Paul Crichton is leaving Simon & Schuster Children’s, where he is vp, executive director of publicity, on June 27, after more than nine years. Crichton plans to “to take some time off this summer and literally travel around the world as he mulls the next steps in his career.” President and publisher of S&S Children’s Jon Anderson commended Crichton in a statement for “garnering a significant amount of attention for our titles” by the likes of Scott Westerfield, Cassandra Clare, Rachel Renee Russell, John Lithgow, and Ellen Hopkins…His contacts with the press, his reputation within children’s publishing, and his relationships with booksellers across the country are well known throughout the industry.” Anderson added: “we will begin the difficult task of filling [Crichton’s’] sizable shoes.”
Sarah Dickman has joined Barnes & Noble as manager, business operations for NOOK Press. Previously she was director of business development at Odyl/Riffle Books.
Daniel Keyes, 86, author of the bestselling science fiction novel FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON (which began life as a Hugo Award-winning short story published in 1959, and published in expanded form in 1966) and many other works, died June 15 in South Florida from complications of pneumonia.
PEN American Center announced the shortlists for a number of literary awards, including the Bingham Prize for debut fiction, as well as the winner of the Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, which was awarded to Ron Childress for AND WEST IS WEST. Childress receives $25,000 and a contract with Algonquin, who will publish the novel in 2015.
Bookscan reported that HARD CHOICES by Hillary Clinton sold 85,721 hardcover copies in its first week on-sale, accounting for about 85 percent of all print sales.
Inscribe Digital will handle digital distribution and marketing for Highlights for Children, which includes the Boyds Mills Press and Highlights Press imprints.
Ingram has added three new distribution clients: Actar Publishers, Plough Publishing House and Re.ad Publishing, Inc.