Hachette Book Group US expands Basic Books Group

Hachette Book US has promoted Lara Heimert to president and publisher of the Basic Books Group in the US, as well as the creation of two new imprints. 

Heimert will oversee the Basic Books Group expansion to include Basic Venture, a new business and economics imprint, and Basic Liberty, a new conservative imprint. 

The latter "will represent a wide range of conservative perspectives, focusing on topics of enduring interest rather than transitory political concerns", the publisher said, and will be led by Thomas Spence. Basic Venture will be led by editorial director Colleen Lawrie and executive editor Emily Taber.  

David Shelley, c.e.o., Hachette Book Group said: “The Basic Books Group has seen fantastic growth and success in recent years. They know their readership incredibly well and are able to serve their desire for serious non-fiction publishing by the leading authors in their fields across a range of different topics.”

“Lara has grown and steered the group with incredible vision and precision. Her promotion, and the investments we’re making with the two new imprints and other promotions and hires, are testament to the further potential for growth we see in this space and with this skilled team.”  

Brian Distelberg has been promoted to vice-president, associate publisher of the Basic Books Group. Distelberg will oversee the editorial direction of Basic Venture alongside Basic Books, Seal Press and PublicAffairs (including the hiring of a new Editorial Director for the PublicAffairs imprint).  

Heimert will oversee the editorial direction of Bold Type Books and Basic Liberty.

He said: “I am grateful to David Shelley for his support as we reimagine the Basic Books Group. As I have learned from working at Basic Books for 20 years, imprints with strong focus and category dominance are destined to succeed.”

Heimert joined Basic Books in 2005 from Yale University Press, and later became vice-president and publisher of the imprint in 2012.