Among the continuing changes at Sterling Lord Literistic, agent Ira Silverberg is leaving the agency in mid- to late-November and will join the National Endowment for the Arts as literature director, starting December 5. Silverberg wrote to colleagues in an e-mail: "After 26 years in book publishing, it was time for a change. This particular change will keep me very close to the field I grew up in. I'm honored to do this kind of government service and am thrilled that I’ll be able to help the community of independent publishers, literary journals, writing centers and writers who are supported by the NEA." Also at Sterling Lord, Kelly Farber is leaving to join Barbara Tolley Associates next week, and in mid-November, Szilvia Molnar will join SLL as foreign rights manager. She has been at the Salomonsson Agency in Sweden.
Nancy Miller has been promoted to editor-in-chief at the Bloomsbury imprint at Bloomsbury USA, reporting to publishing director George Gibson. Executive editors Anton Mueller and Kathy Belden and senior editor Ben Adams will report to Miller.
Tiffany Tomlin was promoted to director of the Penguin Speakers Bureau, reporting to president and director of sales for adult hardcover and children's books Dick Heffernan. Tomlin has been with the unit for five years.
Chris Calhoun, who was a vp at Sterling Lord Literistic, has left to start his own company. He will represent a select list of author and poets, but will also work on selling literary archives and rare manuscripts in association with James Goldwasser.
Jennifer Heddle has joined Lucas Books, the publishing division of Lucasfilm, as senior editor, overseeing the adult fiction in their Star Wars publishing programs with Random House and Dark Horse Comics. She was at Gallery and Pocket Books.
Literary scout Lucy Abrahams has been hired by Suhrkamp/Insel in Germany.
Copyright Clearance Center announced that in their fiscal year 2011, they have paid out a new record of royalties to rightsholders, $171 million in all--up more than 10 percent from $154 million a year ago.
