Katie Ziga will move over from her position as svp, executive director, business operations at what was the Crown Publishing Group to serve as svp, strategy and finance at the Penguin Publishing Group, reporting to Allison Dobson, in January. VP, business management Tina McCormick and director, strategy and finance Liz Ichniowski will report to Ziga. She has worked for Random House since 1998. Fareeda Bullert has been promoted to senior marketing manager at Berkley. At Sourcebooks, Mallory Hyde has joined as marketing specialist for children’s books. Jaclyn Puccini has joined in the newly created role of social media specialist for Sourcebooks Fire. Liz […]
Archives for December 2018
Legal: Morton Victorious Over Agent; Krakauer Sues Over Into the Wild Musical; Report Challenges Tattoist
From Australia comes a reminder (not that we needed one) of the enduring value of written contracts. A court ruled in favor of Australian author Kate Morton, who was sued by her former literary agent Selwa Anthony (and then countersued for breach of “fiduciary duty and duty of care”). Anthony claimed that she was entitled to commissions on Morton’s backlist in perpetuity, despite having been fired in 2015, based on a claim of a verbal agreement in a 2002 phone conversation. The pair never had a written agency agreement; during the trial, Anthony said she “didn’t believe in contracts.” Justice […]
More Bests of 2018: Barnes & Noble, People Magazine, and More
Barnes & Noble posted their year end package, which includes an overall best of the year and lists in several categories. Michelle Obama’s Becoming and Tara Westover’s Educated make the overall list, as well as Tommy Orange’s There There, Tayari Jones’ An American Marriage, and Madeline Miller’s Circe. People Magazine also chose the Jones, the Miller, and the Obama for its ten best books of the year, as well as Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs, and others. The Wall Street Journal announced its picks as well, both in specific categories and overall. Their top 10 list tends to go its own direction, but […]
Crown Reorganization Sees Drake Advance, Stern Depart, Blake Hired and More
Following October’s merger of the Crown Publishing Group with the Random House Publishing Group, under the direction of president and publisher Gina Centrello, she has announced further realignments at the Crown publishing units. Also, the combined division will officially be known as Random House. SVP, publisher, Crown, Molly Stern will be leaving the company as a result of those additional changes, while Gillian Blake is moving over from Holt as svp, editor-in-chief, Crown Trade, starting January 22. Centrello writes in a separate memo that, “Molly’s commitment to publishing excellence and editorial leadership, and her passionate advocacy for our authors’ works, […]
People, Etc.
At Scholastic Trade, Liza Baker has been promoted to vp, associate publisher of Cartwheel Books, Orchard Books and Acorn and Branches; Katie Carella to executive editor of Acorn and Branches; Jessica Tice-Gilbert moves up to associate art director of Cartwheel Books and Orchard Books; Yaffa Jaskoll is now executive art director, trade fiction; Celia Lee to senior editor of Cartwheel Books and Orchard Books; and Alexis Lassiter is sales associate. Scholastic also announced a number of new hires. Angie Mason has joined as senior designer, trade creative services. She was previously at Alex Brands. Ingrid Paredes moves over to trade team from the education division, becoming publishing special projects manager. Katie Fitch has joined […]
UK Trade Organizations Issue Extensive “Commitment to Professional Behavior”
A joint “commitment to professional behavior in bookselling and publishing” was published in the UK, endorsed by the Association of Authors’ Agents, The Booksellers Association, The Publishers Association and The Society of Authors. AAA president and agent at David Higham Associates Lizzy Kremer, who spearheaded the effort after a Bookseller survey last year showed extensive reports of sexual harassment in the workplace, says in the release: “Working together as trade associations and colleagues over the last several months to write down our ideals and aims, we have provoked discussion of what ‘professional behaviour’ means to us across every echelon of […]