Mainstream to cease publishing

Scottish independent Mainstream will cease publishing new titles from the end of this year, after 35 years in business.

Its Edinburgh office will close on 31st December, with the loss of up to 10 jobs.

The company will publish all of its already scheduled titles, with the final title to be published in March 2014. The publisher's backlist, which includes titles by Carol Ann Lee, Hugh McIlvanney and Warren Fellowes, will continue to be published as an imprint within the Random House Group.

The joint founders of Mainstream Bill Campbell and Peter MacKenzie said in a joint statement: "The past 35 years have been, for the most part, an immense pleasure. It's been our privilege to have worked with so many interesting people and talented authors and to have been surrounded by such highly professional and dedicated staff. We're proud of what we've all achieved.  

"Our priority now will be to publish our remaining outstanding lists with the flair for which we've become renowned. In some hopefully lengthy paragraph in the great history of publishing there will be recognition of Mainstream's contribution as a successful, innovative and profitable company. We're going out on a high.

"For Mainstream there should be no other way."