Archway Editions, the experimental literary imprint under Brooklyn-based powerHouse Books, has effectively been on pause since May, with plans to resume publishing in spring 2026. The move follows the departure of the imprint’s entire editorial team and an organizational shakeup led by powerHouse founder Daniel Power.
The team behind Archway—co-founders and publishers Chris Molnar and Nicodemus Nicoludis, senior editor Naomi Falk, and publicist Mia Risher—confirmed in a letter this summer that they had all exited the imprint. Nicoludis had stepped away earlier to pursue a PhD, while others were laid off this spring.
Power explained the decision as part of a broader restructuring effort across all powerHouse imprints. “The publishing staff consisting then of Naomi, Mia, and one other person, in addition to the part-time kids’ book editor, were just not working, so they were laid off in May,” he told Publishers Lunch. With a distribution shift underway from Simon & Schuster to Two Rivers, Power said rescheduling delayed and upcoming titles for spring 2026 offered an opportunity to “clean house.”
Founded in 2020 by booksellers Molnar and Nicoludis, Archway Editions quickly built a reputation for literary risk-taking. Its biggest commercial success came in 2023 with Blake Butler’s memoir Molly, which sold more than 14,000 copies in paperback according to Circana BookScan.
But behind the scenes, former staffers raised concerns about working conditions, claiming bookstore employees were expected to contribute to Archway projects without pay. Power, who also operates children’s imprint POW! alongside powerHouse Books, acknowledged financial strain but rejected claims of mismanagement or unpaid obligations. “Yes, money is tight; I have never had to scramble like this before in my 30 years,” he said. “I am struggling, but am not stiffing anyone, just taking a little bit longer than usual in some cases.”
The imprint’s challenges come amid broader labor tensions at powerHouse. In 2022, two former employees sued the company, alleging they were fired for trying to unionize. While a National Labor Relations Board judge ultimately ruled the firings lawful, the decision also found that Power “unlawfully interrogated employees regarding their union activity and unlawfully informed employees that organizing was futile.”
Looking ahead, Power says Archway and POW! remain in “holding patterns” until new editorial leadership is established—or, potentially, until the properties are divested. Still, he remains optimistic about a relaunch: “Knowing I can only go up with new trade vitality gives me hope.”