Gemini Books Group buys Publications International assets, names new leaders

Gemini Books Group has acquired the assets of Publications International, in a deal reported on 5 October 2026. In book publishing, an asset deal means the buyer picks up the working parts of the business — the titles, the brands and the ongoing operations. The corporate shell is left behind. The result is one enlarged publishing group. Publishers Marketplace

Gemini is led by founder, publisher and chief executive Marcus Leaver. Founder is the person who started the group, while publisher here means the person with final say on what gets published. Chief executive means responsibility for the business as a whole, and the announcement keeps Leaver at the top of the combined operation.

Publications International executive Jeff Coyle will take two senior roles at Gemini. He becomes president of Gemini North America, meaning he will run the group's business in that territory. He also becomes COO, chief operating officer, the executive who manages day-to-day operations across the company.

That is a wide brief, covering schedules, staffing and the practical work of keeping publishing on track. He will not arrive alone. Coyle will bring the Publications International senior team with him to Gemini. It was reported as part of the same announcement. Publishers Marketplace

Tara Catogge joins Gemini as chief commercial officer. She will be responsible for global sales and marketing. Sales, in book terms, means selling books into bookshops, chains, wholesalers and online retailers in each market.

Marketing means the work of telling readers the books exist, from campaigns to promotion. Putting global responsibility for both in one post centralises decisions about where books go and how they are presented.

Jim Bashour joins as senior vice president of information systems. That title covers technology and data, including the systems that track titles, stock, orders and sales. It also includes the office technology staff use every day.

Readers never see this work directly, but bookshops and warehouses feel it when it goes wrong. For people who buy books, the change will show up slowly, with the names on the spine staying the same.

What makes this stand out is the shape of the deal, with a backlist and its team moving together into a new home. Continuity is the point.