Custom publishers come on strong - Brief Article

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, Nov 15, 1994 by Lorne Manly

The world of custom publishing has become an increasingly volatile place, with contracts jumping between houses left and right. The latest to switch: the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism's Getaway Guide. In late September, the title was snatched away from Boston's Marblehead Communications by the New York Times custom unit.

Apparently, a lot of publishers believe the boom in custom publishing is big enough to support the proliferation of companies getting into the business, and to justify the hefty investment and frequent client movement.

Meredith Publishing Services, which recently lost Minwax to Hachette Filipacchi's fledgling group, has redoubled its efforts to attract business, increasing the staff dedicated to custom publishing from about 45 people to nearly 80 in the past 16 months. Recently, Meredith's custom unit hired American HomeStyle editor Kathryn George as editorial director for new business development; the company has new deals lined up with Hallmark Cards and O.M. Scott, a lawn and garden products manufacturer.

Meredith's custom group--which expects to produce 7,000 pages of material this year--is also branching out beyond its core home and family categories, aiming to snag contracts in the travel and health areas, and from business and professional associations.

The NYT unit, which general manager Dick Stockton says will be profitable next year, is expected to announce shortly a new client on the business trade side.