Publishers Weekly is reporting that Berkley/NAL, the mass market paperback division of Penguin, “will launch a new e-book imprint in January that will operate much like a mass market paperback publisher. InterMix will focus on titles in traditional mass market genres—women’s fiction, romance, mystery/thriller and science fiction/fantasy—and will release a mix of reprints and titles from new authors.”
InterMix will debut in January with 11 books by Nora Roberts which had originally been published by Silhouette. The e-books will be priced at $6.99. In February, they’ll reintroduce the Signet Regency line with six e-books, and then three more Regency-set romances will be published each month.
Berkley Publishing President Leslie Gelbman said that all InterMix titles will be completely repackaged with new cover art and interior designs as well as “creative marketing, publicity, and advertising campaigns.” She says InterMi will be “an extension of what we’ve been doing, providing a way for original voices to reach readers.” But she emphasized the new line does not indicate any less support for the print program.