Tin House Books editor and associate publisher Lee Montgomery is “leaving to pursue independent book projects and resume her own writing career.” She has been with Tin House enterprises since 2001. Editor-in-chief and publisher of Tin House magazine Win McCormack and magazine editor since Tin House’s inception in 1999 Rob Spillman will oversee the book program during the transition. The company promises that Tin House Books “will continue and expand its commitment to publishing the high-quality and unique books for which it has become known.”
Loren Chaves will join Simon & Schuster on January 17 as national account manager for Levy Home Entertainment. Chaves was previously district sales manager at Penguin, working with Target, Wal-Mart and other Levy-serviced accounts.
At Macmillan’s First Second Books, Calista Brill has been promoted to senior editor. She has been with the imprint since 2008.
Chelsea Green has hired Justin Nisbet, formerly of Workman Publishing, as director of digital development, and Melissa Jacobson, formerly of Quirk Books, as in-house book designer “in order to better handle the demands — and costs — of ebook production.” They have also named journalist and former editorial director at Chelsea Green Shay Totten as communications director.
Former svp and director of publicity and public relations at Bantam Dell Publishing Group Barb Burg has joined Thomson Reuters as vp, director of global communications for Reuters News.
San Francisco City Librarian Luis Herrera was named Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year. Since 2005 he has provided the system with “a firm financial foundation” and elicited voter support for funding to make possible the improvement of over 20 library branches.
As a follow-up to yesterday’s story on changes in the works at Kepler’s Books, Clark Kepler‘s official retirement date is January 31 according to spokesman Patrick Corman–after which he will continue to serve on the bookseller’s board.
In the UK, digital and data supply chain manager at Penguin UK Karina Luke will join Book Industry Communication (BIC) in mid-February and will formally take over as executive director at the end of March, when current BIC head Peter Kilborn retires. And Claire Hey will join Simon & Schuster UK as senior commissioning editor for fiction.
In book briefs, Holt has moved up the publication date for Hilary Mantel’s BRING UP THE BODIES, a sequel to WOLF HALL, to May 22, to coincide with Fourth Estate’s UK publication on May 19. (Originally Holt had intended to publish in November.)
And in distribution news, Time Home Entertainment has renewed its distribution services agreement with Hachette Book Group. HBG has provided global fulfillment, distribution and sales services to THE since 2001.