After joining Open Road last September as president, overseeing day-to-day operations, Paul Slavin has been made ceo of the company. He will continue to lead the initiative to move the company beyond ebooks (as the market has stagnated), with an “expanding focus on engaging and connecting with consumers while creating multiple new revenue streams through media and e-commerce.” The company has raised approximately $29 million in equity and debt financing, but has not generated a profit yet.
Co-founder Jane Friedman will become chairman of the board and will also serve as executive publisher, continue “to help support the company’s efforts to acquire the best available ebooks.”
In other personnel news, Joseph Scalora will join Random House Children’s as associate marketing director, events strategist. Previously he was senior marketing manager at Del Rey.
Tracy Marchini has joined BookEnds Literary, returning to publishing after receiving an MFA in writing for children from Simmons College. She will represent picture book, middle grade and young adult manuscripts across most genres, including contemporary, mysteries, thrillers, magical realism, historical fiction, and nonfiction.
Founding president of Island Press Charles Savitt has stepped down after more than 32 years. Succeeding Savitt as president is current svp, publisher David Miller. Savitt says in the announcement, “As we enter our next chapter, David’s vision, strategy and wealth of knowledge in both traditional and digital publishing combined with the organization’s strong ties to thought leaders are exactly what Island Press needs.”
Former ceo of Hearst Corporation and current chair of the PGA Tour board Victor Ganzi has been named chairman of the board for Media Source. Ganzi is an operating partner for The Vistria Group, the private equity firm that owns Media Source.
Executive editor for political science and law at the University of Chicago Press John Tryneski is retiring after four decades as acquiring editor. He has published nearly 700 books in his tenure at Chicago.
In the UK, Rachel Kenny will become senior commissioning editor for Harlequin’s HQ nonfiction list, after joining Headline in September 2015.
Max Porter has been promoted to editorial director of Granta and Portobello Books.
In France, at Grasset & Fasquelle, Joachim Schnerf will succeed Pierre Demarty this month as acquisitions editor in the foreign literature department, and will join the editorial board.
Funding
UK-based personalized children’s publisher Lost My Name announced closing an extension of their Series A financing round earlier this year that added another £4 million from Berlin-based Project A Ventures.
Distribution
Simon & Schuster will take over worldwide ebook distribution for Start Publishing as of July 1. The Start Publishing catalog comprises over 7,000 titles across 12 imprints.