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 to a query of ours after Lunch mailed, indicating that Spiegel & Grau editor Emi Ikkanda is also leaving the company as part of the elimination of that line, while senior editor Annie Chagnot and an assistant on the Spiegel & Grau team “have been reassigned within the Random House group.” Also, following secondhand online reports that Random House is closing their digital genre fiction imprints — primarily operating under Loveswept — a spokesperson confirms to PL, “The digital imprints are winding-down in 2019 but Ballantine Bantam Dell remains committed to publishing commercial fiction across all genres.” The existing digital backlist will continue to be published. (The other digital lines included Alibi, Flirt and Hydra.)
As for today’s broad announcements, in publicity, under evp, executive creative director, pr & marketing Theresa Zoro, Crown’s Carisa Hays moves over to director, Random House Speakers Bureau, and executive publicist, special projects, and her Crown colleague Carly Gorga is director, special events under Zoro.
Windy Dorresteyn is promoted to vp, director of marketing for Ten Speed Press and Clarkson Potter, with Kate Tyler serving as vp, director of publicity for both imprints. For Harmony and Rodale, Christina Foxley is director of marketing and Tammy Blake is vp, director of publicity, and all four report directly to Zoro.
SVP, director of publicity Susan Corcoran will oversee all of the other imprint publicity directors, with newly promoted Cindy Murray (Currency, Convergent, Forum) reporting to her as well. SVP, director of marketing Leigh Marchant will oversee all of the other imprint marketing leads, including newly promoted Andrea DeWerd (Currency, Convergent, Forum) and marketing director, brand strategy Debbie Aroff.
In rights, finance and operations, Denise Cronin (for Random House imprints) and Lance Fitzgerald (for Crown imprints) will lead the integrated sub rights department together. Toby Ernst is promoted to director, domestic rights. Lisa Feuer will head the publishing operations team supporting Random House, Ballantine Bantam Dell, Del Rey, and Crown Trade; Derek Gullino leads a new illustrated publishing operations team, focusing on Clarkson Potter, Ten Speed Press, Harmony, and Rodale.
Patsy Tucker is promoted to svp, finance and analytics, with Katherine Solmine moving up to finance director, reporting to Tucker. A new analytics team will combine the consumer insights and business analytics specialists. And a third memo outlines key assignments in the art department. (All three memos are linked here for further reference in full.)