Winter Institute wrapped up on Friday with the ABA Past Presidents in Conversation, featuring Becky Anderson, Betsy Burton, Mitchell Kaplan, Gayle Shanks, and Michael Tucker. Much of the session was given over to reminiscence of Winter Institutes past and anecdotes from their shops, but they also discussed changes in bookselling over the years and ongoing challenges. Notably, multiple panelists spoke to how the finances of the industry are, as Shanks put it, “severely broken.” She said, “When I have to take out a display of books and put in a case of tea towels or socks…I think things are not working.” […]
Archives for January 2019
People: More Consolidated Appointments at Random House
On Monday, Random House president and publisher Gina Centrello announced a number of assignments for the division’s support teams as they “create a fully integrated group,” having “worked to make sure that the combined group represents the collective wisdom and experience of both Crown and Random House.” She notes, “In the short time since we have united, I have become even more excited about the possibilities we can achieve for our books, authors, and readers. We will be able to provide more-in-depth resources to our publishing programs than ever before.” Separately, note that on Friday, a Random House spokesperson replied […]
Man Group to Stop Funding Booker Prize After 2019
On Saturday, the UK’s Booker Prize announced that hedge fund Man Group will end their sponsorship after the 2019 prizes are awarded. Man will contribute £1.6 million to the 2019 prizes, having spent £25 million since becoming the title sponsor in 2002. The Booker Foundation said in a release, “The Trustees are in discussion with a new sponsor and are confident that the new funding will be in place for 2020. In the meantime the two prizes will run as usual this year.” Helena Kennedy, chair of the Booker Prize Foundation, added, “We would like to put on record the Foundation’s […]
People, Etc.
Veronica Park has joined Fuse Literary as an associate agent. She was previously literary agent and marketing specialist at Corvisiero Literary Agency. Alexandra Franklin has been promoted to associate agent at the Vicky Bijur Literary Agency. Maya Baran has joined Viking Penguin as publicity manager, returning to publishing full-time. Most recently she has assisted Broadside PR and The Countryman Press. The ALA has named Melinda Gates the honorary chair of National Library Week, starting April 7. At Porter Square Books in Cambridge, MA, Leila Meglio has joined as events manager. Most recently, she was publicity associate at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Sarah Rettger becomes […]
Corporate: New Amazon Imprint, Hachette Buys Board Game Company, and More
Amazon Publishing is adding an Amazon Crossing Kids imprint, publishing children’s picture books in translation, with three announced titles, for publication beginning in July. Two Lions editorial director Kelsey Skea is editorial director of Amazon Crossing Kids as well, working in collaboration with Two Lions editor Marilyn Brigham and Amazon Crossing editorial director Gabriella Page-For. Separately, Random House Children’s announced the launch list of three titles, starting in September, for Christopher Myers‘ Make Me A World imprint, which started in 2016, originally aiming for a 2018 debut. He says in the release: “Imagine inviting all the smartest people, the artists and […]
Spiegel & Grau Eliminated In Continuing Random House and Crown Reorganization
As Random House continues to absorb the Crown Publishing Group units and reassign personnel and publishing lines across the breadth of those imprints, Random House publisher Susan Kamil announced the end of Spiegel & Grau: “I am very sorry to announce that with the reorganization of our Group, Cindy Spiegel and Julie Grau will be leaving the company, and the Spiegel & Grau imprint, which they have led for the past thirteen years, will be discontinued.” The line was started at Doubleday in 2007, and then moved to Random House in a December 2008 reorganization. Last year’s successes for the […]