By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson

‘Both Legacy and Open Access’

Berlin-based De Gruyter has acquired the Düsseldorf University Press, with its ownership retroactive to January of this year. Its announcement was issued on Thursday (July 19).

A relatively young university press, Düsseldorf was founded 10 years ago to publish research from Henrich Heine University in Düsseldorf and from other campuses. Its output comprises scholarly monographs, collections, and series, as well as dissertations, textbooks, study materials and scientific guidebooks.

Düsseldorf University Press also offers early career researchers an opportunity to make their research results available, something that De Gruyter’s media messaging indicates will continue, writing, “Researchers—[and] not only those at the Heinrich-Heine-University—will have a wide variety of options to present their content to the relevant parts of the scientific community using either Düsseldorf University Press, De Gruyter, or De Gruyter’s publishing services division, Sciendo.

“Both legacy and open access publishing models are possible with all options.”

Düsseldorf University Press was co-founded by its managing director, Hans Sussmuth, with Dieter Häussinger and Wolfgang Teubig, and in a prepared statement, Sussmuth is quoted, saying, Joining the De Gruyter family is the next step in making our content available to an even larger international scientific community in the future.”

And for De Gruyter, its managing director, Carsten Buhr, is quoted, welcoming from Düsseldorf University Press what he describes as high-quality titles in medicine, STEM, humanities and economics, and law.

“The first proof of this cooperation,” Buhr says, “is the German-language medical title Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Infektiologie – Kompendium und Praxisleitfaden by Dieter Häussinger, which was published last week.“

De Gruyter reports that it will maintain a contact point for researchers in Düsseldorf and is creating a scientific advisory board to coordinate interaction between researchers and the publisher.

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International Distribution by Simon & Schuster

In its distribution role, Simon & Schuster on Thursday (July 19) announced that it has a new distribution agreement with Vermont-based Skyhorse Publishing, an independent house with what’s described as “a diverse library of titles in categories such as outdoor sports, adventure, team sports, nature, and country living, as well as politics, true crime, humor, and literary works.”

Starting in January, S&S will handle Skyhorse titles in the States and in “most markets and territories around the world.”

That “most of” caveat applies to Canada and South Africa: Skyhorse will continue to be distributed in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son and in South Africa by Peter Hyde & Associates.

Skyhorse was previously distributed by Two Rivers Distribution of Ingram Publishers Services.

In a prepared statement, Skyhorse president and publisher Tony Lyons is quoted, saying, “We offer our thanks and gratitude to our friends and colleagues at Two Rivers/Ingram for their advice, help and important role in our development as a publisher these past five years.”

And speaking for Simon, Michael Perlman, vice president and general manager of Simon & Schuster Client Publisher Services, says, “It has been truly amazing to watch [Skyhorse] develop since the founding of the company in 2006. We are eager to begin working together to bring their impressive and wide range of titles to readers all over the world.”

Skyhorse carries an impressive list of authors on its roster, including:

• Alan Dershowitz
• Julian Lennon
• Jesse Ventura
• Malcolm Nance
• Elizabeth Cobbs
• Richard Belzer
• Roger Stone
• Megan Miller
• Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
• Octavio Paz
• Mo Yan
• Samuel Beckett

Since its founding, according to press materials, Skyhorse has published 48 New York Times bestsellers and has grown to house 14 imprints including Hot Books, Racehorse Publishing, Allworth Press, Arcade Publishing, Good Books, Sky Pony Press, Talos Press and Night Shade Books.