Catapult shuts down, sells assets by October 30

Catapult Book Group is being sold and will end operations this month, members of its newly formed union said, according to Publishers Weekly. The Catapult Workers Collective said the company announced the planned sale while employees were voting on whether to unionize earlier this year; operations are expected to end October 30, and the sale covers the company's assets only. The union said it was told that continued employment with the prospective buyer is not an option, and it did not name the buyer. It is negotiating a separation agreement with the company.

Catapult's website currently lists 25 employees, including CEO Elizabeth Koch and publisher Alyson Forbes. The union includes around 20 employees across editorial, design, marketing, publicity, production, operations, and rights; it petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a unionization vote six months earlier and an "overwhelming majority" voted to join UAW Local 2110 in June. Publishers Weekly reported that it remains unclear what will happen to the 16 frontlist titles across Catapult's four imprints slated for spring 2027. Catapult management could not be reached for comment. Bargaining committee member Miriam Vance said she has hope the books will be "shepherded by a prospective buyer" and that authors "will be considered."