Wendy Lamb will step down from her role as vice president and publishing director of Wendy Lamb Books at the end of the year and become a freelance editor and creative consultant. The imprint will continue, with associate editor Dana Carey acquiring, in consultation with Melanie Nolan, vp and publisher of Knopf Children’s. Lamb will continue to edit her marquee authors.
Veronica Alvarado is now associate editor at Tiller Press. Previously, she was an assistant editor at Skyhorse.
Morgan Gutierrez has joined Chronicle Books as junior production developer. Previously they were production artist at Corefact Corporation. Jamie Thompson has joined as executive editor of gift formats. Previously she was managing editor at Knock Knock.
At Gallery Books, Molly Gregory, Sara Quaranta, Brita Lundberg, and Max Meltzer have each been promoted to assistant editor.
Forthcoming
Suzanne Collins’ new Hunger Games novel to be released by Scholastic on May 19, 2020 will be titled BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES. The publisher says they plan a 2.5 million-copy first printing for the world English market.
Tariffs
Most US consumers were focused on goods such as wine from France (and Germany and Spain); wool clothing from the UK; and cheese and meat from almost all of Europe that will face a 25 percent tariff as of October 18 — levied in retaliation for illegal EU subsidies of Airbus. But publishers are concerned about the 25 percent tariff on “printed books” from the UK and Germany. Head of the UK Publishers Association Stephen Lotinga called it “completely unacceptable that book exports are collateral damage.” Exports around the world comprise 59 percent of revenues for UK publishers as measured by the PA. In 2018, book exports from the UK to North America comprised £128 million.