Finch Publishing to close; S&S acquires Biddulph

Wednesday, 15 August 2018 Books+Publishing

Finch Publishing has announced it will cease publishing in late December this year and owner Rex Finch will retire.

The publisher, which is best known for its parenting books, celebrated its 25th anniversary last year.

Rex Finch praised his team for their hard work. ‘We have created a list we’re proud of, expanding into many categories, worked with a great stable of authors and enjoyed a mix of titles that continue to find a readership,’ he said.

The small publisher has sold the rights to four bestselling titles by Steve Biddulph to Simon & Schuster (S&S). Rex Finch said that no other Finch Publishing titles have ever ‘come close’ to the volume of sales of Biddulph’s titles.

The four Biddulph titles acquired by S&S are:

Raising Boys (first published in 1997, over 445,000 copies sold; the fifth edition, titled Raising Boys in the 21st Century, has sold over 20,000 copies since publication in May 2018)
The New Manhood (over 70,000 copies sold since 1994)
Steve Biddulph’s Raising Girls (over 50,000 copies sold since 2013)
10 Things Girls Need Most (over 16,000 copies sold since 2017).

S&S acquiring publisher Brandon VanOver said, ‘As a legend and publishing phenomenon who has dominated the parenting landscape for decades, Steve Biddulph’s brand is as relevant now as it has ever been. I can think of no greater honour than to take over publishing this stellar collection of his work as he writes the next chapter. One of my missions is to publish parenting books that will last for generations, and Steve’s books will serve as a pillar of the Simon & Schuster publishing program for a long time to come.’

Titles by Biddulph will continue to be distributed by Harper Entertainment Distribution Services. (See classified.) Non-Biddulph titles by Finch Publishing will have a returns cut-off date of 17 December. (See classified and agency change.)

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions