• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Login
  • Register

Publishers Lunch

The Publishing Industry's Daily Essential Read

  • Publishers Marketplace
  • Site Guide
  • Help

People: Cobb to Retire from WaterBrook Multnomah As Crown Names New Leaders

November 4, 2014
By Sarah Weinman

President and publisher of Crown’s WaterBrook Multnomah Steve Cobb “has decided that he is ready to embark on the next chapter of his life and will be retiring in March 2015,” Crown president Maya Mavjee announced. A founding executive of WaterBrook in 1996, when the imprint was launched as an autonomous evangelical Christian division of then Bantam Doubleday Dell, he “has led and managed a business that has realized consistent profitability while building an extraordinary legacy as a nurturer of author talent.”

Crown’s svp, publisher of Christian Publishing Tina Constable wrote to staff that with Cobb’s transition “we are at a transformative moment in the life of the Crown Publishing Group’s religious publishing program…. Religious publishing is a core business for us—and one that we are strongly invested in growing, by building upon the firm foundation established under Steve.” David C Cook publisher Alexander Field will join WaterBrook Multnomah December 1 in the new position of vp, publisher, reporting to Constable, who calls him “a true rising star in the Christian publishing community and a man of deep and humble faith.” Editorial is among the departments reporting to Field, led by editorial director Laura Barker, as the editor-in-chief position “has been eliminated, and regrettably,” Kenneth Petersen is leaving the company at the end of this month.

Going forward, Convergent Books will be run out of New York under David Kopp, who is promoted to vp, executive editor and will relocate in January 2015. New York staff adding responsibility for Convergent include Crown Business and Crown Forum associate publisher Campbell Wharton, who will also be associate publisher for Convergent, with marketing and publicity overseen by executive director, marketing Donna Passannante and executive director of publicity. The Image Books operations and staff will continue unchanged, now reporting directly to Constable.

Scholastic announced a number of recent hires for its Klutz imprint. Hannah Rogge has been named director of product development. Previously she designed and built window displays for Ralph Lauren. Caitlin Harpin has joined as senior product editor. Previously she was an associate editor at Potter Craft. Katie Benezra has been named senior designer, moving over from becker&mayer! Flora Kim has joined as product editor. Most recently, she was a freelance editor and writer, specializing in nonfiction and activity books. Barrie Zipkin has been named assistant managing editor, moving over from Scholastic’s classroom magazines division, where she was a production editor. Finally, Emily Feliberty has joined as marketing manager. Most recently, she was assistant manager, marketing & brand strategy at Toys R Us.

Amelia Possanza has joined Touchstone as a publicist. She was formerly an associate publicist at Little, Brown.

Jason Prince has joined St. Martin’s as vp, sales & marketing operations, Publishing Trends reports. He had been publisher at Sterling until early 2012.

Natalie Kimber has joined The Rights Factory as an associate agent, based in New York City. She brings her list from her self-started Sun Rae Agency.

Filed Under: Agency News, Awards, Free, Personnel

sidebar

Primary Free Sidebar

Login


Forgot password
Quick Pass users click here to log in
Get Full Access
The publishing industry's essential daily read

Each Publishers Lunch Deluxe subscription includes full access to our searchable multi-year archive of industry news, a nightly email reporting 10 to 50 deal transactions, and our database of industry contacts, scripts, and posting privileges.

Learn More

RSS Automat

  • On the Staying Power of Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" May 26, 2023 NYT
  • Another Postponement: Publishers and Internet Archive Still Negotiating Judgement, Will Try Again for June 9 May 26, 2023 PL court document
  • Martin Amis, 73, Dies of Esophogeal Cancer May 21, 2023 BBC
  • Britney Spears Concedes Delay On Her Book: "It may take me a year, maybe longer who knows ... to share my story" May 20, 2023 Instagram
  • Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson Announced for Publication September 12 May 18, 2023 Press release
  • Penguin Random House and PEN America Sue a Florida School District, Alleging Removal of Books about Race and LGBTQ+ Identify Violates First Amendment May 17, 2023 AP
  • Thomas Coesfeld to Become CEO of BMG On July 1, Ahead of Previous Schedule May 17, 2023 Press Release
  • Hammesly Posts "Statement on My Departure From New Leaf Literary": "It was not my choice to leave, and I am heartbroken to learn that the publishing journeys of so many of my clients have been disrupted." May 16, 2023 Twitter post
  • Storytel's StorySide Buys Publishing Rights to Finnish Crime Author Seppo Jokinen's Catalog May 15, 2023 Press Release
  • Michal Shavit's New Imprint at Vintage UK Is Named "Fern Press" May 15, 2023 Bookseller
© 2023 Publishers Lunch. All Rights Reserved.