New Imprint in Orbit

July 18, 2007

After three decades of publishing many of the bestselling science fiction and fantasy authors in the United Kingdom, Orbit UK will have an American sibling -- Orbit US, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. The plan is "to publish the most exciting authors for the widest possible readership," said Tim Holman, Orbit publishing director. "And never to underestimate the size of the widest possible readership!"

With 20 percent of the U.K.'s SF/F marketshare and titles from the likes of Iain M. Banks, Orson Scott Card, and Arthur C. Clarke, Orbit UK's success was a "significant contributor to the company's enthusiasm and commitment to launching Orbit in the U.S. as part of the Hachette Book Group," said Holman. "That and the growth potential [of SF/F] is a large part of why we're here."

In its launch season, this fall, Orbit US, which is headquartered in New York, will publish 22 titles from 11 authors, several of whom have books coming out in rapid succession, and initial plans include publication of 40 titles a year. Orbit UK has always championed new writers, and Orbit US will do the same, as well as represent varied types of writing across the genre -- urban fantasy, space opera, epic adventures, new worlds exploration, and near-future thrillers.

Although Orbit UK and US share a name and a website and they are both part of the Hachette Livre group of companies, they are separate entities with their own (but sometimes shared) lists of authors.

Orbit UK, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, has become the biggest SF/F imprint in the UK, according to Holman. With more than 500 backlist titles, it is roughly twice the size of any other UK SF/F imprint. Although its parent company has changed several times over the years, Holman said Orbit UK has been able to "pursue its own path and growth and has been able to dictate its own fortune."

That growth occurred organically, said Holman, fostered by a strong international list, including writers from the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. He then rattled off several successful Aussie authors that Orbit debuted: Trudi Canavan (Age of the Five trilogy); Fiona McIntosh (Odalisque); Ian Irvine (The Fate of the Fallen); and Karen Miller (Innocent Mage). Miller's Innocent Mage went straight to the top of the U.K.'s paperback SF/F bestseller list, according to Holman, and will be part of Orbit US launch in the fall.

Although the SF/F genre is not struggling, Holman noted that, at approximately 10 percent of the international fiction market, it's not expanding either. He believes the percentage should be greater, and added that within the film, TV, and computer gaming industries SF/F was more integrated, and hence more popular. "We want to make it much more a part of the overall landscape," he said. "The key from a publisher's point of view is to appeal rather more widely to the public."

To amplify that appeal, Orbit plans to make each of its titles' covers pop. "Packaging is very, very important," said Holman. "In one sense it's a very superficial, and in another, a fundamental way how people regard a particular author or book. People buy into the covers of books almost as much as they buy into the books themselves. We do live in a very visual age."

To capitalize on that visual impact, Orbit will "package the books to make the individual book or author stand out in the marketplace rather than package it in a generic way to make it fit into a genre." The cover art does come across as distinct. The Electric Church (Jeff Somers) looks like someone out of The City of Lost Children mugged Dirty Harry. The character on the spare cover of The Devil's Right Hand resembles a young Patti Smith.

The big draw, of course, is the authors themselves. Orbit has an excellent track record of publishing promising new authors who then regularly climb the SF/F bestseller lists. Discussing this fall's debut writers, Holman told BTW, "We are very excited about every one of them." If he had to pick one to highlight from the launch month, it would be Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley. "This is a big epic fantasy novel set in a world abandoned by its gods and torn apart by warring tribes," said Holman. "It's a great read and one that can be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys big adventure stories."

As part of what will be an extensive publicity campaign, Orbit US is working with netGalley, to help manage the distribution of print and digital ARCs to booksellers and reviewers. "Right now the program is still in development," said Holman. "But we're really looking forward to the opportunities it will present to get our reading copies out there."

Orbit US is also reaching booksellers via www.orbitbooks.net, which is full of resources, including author interviews and a blog that can be sorted for U.S. or U.K. entries or both. "Hopefully [the blog] will prove to be an interesting and useful way for anyone to check out what we're up to and get in touch with us," said Holman. "There is a really interesting conversation taking place -- largely online -- regarding SF and Fantasy publishing and we'd love as many booksellers as possible to be part of it." --Karen Schechner

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