Last month, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., announced that it had been sold to Sage. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., launched in 1980 with Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, a media brand dedicated to cutting edge research. Since then, the publisher has launched over 100 peer-reviewed journals on hot topics like The CRISPR Journal, AI in Precision Oncology, and Autism in Adulthood.

At a time when many commercial publishers were going broad in their journals, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., remained dedicated to emerging science and technology. Under the arrangement with Sage, the imprint and its titles will remain with several Sage journals moving to the imprint.

Via email, I interviewed the company’s namesake, Mary Ann Liebert, and Bob Howard, Executive Vice President of Research at Sage, on what this acquisition means for both companies.

Sage logo and Mary Ann Liebert logo on a blue and red background

Over 40 years ago, you launched your own publishing company and decidedly focused on topics that embodied cutting edge biomedical research and technology. Why did you choose this path for your company?

Mary Ann Liebert:  When I was growing up in the 1960s in Chicago, my father developed Parkinson’s disease, for which there was no treatment, let alone a cure. Parkinson’s was not well recognized or understood then. So, while in college and majoring in journalism, I was determined to find something in the published research that would benefit my dad. I took an internship with the Journal of the American Medical Association so I could undertake a comprehensive search of the literature to find, even if not a cure, a treatment that would make a difference. That was not to be, but it fueled my interest in scientific and medical publishing. I became fascinated with the world of publishing and quickly understood the importance of peer-reviewed articles to advance research and therapy. My path became clear. It was the perfect direction to take my journalism degree and inquisitive nature (I have the gift of insatiable curiosity!), and knew I wanted to pursue a career in medical and scientific publishing, which I’ve now been doing for 40 years.

 Launching journals like the ones in your portfolio are big risks. I read somewhere that your AIDS research journal came out before AIDS was labeled an epidemic. Did you ever get burned by a title you thought would be successful only to see the science fizzle out?

Mary Ann Liebert:  That is correct. We were the first publisher to have a journal focused on AIDS research, years before it was declared a threat to public health. Shortly thereafter, we also launched AIDS Patient Care and STDs to provide urgent information for healthcare providers.

We have never been a “follow-the-pack” publisher, and have always sought to establish unique publications that will advance emerging fields. This means taking risks because, while the future of the field may appear promising, it is not guaranteed. I would never say I have been “burned” by a journal. Each title we established has published credible research that exists online in perpetuity with the potential to inspire future advances. There are a small number of journals focused on fields or topics which did not fully develop or which evolved in an unanticipated way. This usually was because the science did not mature enough to sustain a journal in what is, as you know, an increasingly competitive publishing world.

Why does this acquisition make sense to the Sage portfolio of journals?

Bob Howard:  Simply put, high-quality, peer-reviewed research always makes sense. On top of that, Mary Ann Liebert journals have helped to open new disciplines in biomedicine and life science, which has meaningfully improved many lives, and we couldn’t be prouder to bring them to Sage.

This acquisition marks the joining of two mission-driven publishers founded by pioneers in academic publishing and with parallels in our histories. Both of our founders took big risks and made bold moves to create publishing houses that have enabled researchers to widen the possibilities of research: Sara Miller McCune at Sage by launching journals that helped to establish important fields in the social and behavioral sciences, such as Black and African-American studies, ethnic and gender equity, violence against women; and Mary Ann Liebert by breaking ground in AIDS and patient care, gene therapy, biosecurity and bioterrorism, and more across biomedicine and life science. So, beyond our journals program, this is a merging of similar visions.

In past interviews, you were pretty adamant about maintaining ownership and independence. Why was now the right time to make a change?

Mary Ann Liebert:  To be clear, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., continues to be independent by becoming part of one of the largest independent publishers in the world.

I’d actually been thinking about the future of my company for quite some time. I also wanted a larger global footprint. We broke so much new ground with our journals and I feel extremely proud of the contribution they make to advancing medical research that positively impacts health and wellbeing. They have huge potential for continued growth. I knew that I didn’t want to be part of a publishing company that was publicly held and had to please its stockholders. These companies have been major suitors but as flattering as they were, I never entered into any meaningful discussions.

I have always been intrigued by Sage and the way Sara Miller McCune had set her company up. Sage first approached me more than 20 years ago, when there was still much work left to be done to make Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., what it is today – and my curiosity, drive, and energy were in no way ready to stop! Fast forward to this year. When Sage’s CEO, Blaise Simqu, approached me to discuss the future of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., the timing was rather serendipitous for me personally and professionally. The more Blaise and I engaged, the more it felt like the perfect next step for my company.

I know Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., has a long future of growth ahead of it, and we have an incredible executive team and staff who have made it what it is today and will carry on the legacy. I am confident and have the utmost trust in my team – as well as in our new colleagues at Sage who share our mission.

My insatiable curiosity will never change, but there are many other things I look forward to doing. I am a voracious reader; I love museums, orchestras, and the opera; and I am passionate about my garden!

