Louise Hay, the 80 year-old founder of Hay House, and Reid Tracy, President and CEO, were in town in mid-September to celebrate the opening of the New York office, under the supervision of Patty Gift. In addition, they were celebrating the launch of SmileyBooks, a joint partnership between the publisher and Tavis Smiley.
At a breakfast held near Union Square, Hay and Tracy told a group of literary agents about the company, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year. Started as a result of the phenomenal success of You Can Heal Your Life, written by Louise Hay and now with 35 million copies in print, Hay House expects to exceed revenues of $100 million in 2007. The company publishes about a hundred books and CDs per year, all of them nonfiction, and focused on what the principals call “transformational publishing.” In addition to the San Diego and New York offices, the company now has offices in the UK, India, South Africa and Australia. Agents perked up upon hearing that authors receive full royalties on sales in these countries. In addition, Hay House will set up or enhance an author’s proprietary website, at no cost.
Also of interest is the internet-only Hay Radio, which has in excess of a half million visitors per month and broadcasts many of the publisher’s authors. There are also on- and offline workshops and seminars, as well as a speakers bureau which tours both the publisher’s own authors as well as other publishers’ authors. When one of the audience members commented that several of the names listed as Hay House authors were also published by other companies – including Suze Orman, Mehmet Oz, etc., Tracy explained that in some cases what was being sold – Orman’s Will & Trust Kit, Wayne Dyer gift cards, Marianne Williamson CDs, Oz’s tour etc. – was complementary to the author’s books. However, he did imply that it gave Hay House a potential “in” with those authors in the future.
Tracy was also quick to point out that so far in 2007, seven deals have been made for advances exceeding a half million dollars. If that (plus various television and movie projects) weren’t enough to interest the assembled, there’s the potential of a spot on the Hay House cruise to the “Mexican Riviera,” that is scheduled for April 2008.
