Publishing Technology will promote chief operating officer of their online division Michael Cairns, who joined the company a year ago, to CEO, as of April 1. George Lossius had announced recently that he would step down as chief executive as the business “focuses more on business development and implementation.” Publishing Technology chairman Martyn Rose says in the announcement, “His market knowledge and expertise in digital publishing are unquestionable and his appointment gives the business continuity and a leader who will drive the business to deliver the next phase of our strategy.”
The Robbins Office has appointed Aitken Alexander Associates in London as their exclusive agent for translation rights, effective April 4. Rights inquiries should be addressed to foreign rights director Sally Riley.
Daisy Kline will join Penguin Children’s on April 7 as vp, national accounts, focused on “lead[ing] the strategic vision of growth” at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. She was most recently vp of marketing & brand management at Scholastic Media.
Amazon Publishing plans to add 70 people to its staff across their multiple offices, Jeff Belle writes in a memo. Belle claims in the note that Amazon’s own publishing lines comprise the third-largest publisher in the US Kindle store for paid ebooks, according to PW.
Rosanne Romanello has joined HarperCollins Children’s Books as senior publicity manager. Previously she was a senior account executive at EVINS, a marketing/pr firm focusing on luxury goods.
Consortium will handle distribution for New Vessel Press as of April 1, and will add High Conflict Institute Press & Open Letter to its client roster as of June 1.
Author Donald Michael Kraig, 63, best known for Modern Magick, died Monday from pancreatic cancer. Llewellyn publisher Bill Krause notes that, “Don has been an important part of Llewellyn Worldwide for over 40 years and has been a tremendous colleague, teacher, mentor and inspiration to many…. We are grateful to his life lived, and for his teachings and words that will continue to live on through his many books.”
Bloomsbury’s Drama Online Library research tool, featuring over 1,000 searchable plays from Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, The Arden Shakespeare and Faber and Faber, will add an audio collection of over 400 recorded plays in 2015 from L.A. Theatre Works.