Barnes & Noble Announces the Sale of Sterling Publishing to Hachette Book Group

 New York – November 18, 2024 – Barnes & Noble announces today the sale of Sterling Publishing Co. Inc. to Hachette Book Group. The publisher was acquired by Barnes & Noble in 2003 and now includes adult imprints Union Square & Co., Puzzlewright Press, Sterling Ethos and Spark Notes, as well the children’s imprints Union Square Kids and Boxer Books; and the gift and stationery publishers Knock Knock and Em & Friends. It is the publisher of New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Mo Willems, recent New York Times bestselling authors Caroline Chambers and Dan Pelosi, and acclaimed authors Melissa Blair, L.S. Stratton, and Dusti Bowling, among others, as well as a dynamic program of literary classics. Sterling has been led by Emily Meehan since 2021 who oversaw the rebranding in January 2022 to Union Square & Co., influenced by its New York City’s Union Square Park headquarters. The company will remain under the leadership of Emily, who will report into Ben Sevier, President and Publisher of the Grand Central Publishing Group, a division of Hachette Book Group. All Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.’s staff, publishing assets and trademarks will transfer to Hachette Book Group. 

“Union Square has been a tremendous success under Emily’s guidance. She and her team have transformed its publishing and, we began to realize, also to outgrow the infrastructure of a bookseller,” said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “Union Square will enjoy under Hachette the resources of a great publisher. As booksellers, we look forward to continuing our close relationship with Union Square and to its continued success.” Union Square & Co.’s mission is to publish books and products with a point of view. Dedicated to talent-driven publishing for adults and children, Union Square & Co. has been known to promote excellence in contemporary book publishing by providing best-in-class editorial and design with the highest quality production, sales, and marketing. 

“I couldn’t be happier to welcome Sterling Publishing Co. Inc. and Union Square & Co. to Hachette. When we make an acquisition, we want to be sure that we can learn a lot from the company, and that we can add value to them with our ability to reach readers internationally. Both criteria are absolutely met in this case,” said David Shelley, CEO, Hachette Book Group. “Union Square is an extremely innovative and dynamic publishing house that has seen great growth in recent years, and I can’t wait to help get their authors’ work to even more readers around the world.” 

About Barnes & Noble, Inc. 

Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest retail bookseller in the United States. The Company has more than 640 bookstores across the United States, as well as its online bookstore at bn.com, the Nook Digital business which offers both e-books and an audio book subscriptions service, the SparkNotes educational service, stationery and gift retailer Paper Source, and the publisher Union Square & Co. General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be found on the Company’s website at www.bn.com. 

All B&N press, media inquiries and interview requests can be directed to prelations@bn.com 

About Hachette Book Group: 

Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a leading U.S. general-interest book publisher made up of dozens of esteemed imprints within the publishing groups Basic Books Group, Grand Central Publishing Group, Hachette Audio, Little, Brown and Company, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Orbit, and Workman Running Press Group. We also provide custom distribution, fulfillment, and sales services to other publishing companies. 

Our books and authors have received the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal, Booker Prize, Nobel Peace Prize and other major honors. 

We are committed to diversity in our company and our publishing programs, and to fostering a culture of inclusion for all our employees and authors. We are proud to be part of Hachette Livre, the world’s third-largest trade and educational publisher. 

Visit hachettebookgroup.com to learn more about HBG imprints. For updated news follow HBG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X.com, and YouTube. 

Hachette Book Group Press Contact: 

Gabrielle Gambrell gabrielle.gambrell@hbgusa.com