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Richmond-based independents Alma Books and Oneworld Classics have signed a global sales and distribution agreement with Bloomsbury.
The alliance will be effective from January 2011 in all territories except the US, where it will come into effect in July 2011. Alma and Oneworld Classics will move their distribution from Grantham Book Services and Combined Book Services to Macmillan Distribution Limited, which distributes Bloomsbury's titles.
Bloomsbury sales director David Ward said there were "no plans to copy the Independent Alliance" but that the publisher had a synergy with Alma. He said: "Alma publishes books on the frontlist we would love to publish ourselves and the backlist contains some real gems that we look forward to selling from next year."
Bloomsbury executive director Richard Charkin said the publisher was "delighted to be able to help one of the most innovative publishers reach a global market effectively and creatively."
Bloomsbury has represented other publishers—Granta and Pavilion—in the past, while A & C Black currently reps Little Tiger and V&A titles.
Alma and Oneworld Classics m.d. Alessandro Gallenzi (pictured) said the agreement was "a tremendous opportunity" for our lists. "We are confident that Bloomsbury will help us grow our reach in the export markets and strengthen our presence in UK bookshops," he said, adding that he expected the Calder Publications titles and the newly launched Overture Opera Guides to benefit especially from synergies with A & C Black.