Suzanne Herz has been promoted to evp, executive director of publishing at Doubleday, continuing to report to Tony Chirico, who in the announcement deemed her “a driving force behind some of our most successful publishing campaigns” for the likes of Dan Brown, John Grisham, and others.
Former Crown deputy publisher Michael Palgon has joined Open Road as svp, distribution & business development. He will lead their distribution arm, powered by Ingram, which launched with Albert Whitman and Ed Victor’s Bedford Square as clients. Palgon will also “build new editorial verticals including religion and business.”
Mary Ann Zissimos has joined Disney Publishing as publicity manager. She formerly worked at Harper Collins, Abrams, Penguin, and Random House.
Random House‘s next Open House event, held at their offices for book lovers, is scheduled for November 8.
Former Transworld ceo Paul Sherer, who retired from the company in 1995, died on Monday. He was 79. Managing director Larry Finlay says, “We are, all of us, in many ways still living his legacy and owe him an enormous debt of gratitude.”
In the UK, responsibility for running World Book Night will be transferred from the independent charity to The Reading Agency. Current WBN chief executive Julia Kingsford will step down in January and TRA will hire a new project manager.
It turns out that the J.M. Kaplan Fund’s Furthermore program has provided grants in support of almost 1,000 nonfiction books about the city since 1995, totaling roughly $5 million. To celebrate, benefactor Joan K. Davison has added the new $25,000 Alice award, in celebration of an illustrated book. The first award, to Brooklyn Museum’s YOUTH AND BEAUTY: Art of the American Twenties, will be presented at a dinner tonight.
As of January 1, 2014, IPM will distribute JJ Books, The University of Buckingham Press, Kolibri Languages, Liberties Press, and Enodare to the US book trade market.