Farley Chase has formed Chase Literary Agency after nearly eight years as a literary agent with the Waxman Literary Agency. He will continue to represent the foreign rights for The Waxman Literary Agency.
Former president and publisher of Macmillan Children’s Dan Farley is joining education technology platform startup SwoopThat as a principal and evp, business development. SwoopThat aims to increase textbook affordability for students and enhance college bookstore revenues by helping them adjust to the quickly changing coursebook market. “This is a venture that can, proverbially, make a difference. And, it’s fresh, exciting, and full of opportunity,” Farley said in note to colleagues. He will work out of his offices in San Diego.
Tim Ditlow, who has overseen children’s and YA acquisitions for Amazon-owned Brilliance Audio since 2008, is taking the new position of associate publisher for the Marshall Cavendish Children’s list that Amazon is purchasing. Ditlow will report to Larry Kirshbaum and “work closely” with current MCCB publisher Margery Cuyler, PW writes.
Michael Peluse has joined Cambridge University Press as managing director, Americas, as well as as global managing director for English Language Teaching. Previously he was director of the company’s Iberian offices in Spain, he will now work out of Cambridge UP’s New York offices. Peluse replaces Richard Ziemacki, who retired in December as Cambridge UP President after 37 years and oversaw the Americas division for the past 13 years.
At Hachette Book Group Canada, Martha Bucci has been promoted to director of marketing, and Melanie Storoschuk moves up to director of publicity. In addition, Katelyn Townshend joined the company this month as marketing assistant, while at Hachette UK Canada Carlo Ammendolia has been promoted to senior coordinator for publicity and marketing.
At Macmillan’s First Second Books, Calista Brill has been promoted to senior editor. She has been with the imprint since 2008.
In other comings and goings, as cookbook author Rachael Ray leaves Clarkson Potter for Simon & Schuster’s Atria, cookbook author Paula Deen is leaving is leaving S&S to return to Random House’s Ballantine for books first publishing in 2013. The move reunites Deen with editor Pamela Cannon, who edited her first two cookbooks for Random House.
Valiant Entertainment is returning to comic book and book publishing in 2012, and with be distributed worldwide by Diamond Comic Distributors.
Disney Publishing announced that Rick Riordan‘s final Kane Chronicles Book, THE SERPENT’S SHADOW, will be published on May 1 with a 2 million copy first printing.
Owner and publisher of Pelican Publishing Company Milburn Calhoun died January 7 at age 81. He and family members acquired Pelican Publishing Company in 1970, after which they expanded its publishing list from 22 to more than 2000 titles.