Former Weinstein Books imprint staff members Amanda Murray and Georgina Levitt have been given formal titles at Hachette Books: Murray is executive editor, reporting to publisher Mauro DiPreta, and Levitt takes the new role of director of brand development, reporting to associate publisher Michelle Aielli.
At Flatiron Books, James Melia has been promoted to editor; Sarah Dotts Barley has been promoted to executive editor, editorial director young adult; Caroline Bleeke has been promoted to editor.
Kara Zauberman has been promoted to associate editor at William Morrw.
Emma Ledbetter has been promoted to senior editor at Atheneum; Navah Wolfe is now senior editor at Saga Press; and at Simon & Schuster Children’s, Liz Kossnar moves up to editor, Alexa Pastor is associate editor, and Alex Borbolla has been promoted to assistant editor.
Children’s book editor and former literary agent Alli Brydon has launched an independent children’s book editing and writing business called Alli Brydon Creative, providing kid lit coaching, editing, and writing services to authors and publishers.
Gibbs M. Smith, 77, co-founder and president of the Utah publishing company named for him, died on Saturday “from complications of an injury.” Smith co-founded the company with his wife Catherine Smith in 1969 as Peregrine Smith, expanding over the years to publish history, nature and wilderness, text books, children’s books, and more. The company transitioned to employee ownership in 2015, but Smith continued to work there. A funeral will be held on Saturday, November 4.
Reorganizing
Scotland’s Freight Books, which has been on a downward trajectory since the spring and put itself up for sale in June, has been put under the control of a “provision liquidator” by court order on October 20. All six remaining employees have been terminated, according to The Herald, though liquidation has not begun yet as they still look for a buyer. Bell and Bain Printers took the publisher to court for unpaid bills dating back to the beginning of the year, and authors have been saying they are owed overdue royalties and unpaid advances.
Ian Wright at liquidator WRI Associates said: “I am aware that there are many authors who are concerned to understand what is to happen with the rights to their books. I am currently in contact with several parties who had previously spoken to the company about acquiring some, or all, of the portfolio of titles. I hope to be able to establish whether a sale is a possibility and will clarify the situation for authors as soon as possible.”
Picks
The November Pennie’s Pick at Costco is Where the Past Begins by Amy Tan (previewable now in our Fall/Winter Buzz Books collection.