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People, Etc.

November 4, 2019
By Erin Somers

Longtime publisher of Algonquin Books Elisabeth Scharlatt will retire as of December 1 after 30 years at the company. Carolan Workman says in the announcement, “Elisabeth has been the eloquent voice, the animated spirit, and the powerful driving force of Algonquin for decades. She put us on the literary map, and she is admired and respected and loved throughout the industry.” Editorial director Betsy Gleick will succeed Scharlatt as publisher. Michael McKenzie is being promoted to associate publisher and Algonquin Young Readers publisher Elise Howard will report directly to Workman ceo Dan Reynolds.

Rachel Bressler has joined Harlequin Trade Publishing in the new role of vp, associate publisher, adult books, reporting to evp and publisher, Loriana Sacilotto, based in New York. Most recently she has been at MK Advertising, and her previous publishing positions included serving as editorial director at Plume and associate publisher at Ecco.

Rick Pascocello has joined Simon & Schuster as vp, director of advertising and creative services, reporting to Liz Perl. Most recently he was at Glass Literary Management, after serving as vp, executive marketing director at Penguin.

Eileen Rothschild has been promoted to associate publisher for Wednesday Books. She will continue as executive editor at St. Martin’s, acquiring for both imprints.

Jenny Bak has joined Viking Children’s as executive editor. She was editorial director at Jimmy Patterson.

Monika Woods has founded Triangle House Literary, a boutique agency focusing on representing authors of distinctive literary fiction and nonfiction. She can now be reached at monika@triangle.house.

Rachel Neumann will join Idea Architects as director of strategic initiatives, executive editor, and literary agent, starting December 1. She was associate publisher at Shambhala Publications.

Sarah Thegeby is joining Dutton as senior publicist. Most recently she was at Thames & Hudson.

Jessica Pellien is joining Fortier Public Relations as associate director of publicity. She was previously executive publicist and communications manager at MIT Press.

At Penguin Random House Audio, Ok Hee Kolwitz has been promoted to director, post production and technology; Karen Dziekonski to director, audio production; Kelly Gildea to the new role of senior manager, creative partnership development; Julie Wilson to senior manager, digital production platforms; Sarah Jaffe to executive producer; and Simon Katz to associate manager, post production.

Scholastic Trade announced a number of promotions and new hires. Meaghan Finnerty has joined the company as senior marketing director, Graphix, Picture Books, Branches and Acorn; she was previously director of early reader and middle grade marketing at Harper Children’s. Zakiya Jamal is social media manager; she was previously digital marketing assistant at Tom Doherty Associates. Sabrina Montenigro is coordinator, school & library marketing; she was previously at the New England Children’s Booksellers Advisory Council (NECBA) and bookshop manager for the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Sydney Tillman is a publicist; she was previously a publicist at Random House Children’s. Shifa Kapadwala is global brand publicity manager; she was publicity manager at the Children’s Book Council & Every Child a Reader. Maria Mercado is a designer for Branches and Acorn; she was most recently a freelance designer. In promotions at Klutz, Jacob Kessler moves up to manufacturing planning associate director and Sam Walker is now manufacturing planning manager.

Laura Cook has been hired as contracts administrator at Transatlantic Agency (with Cody Caetano serving as interim contracts administrator during Cook’s upcoming maternity leave). Evan Brown is working as records clerk (and is also a reader for multiple agents).

The Book Industry Study Group named as officers for fiscal year 2020: Kathleen Reid, Elsevier (vice chair); Dennis Abboud Jr., ReaderLink (treasurer); David Hetherington, knk Software (secretary).

Peter Osnos writes in the New Yorker about his work managing the publication of Donald Trump‘s first two books, The Art of the Deal and The Art of the Comeback, when he worked at Random House. It was owner Si Newhouse who declared, “Let’s do a book with Trump” and led the pitch. (Trump had recently appeared on the cover of GQ “at the suggestion of Roy Cohn, the notorious New York lawyer and fixer, who had been Newhouse’s close friend since their days together at the Horace Mann School.”

Filed Under: Free, Personnel

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