-books in The Netherlands and Flanders. By always being pioneers and continuing to stay innovative and experiment, we aim to stay at the forefront of the new digitalized book market. Action rather than reaction, which is what A.W. Bruna Publishing, is all about.
A strong and solid brand not afraid to move along with the ever changing times!
A.W Bruna Publishers Foreign Rights
Dear Publisher,
We are delighted to welcome you at our new website Foreign Rights page.
A.W Bruna is one of the most respected publishing companies in the Netherlands. A.W Bruna Publishers continues to challenge conventional wisdom, setting trends in both subject and format, maintaining a list that includes Fiction, Non-Fiction, Novels and Biographies.
With the click of a button you can search through our entire list where we showcase all our new titles as well as the variety of our backlist.
For each individual title there is a pdf page, which can be easily printed out.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding any Foreign Rights availability or request to receive a reading sample.
Laetitia Powell-Gutierrez
Foreign rights manager
E-mail: laetitia.powell@awbruna.nl
The Netherlands:
Tel: +31 ((0) 30 247 04 37
Mob: + 31 (0) 6 55 36 50 18
Fax: +31 (0) 30 241 00 18
Belgium:
Tel: +32 (0) 14726146
A.W. Bruna | Orlando | Signatuur | Lev. Non fiction |
Kobaltweg 23-35, 3542 CE, Utrecht
Postbus 40203, 3504 AA Utrecht
The Netherlands
DOWNLOAD FOREIGN RIGHTS PAGES/CATALOGUES:
Fiction:
Alex van Galen - Devils Trill Sonata
Anne Threes - Waiting for the Monsoon
Bjorn Stibbe - The Swindler
Daniëlle Hermans - The Man of Manhatten
Daniëlle Hermans - The Tulip Virus
Daniëlle Hermans - The Waterlords
Geert-Jan Alexander Knoops - The Enemys Lawyer
Geert-Jan Alexander Knoops - The President's Lawyer
Gregor Vincent - Bonus Time
Guus Bauer - The Gardener
Guus Bauer - The Colour of Nostagia
Havank Ross - Carríbbean Conspiracy
Havank Ross - The Mysterie of the Night Watch
Marian Mudder - Blind for Happiness
Paul Goeken - The Crossing
Ruben van Dijk - The Kyoto Complot
Ruben van Dijk - Thumblewheat
Suzanne Vermeer - Black Piste
Suzanne Vermeer - The Suite
Non-Fiction:
Annemarie Postma - Healthy Soul
Annemarie Postma - The Power of No Nonsense
Annemarie Postma - The Healing Power of Acceptation
Berthold Gunster - Huh?!
Berthold Gunster - Yes but what if everything works?
Berthold Gunster - I am okay, you are a loser
CircusPatz - A.K.A. Kick Fearless
CircusPatz - The Extraordinarily Remarkable Diaries of Victor Veggiestein
Femke Talitha - Borderline from within
Ilja Gort - Slurp!2
Ingeborg Deana & Jan Wolter Bijleveld - Let go of things
Jeroen Boschma & Inez Groen - Generation Einstein: I love you too!
Sabine Leenhouts - Plan B
Tijn Touber - Crash Course
