At Random House’s digital imprints (Loveswept, Flirt, Alibi and Hydra), Gina Wachtel has been promoted to vp, editorial director of digital and associate publisher of romance, reporting to Scott Shannon. VP, director of digital strategy Matt Schwartz will add responsibility as associate publisher for digital, overseeing the overall strategy and pricing for those digital imprints, also reporting to Shannon.
At Penguin Random House, Skip Dye has been appointed to the companywide role of vp, director, sales operations, continuing to report to Jaci Updike. Dye will also remain in his role as vp, director, academic marketing & library sales, Random House and Crown Publishing Group; in his added role, Updike said in the announcement, he will “build upon his close alliances with our publishing and production groups in his responsibility for a variety of sales functions related to title management.”
At Simon & Schuster, Colin Shields has been promoted to the newly created position of vp, director of global digital and online sales, reporting to Michael Selleck. Ceo Carolyn Reidy writes in a memo that “it has become apparent that, just as Simon & Schuster had adopted a global approach to ebook policy and business development, we can profitably apply the same principle to our selling and marketing efforts.” Shields’ “objective will be to implement best practices in ebook selling, marketing and promotion at our accounts worldwide, while at the same time being mindful of the needs and sensibilities of local markets and accounts.” He continues to have day-to-day responsibility for digital and online sales in the US as well.
Jennifer Long has joined the Gallery Books Group as associate publisher, filling the position recently held by Michele Martin. Most recently she led Penguin Group’s customer service department, and she was
associate publisher of NAL until 2005.
At New Leaf Literary, Danielle Barthel has been promoted to coordinator of team and client services.
Former CEO of Publishing Technology George Lossius will join the board of Midas PR in the UK as a non-executive director.
Author News
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has amended their by-laws to “accept self-publication and small-press credits for active and associate memberships in the organization.” They will open to applications from self-published and small press authors on March 1, and there is still a minimum threshold of income earned from writing to qualify for membership. SFWA president Steven Gould acknowledges: “Professional writers get paid a decent amount for what they write. For the past five years it’s been apparent that there are ways to earn that decent amount that were not being covered by our previous qualification standards. Though these changes took a substantial amount of time, I’m grateful to everyone who worked toward this end.”
Picks
The third pick in Mark Zuckerberg’s Year of Books program at Facebook is Gang Leader For A Day, by Sudhir Venkatesh.
Obituary
Official biographer of Winston Churchill, Sir Martin Gilbert, 78, died “peacefully” on Tuesday following a long illness.
Former president and publisher at William Morrow Sherry Arden, 91, died January 27 in Santa Monica, CA.