HarperCollins US shuts down YA imprint Inkyard Press and lays off staff 

HarperCollins US has announced the closure of YA imprint Inkyard Press, part of the Harlequin Trade Publishing division, with staff laid off and to leave their roles on 1st August.

Titles published by Inkyard, approximately two to four a month, will transition to other HarperCollins Children’s Books imprints, a spokesperson told Publisher’s Weekly. No figure was given for the exact number of staff affected.

Inkyard was initially founded as Harlequin Teen in 2009 and relaunched as Inkyard in 2019. The imprint began publishing middle grade books in 2021 after initially only publishing YA. Titles include This Cursed Crown by Alexandra Overy, Kismat Connection by Ananya Devarajan, Storm and Fury by Jennifer L Armentrout and Fracturing Fate by Sasha Alsberg.

A statement from the publisher read: “Harlequin Trade Publishing has made the difficult, strategic decision to close the Inkyard Press imprint and transition the titles to HarperCollins Children’s Books.

“Current market conditions have posed a variety of challenges for the business, which [have] been acutely felt in the YA/middle grade space, with a shifting retail landscape, reduced distribution, and higher production costs in a price-sensitive segment.

"Inkyard titles will benefit from the synergies and streamlined processes as part of a larger Children’s division."

Earlier this year, HarperCollins announced plans to cut its North American workforce by 5% before the end of its fiscal year (30th June).

The Bookseller has reached out to HarperCollins for comment.