Jim Childs will become publisher of Rowman & Littlefield’s trade publishing group on October 13, 2014. He is currently president of Time Home Entertainment and publisher of Oxmoor House, where he has been employed since 2007. Childs will oversee the growing portfolio which includes the Globe Pequot Press units acquired earlier in the year, working in their offices in Guildford, CT and New York. R&L ceo Jed Lyons says in the announcement, “He’s one of the savviest and most creative people in our industry. We are delighted Jim has decided to take on the challenge of running what is now the largest regional publisher of books in the country.”
Kate Childs has been promoted to the new position of director of special events Random House, reporting to svp, director of publicity & communications Theresa Zoro.
Rachel Berkowitz has been promoted to associate director, foreign rights for the Crown Publishing Group.
Caitlin Casey has joined Little Bee Books as manager, marketing and publicity. She was previously senior manager, Scholastic Reading Clubs.
Lou Anders has stepped down as editorial director and art director of Pyr Books after nearly ten years in order to concentrate on his writing career. Succeeding Anders on an interim basis is Rene Sears, who has rejoined the company.
The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) named their industry award recipients on Friday:
The Most Valuable BISG Volunteer Award
Kempton Mooney, Nielsen Book, for his work as the first chair of the Thema Working Group
Industry Champion Award
Bill Kasdorf, Apex Content Solutions, for his work as chair of the Content Structure Committee
Industry Innovation Award
BitLit (represented by Peter Hudson, Founder & CEO)
Three years ago we were the first — and up until this weekend only — news organization to report on the existence of Jeff Bezos’s annual Campfire gathering in Santa Fe, NM. This weekend the event made page one of a New York newspaper, and the Santa Fe New Mexican notes that no local authors (including part-time resident Douglas Preston) were invited. They point out that Bezos was born in Albuquerque. And “pilots are warned about extra traffic at Santa Fe’s airport during Campfire weekend because of all the incoming Lears and Citations.”