Firebrand Technologies is launching an affiliated company, Firebrand Associates, a management consulting organization, and has made a number of executive promotions. The new unit will focus on operational issues related to publishing’s transition from print-centric to content-centric, and is led by Don Linn, former book group publisher at The Taunton Press, and former owner and ceo of Consortium. Firebrand ceo Fran Toolan says in the announcement, “As publishers struggle with managing both their existing print publishing programs and their growing digital publishing programs, there are urgent needs to reorganize processes throughout the organization.” Former Harcourt svp and already a consultant Tim Cooper is also part of the Firebrand Associates team, with more expected to join shortly.
Doug Lessing has been promoted to president of Firebrand Technologies, and Susan Ruszala has been promoted to president of NetGalley.
Allison Verost will join Macmillan Children’s on September 26 as publicity director, reporting to president Jon Yaged. She was the assistant director of publicity at Harper Children’s.
Barbara Scott has joined WordServe Literary Group as an agent. In 30 years of publishing she has worked at Zondervan, McGraw-Hill, Honor Books, and most recently, started the fiction arm of Abingdon Press.
CEO of PlayFirst Mari J. Baker, California Institute of Technology president Jean-Lou Chameau and University of California, Davis chancellor Linda Katehi have all joined the board of John Wiley & Sons.
Dori Veto has been named director and general manager for Rand McNally’s Education business. Veto has worked at McGraw-Hill, McDougal Littell, and Sylvan Learning Centers. Also at Rand McNally, Dave Dardano has joined the company as national sales manager. Most recently he lead the national sales team at RealityWorks.
Michel Houellebecq, who had failed to show up for his book tour in the Netherlands and Belgium and could not be reached by his publishers, has finally been tracked down by French publisher Flammarion, according to several reports out of Holland. Apparently Houellebecq “simply forgot” about the festival, and was in a location where he did not have access to email and the telephone. Through his publishers he apologized to his readers, said he was in “good shape” and promised to reschedule tour events in a few months.