Amsterdam University Press, Walburg Pers and Crius Group join forces in Amsterdam

Amsterdam University Press (AUP), Walburg Pers and Crius Group have taken the first step towards far-reaching cooperation from Amsterdam with effect from 1 October 2020.

Professionalize the editing and production processes

“With the current and future growth in the number of publications, both at AUP and Walburg Pers, we wanted to further professionalize the editing and production processes. We want to be able to focus primarily on the acquisition of interesting projects and on developments in the market, says Jan-Peter Wissink.

We have been working with Crius Group to great satisfaction for some time now. They take care of the page layout for a large number of our publications. We are a great proponent of closely following the technical developments that are important and implementing them where necessary, especially in the digital field. The share of digital turnover has increased even more as a result of the Corona crisis. For relatively small publishers such as AUP and Walburg Pers - we currently publish approximately two hundred new titles a year and more than thirty magazines - it is virtually impossible to keep up with all relevant developments. Crius Group is specialized in this!

In addition, I am fully engaged in further growing the funds of AUP and Walburg Pers, both organically and through acquisitions. We have also recently strengthened our organization considerably with new colleagues for acquisition, marketing and sales. Outsourcing of important parts of the realization process is fully in line with the strategy of an increasing focus on sales and marketing and on the acquisition of good quality information”, explains Jan-Peter.

Step-by-step

The first step is a startup project with two AUP employees. We are very happy that Chantal Nicolaes and Jaap Wagenaar, both experienced in the trade, want to embark on this adventure with us. During this initial period, we will focus on examining the current realization processes and, where possible, implementing improvements. Later we are planning the same process at Walburg Pers. Of course we are looking at the market with an oblique eye and expect to bring Crius Group closer to Dutch publishers. If everything goes to the satisfaction of everyone, this concept will be further expanded and Crius Group will establish itself in Amsterdam.

A two-piece of interviews will be published in December in which both Marcel and Jan-Peter provide more background on this collaboration. So be sure to keep an eye on our website and social media channels!