Next month the London Book Fair will present agent Deborah Rogers, ceo of Rogers, Coleridge & White, with their annual lifetime achievement award. In the announcement, chair of Penguin Random House UK Gail Rebuck comments:
“Deborah Rogers is a legendary agent who has made an unsurpassed contribution to a thriving publishing business. Her entrepreneurial spirit in setting up an agency in the 1960s and seeing it grow successfully, adding brilliant new agents over the years is beyond compare. Deborah is equally known for nurturing the careers of an enviable list of authors where her genius has been not only to negotiate and develop their careers with their chosen publishers, but also to care passionately about every aspect of their lives. Deborah also has an unfailing eye for recognising and encouraging editorial talent. I am sure generations of brilliant editors, along with her writers, will take this opportunity both to thank her and to celebrate her unique achievements.”
At DK Publishing, Mindy Frichter has been promoted to associate director of publicity.
At Penguin Children’s, Jessica Shoffel has been promoted to publicity manager.
At Other Press, Elana Seplow-Jolley has been promoted to managing editor, and Terrie Akers moves up to director of online marketing.
At HarperCollins, Brittany Hamblin has been promoted to editor at Dey Street Books (the recently rebranded It Books).
Children’s book blogger and agent Danielle Smith will join boutique agency Red Fox Literary later this month. She has been at Foreword Literary.
World Book Night US has named their top independent store giver locations for the 2014 event, led by Books ‘n’ More in Wilmington, OH. The top multi-location stores with significant turnout are: Books Inc., Tattered Cover, Joseph-Beth, Schuler’s, Pegasus, and Copperfield’s. Additional stores are listed on the ABA’s site.
In other bookselling news, the ABA is working with some New York-based houses for a new Meet the Editor program at the beginning of BEA. On Wednesday, May 28, up to 300 enrolled booksellers will visit with editors in their offices in groups, “meant to give a behind-the-scenes look at the philosophy and process of book editing.”
In the UK, John Blake Publishing is moving their distribution to Penguin Random House as of March 31.