What is it about Sage that makes you think they share your commitment to cutting edge biomedical science?

Mary Ann Liebert:  I have known Sara and Blaise for decades. We are like-minded, understanding that remaining privately held and independent enables us to create media in emerging disciplines without stockholder expectations or timelines. Like Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Sage is willing to take risks and invest where they believe they can make a difference, even if it does not have immediate revenue returns. They believe in creating and nurturing long-term relationships, which is a philosophy Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., is built upon – being partners to authors, researchers, clinicians, libraries, and institutions.

Sage also recognizes the legacy of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., in the biomedical and life sciences and clinical medicine, and will not only retain our brand, but begin publishing 100 of their own titles under our imprint.

Sage is keeping the Mary Ann Liebert imprint and moving some of the Sage journals to that imprint. What do you see as the value of the imprint on the market? 

Bob Howard:  Mary Ann Liebert’s portfolio of journals has been highly sought after due to their combination of innovative launches, high quality titles, and a strong brand in biomedical and life science publishing. Their brand was built from an understanding of what researchers and librarians need from emerging biomedical fields combined with quick and creative work to launch titles in those disciplines. Librarians have fed back to us that they appreciate this aspect of Mary Ann Liebert’s business and want the brand to continue in this spirit. We are confident that we can do this (and very much look forward to doing so!).

Forging a Path as an Independent, Woman-owned Publisher

What were the biggest challenges to starting an STM publishing company in 1980 as a woman? When I started working in publishing in 2000 it was still an “old boys club.”

Mary Ann Liebert:  I was fortunate that I did not experience much, if any, gender discrimination – or maybe I was just wearing blinders. I was too absorbed in what I was doing, exploring the promise of science in so many different fields! I do feel publishing generally has been a welcoming environment for women. Women such as Meg Whitman, Sheryl Sandberg, Carly Fiorina, and many others – including yourself! – have climbed the corporate ladder successfully.

So much has changed in journals publishing in the past 44 years. What do you think the biggest successes and biggest failures of the industry have been?

Mary Ann Liebert:  Publishing has created important forums that foster research funding from both the public and private sectors. Shining a light on understudied fields through the publication of credible, peer-reviewed research leads to more research, more treatments, and more cures. This is one of the greatest successes of publishing. I truly believe we have the power to change lives.

Those who know me know that I have very strong opinions about Impact Factors! I am both amused and concerned about the emphasis placed on citation and usage factors. We have seen time and time again evidence of the gaming of Impact Factors, which unfairly elevates certain research. But even more than that, citation data are two years old by the time they are published! These metrics also do not truly reflect the value of articles about esoteric research that finds a home in very focused journals. Esoteric research has a very important role if there is to be meaningful progress in emerging fields.

An emphasis on gold open access supported by article fees is hard to pull off with niche journals, which is why so many larger publishers choose to go broad with journal topics. What has been your philosophy with regard to open access?

Mary Ann Liebert:  I have always embraced emerging publishing models, including open access. We introduced open access publishing options in our hybrid journals very early to meet the needs of our author community and, later, funders. Interestingly enough, we have been most successful in our OA endeavors with niche titles. Our Health Equity and Women’s Health Reports, for example, are very successful and growing consistently each year.

I do admit I have had concerns in the past about the open access system in that it has the potential to take money from the budget of the bench researcher. But I am also a firm believer in discoverability and visibility for research as a means to advance fields, and this is undoubtedly a benefit of open access.

While I have never met you, I know several women who work for your company. They tell me they appreciate the supportive and creative culture at Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. What advice do you have for them as they start transitioning to Sage? 

Mary Ann Liebert:  My advice is not just for the women at Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., but our entire staff, all of whom played an important role in enabling this next chapter for our company. Be open. Be curious. As a company, we have always been fast, flexible, and focused on identifying areas of greatest need. These are values we must retain. You have incredible new colleagues and partners at Sage, who are welcoming and recognize what we have built. I could not be more excited for the future and what it holds for each and every one of us!

Angela Cochran

Angela Cochran

Angela Cochran is Vice President of Publishing at the American Society of Clinical Oncology. She is past president of the Society for Scholarly Publishing and of the Council of Science Editors. Views on TSK are her own.

Discussion

3 Thoughts on "Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., and Sage Forge a New Relationship"

The problem with both companies is the APCs for OA. Liebert wanted to charge me and colleagues over US$3000 about a decade ago, for a short social science article, a cost which would not be covered by my university. I refuse to publish behind paywalls, so looked elsewhere. I have been horrified this week with Sage OA APCs, many well above $3400 as listed on their downloadable Sage Choices spreadsheet, for similar content. A lot of their so-called ‘progressive’ titles are still subscription-based with the option to pay and publish OA [like Envt. & Planning series]. Would have been nice to cover what happens to authors that don’t have that kind of money, or any institutional sponsor. And whether this deal will make any more content available OA.

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