The new distribution “affiliate” of Publishers Group West run by Mark Suchomel, Legato Publishers Group, announced 20 publishers that have signed on as clients. All will start with Legato on January 1, 2014, except for Buffalo Media Works, which will use Legao to sell and distribute their books immediately.
All 20 also have been clients of IPG, where Suchomel worked for 27 years until he was dismissed in March. Legato has said they aim to take on 30 to 40 publisher clients over the next two to three years.
Robin Desser is the latest recipient of The Center for Fiction’s Maxwell E. Perkins Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Field of Fiction. It will be presented at their annual awards dinner in December. Recently promoted to editorial director at Knopf, Desser has worked there since 1988.
Fern Diaz has left her position as publicity manager for OR Books and is now associate director of content at Togather.com.
A tearful Paula Deen appeared on the Today Show Wednesday morning to address the recent controversy around what she says was her one-time use of a racial slur (the “N-word”) one time 30 years ago, during a robbery with a gun pointed to her head. Deen told Matt Lauer, “I want people to know who I am…. I’m so distressed that people I’ve never heard of are all of a sudden experts on who I am…. Their words are being given weight.” Deen told the host, “What I believe and how I live my life; I believe that every creature on this earth, every one of God’s creatures, was created equal.”
Dean says that “there’s been some very, very hurtful lies said about me” and maintained toward the end of the interview that “there’s someone evil out there who saw what i had worked for and they wanted it.” When Lauer asked her, “Do you have any doubt in your mind that African Americans are offended by the N-word?” she answered, “I don’t know Matt, I have asked myself that so many times, because it’s very distressing for me to go into my kitchens and I hear what these young people are calling each other. It’s very, very distressing.” The full interview is here:
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