Mexico's Sheinbaum seeks support for Editorial Era

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has instructed the Ministry of Culture to investigate potential support for Editorial Era, an independent publishing house that recently announced it will reduce its operations to a minimum.

Founded in 1960, Editorial Era cited a transformed book ecosystem following the pandemic as the primary reason for the decision. The publisher noted that sales have plummeted to 25 percent of pre-pandemic levels and the disappearance of the bookstore network has made their business model unsustainable. While the company will not disappear entirely, it will begin a gradual closure of accounts with distributors and bookstores.

Sheinbaum described the news as negative for the country and directed Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel de Icaza to contact the publisher to explore ways to assist. Editorial Era, which has operated for 66 years, maintains a significant catalog of over 500 titles featuring prominent authors such as Carlos Fuentes, Octavio Paz, and Elena Poniatowska.