Becky Nesbitt has resigned from Howard Books, where she was vp, editor-in-chief, “to spend more time with her family as well as pursue opportunities as a freelance editor,” according to the publisher’s announcement. Nesbitt, who will stay with Howard Books through the end of the year as a search for her replacement begins, joined the company in 2009.
Katherine Tiernan McCahill has joined Penguin Random House as senior director, digital development. In addition, James Johnston has been promoted to svp, worldwide and US financial reporting, planning, and accounting.
Alexis Gargagliano has joined Regan Arts as executive editor, working on fiction and nonfiction. She was most recently at Atavist Books.
Perseus has made a number of changes in its sales departments. Peter D’Erasmo has been promoted to director, airport and club sales for all of Perseus including CBSD, Legato, Perseus imprints, Perseus Distribution and PGW. Keith Arsenault will take on the role of director, Canadian sales for Perseus imprints and Perseus distribution clients, working out of Rhode Island. Both promotions are effective January 1 and D’Erasmo and Arsenault report to Sabrina McCarthy. Jeanne Emanuel has been promoted to the newly created role of vp, special markets and custom publishing, while Eric Green moves up to senior director, specialty retail and Sonya Harris is promoted to assistant director, specialty wholesale and mail order. As part of the department reorganization sales coordinator YunWa Chan will leave the company.
At VIZ Media, Leyla Aker has been promoted to svp, publishing, and Hope Donovan has been promoted to managing editor.
At Skyhorse, Bill Wolfsthal has been promoted to vp, executive director of sales and marketing of Skyhorse, as Abigail Gehring moves up to associate publisher of Skyhorse and editorial director of the recently-acquired Good Books.
In the UK, Harper UK communications director Susanna Frayn has decided to leave the company after 13 years. Fiona Allen will take over the position in January 2015. Allen was head of brand communications at Waterstones.
In awards news, Thomas Piketty has won the FT/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award for CAPITAL IN THE 21st CENTURY. Saadia Zahidi was given the inaugural Bracken Bower Prize, designed to “encourage young authors to tackle emerging business themes,” for her book proposal, Womenomics In the Muslim World.