Seabury Sells General Continuum Books
Episcopal News Service. January 10, 1980 [80011]
NEW YORK -- The Seabury Press has announced agreement with The Continuum Publishing Corporation, a newly established firm, for the transfer of the list of about 200 secular titles previously published by Seabury under the Continuum Books imprint. The Seabury Press is an official publishing house of the Episcopal Church.
The announcement was made by Werner Mark Linz, President of The Seabury Press, who is also Chairman of the Board of The Continuum Publishing Corporation. Mr. Linz commented that the transfer "will enable Seabury to strengthen further its religious publishing services especially for the Episcopal Church; and, at the same time, will allow for a separate Continuum publishing program for the general trade market."
With this transfer of the secular adult books, The Seabury Press concludes a divestiture plan for its non-religious publishing activities, which began in 1979 with the sale of the Clarion children's books line to Houghton Mifflin. The divestiture transactions also increased Seabury's capital funds resulting in the re-payment to the Executive Council of a $350,000 interest-bearing loan, and the financing of the production of the new Church's Teaching Series.
The Continuum Publishing Corporation will be under the management of Michael Leach as President, and may include other staff members previously associated with The Seabury Press. Continuum's offices initially remain at 815 Second Avenue, New York City, and distribution of the Continuum Books program will be handled in 1980 by the Seabury Service Center in Somers, Conn.
The Seabury Press also announced the appointment of Patrick Wenz as Director of Professional Services succeeding Michael Leach. Other promotions in Seabury's Professional Services division include John E. Leinbach, Editorial Director, Howard Galley, Managing Editor, and Rose Browne, Assistant Printing Manager.