Doris Janhsen has been appointed publisher and ceo of Munich-based Droemer Knaur Publishing Group, as of July 1 and will the Holtzbrinck Buchverlage board. Currently, Janhsen is publisher at Oetinger, and she was publisher for hardcover fiction at Droemer from 2004 to 2006. Janhsen will succeed Hans-Peter Übleis, who will continue to serve as publisher at large for Droemer and advisor for the Holtzbrinck group.
Daniel Berkowitz joins Writers House on Monday as digital director. He was previously senior editor at Digital Book World. The executive overseeing Digital Book World Phil Sexton also left parent company FW Media last week. Sexton was a vice president and group publisher, overseeing Writer’s Digest and The Writer’s Store. Two other vice presidents were laid off at the same time, Jamie Markle (overseeing fine arts) and Kristi Loeffelholz (in charge of quilting).
CEO Tom Beusse tells us, “These communities have been underperforming versus my expectations and lacked strategic direction.” He will be hiring new leaders for Writer’s Digest and fine arts and “those people will be charged with executing on the rapid growth strategy we have identified for each community.” Quilting will join Interweave and their sewing businesses to form a new Craft group under the management of John Bolton.
At Ballantine Bantam Dell, Anne Speyer has been promoted to editor, and Elana Seplow-Jolley moves up to assistant editor.
Tim Barton will step down from his role as managing director of Oxford University Press’s academic division and leave the university, where he has worked for more than 25 years, in September 2017.
UK Christian publisher Lion Hudson has laid off 35 employees — retaining just 18 — and filed a notice of their intention to file for bankruptcy protection in a “deep and painful restructuring.”
The Frankfurt Book Fair has promoted Kathrin Grün to head of PR and communications.
Novelist Colm Tóibín was appointed to the ceremonial role of chancellor of the University of Liverpool. He commented, “I think in the next few years the connections that universities make will be important and I hope to be involved in that and to use all my energy to help in any way.”
Mark J. H. Fretz has joined Diversion Publishing’s self-publishing division Radius Book Group as editorial director. Previously he was editorial director of Scribe Inc.
For Shelfie users who couldn’t use the 24-hour window provided to get at their ebooks, kindly Kobo “offered to continue the Shelfie service until February 28, so you’ll be able to access your books in the Shelfie app until that time.”