Sydny Miner has left her position as executive editor at Crown, and is “looking for new opportunities.” She can be reached at sydny.miner@gmail.com.
At Macmillan, Erin Coffey has been promoted to the newly created role of vp, internal communications, event and community services.
Colin Bettam has joined Kobo as chief marketing officer, reporting to Michael Serbinis. He was formerly vp, marketing at LG. Bettam will “be responsible for building and expanding the Kobo brand internationally,” with stores “expected to launch this year…[in] countries like India, Russia and Philippines.” Separately, Kobo announced the release of their app for the disappointing new BlackBerry 10 platform.
At Harper, Barry Harbaugh has been promoted to editor.
At Plume, Kate Napolitano moves up to associate editor.
At Cave Hendricks Communications, Jessica Krakoski has been promoted to director of publicity.
Vikram Seth missed his manuscript deadline for A SUITABLE GIRL, originally scheduled for publication in late 2013, and Penguin UK’s Hamish Hamilton appears to have asked for at least some of their promised $1.7 million advance back (echoing moves by Penguin US to enforce their contractual terms on undelivered manuscripts). The report comes from the Mumbai Mirror.
Seth’s agent David Godwin indicates he is negotiating a new delivery date with the publisher. “Vikram has been known to take his time with his books. Our aim is to settle this new date with Hamish. If we can’t, then Vikram will decide what he wants to do next,” Godwin told the paper. He said, “It would be unfair to say the deal has been called off,” shortly before a meeting with the publisher.
Grove/Atlantic has extended its longstanding print and digital distribution agreement with PGW.
Founder of Basic Books and onetime publisher at Harvard Press Arthur Rosenthal, 93, died July 5. Rosenthal founded Basic Books in 1952, specializing in nonfiction and psychoanalytic titles, before selling the company to Harper & Row 20 years later and moving on to Harvard Press, which proceeded to publish many bestselling and award-winning titles that appealed beyond the academic market. Rosenthal moved to Hill & Wang in 1990 as publisher before his retirement from the business.
Former Random House vp, paper purchasing Vincent Liguori, 66, died July 3 in North Carolina. He began his career at Bantam Books and oversaw paper purchasing for the company and its successors for more than 44 years until his recent retirement.
Romance writer Francis Ray, NYT and USA Today bestselling author of more than 50 novels, died July 2 in Dallas. Her most recent book ALL THAT I NEED was published earlier this month, with the next in the series slated for the fall. St. Martin’s Press evp, publisher Matthew Shear said in a statement: “Francis Ray was not only a wonderful writer but she was a particularly caring person who went out of her way to make sure everyone around her was doing well. You could tell from her novels that human interaction and relationships were one of the most important things to her. She will be missed.”