Hachette Book Group to acquire the Perseus Books Group

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Two years after a planned deal fell through, Hachette Book Group is purchasing the Perseus Books Group, bringing together two of the country’s largest publishers.

The companies issued separate statements Tuesday. They announced that Hachette had acquired Perseus’ publishing division, an extensive network of imprints that includes Basic Books, PublicAffairs and Running Press.

Hachette publications range from Stephenie Meyers’ “Twilight” series to J.D. Salinger’s fiction, while Perseus is known for such nonfiction works as Samantha Powers’ Pulitzer Prize-winning “A Problem from Hell.”

In 2014, Hachette and Perseus called off a complex, three-way transaction that would have had Hachette buying Perseus’ publishing and distribution divisions, then selling the distribution arm to Ingram Content Group. Perseus is still hoping to sell its distribution business, which works with many of the country’s independent publishers.

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This story has been corrected to show the name of the publisher is Perseus Books Group, not Perseus Book Group.