Prominent UK literary agent Deborah Rogers died yesterday, of a suspected heart attack, the Bookseller reports. Rogers, Coleridge and White confirmed the death of its chairman — who was presented with a lifetime achievement award just weeks ago at the London Book Fair. One of her authors, Kazuo Ishiguro, commented: “I’m groping for consolations in the face of this loss, but one of them is that she departed absolutely at the top of her game, knowing no decline. In the last few months, she was sharper, wiser, more energetic than at any time in the 34 years I’ve known her.”
Brittney Ross has been promoted to associate editor for Hudson Street Press/Viking/Plume.
Gary Koesters has been joined Bookmasters as vp, manufacturing and distribution. Previously he worked for Cenveo.
In the UK, Harry Doherty, 61, died last Sunday. “The founder and driving force behind [the] Books & Media” newsletter/service, the company announced that “the website will no longer be updated with immediate effect. Without Harry’s crucial guidance, knowledge and experience the business is not sustainable in the long term and it is with a heavy heart that his small team have taken the decision to stop the service.”
In other news briefs, BookBub.com has raised $3.8 million in Series A funding, led by NextView Ventures and Founder Collective, and joined by Avalon Ventures and Bloomberg Beta. The service alerts 3 million subscribers to ebook to free and discounted ebooks. Co-founded Josh Schanker claims to the WSJ that BookBub is “driving the sales of 1 in 50 e-books purchased in the US today.” The company plans to use the funds to expand internationally and develop additional ebook discovery products.