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People, Etc.: Folio Acquires Emma Sweeney Agency, and More

November 5, 2019
By Erin Somers

Folio Literary Management has acquired and will continue the business of Emma Sweeney Agency, effective January 2, 2019. Sweeney says in the announcement, “I’ve enjoyed a very rewarding 37 years in book publishing and am grateful for the life it’s given me, as well as the wonderful friendships. The decision to move on has been made easier knowing my clients will have the full support of Folio, an agency I have long admired, and where I’m sure ESA clients will feel at home.” Margaret Sutherland Brown will continue on with Folio working with Sweeney’s clients. Sweeney was an agent at Harold Ober Associates from 1996 to 2005, and Folio acquired that agency in 2018.

​​Folio founding partner Jeff Kleinman says in the announcement, “With this acquisition, Folio continues to strategically expand. We’re thrilled to welcome Emma’s clients, and are excited to work with them in the future. The depth and breadth of Emma’s list perfectly complements Folio’s dynamic roster of authors, and we are delighted to have Margaret join us with her strong editorial background and extensive knowledge of Emma’s list.”

Donna Galassi, vp, associate publisher of Avalon Travel will retire and relocate at the end of the year. Galassi began her publishing career at Moon in 1985, and also served as associate publisher for Foghorn Outdoors (now Moon Outdoors), and John Muir Publications. Marketing director Jaimee Callaway will succeed her as vp, associate publisher starting January 2.

Danielle McMahan joins Wiley as chief people officer, reporting to ceo Brian Napack. Most recently she was evp and chief human resources officer for York Risk.

At Penguin Publishing Group, Anuja Palkar is appointed to the new position of director, consumer onsights, Penguin Publishing Group. She previously was director, analytic insights and strategy at Young and Rubicam Advertising.

Rebecca Suss has been promoted to associate manager, corporate communications at Simon & Schuster.

In the UK, Pushkin Press has hired Poppy Stimpson as publicity director, starting December 2, taking over as longtime publicist Tabitha Pelly moves to Doubleday UK.

Ernest Gaines, 86, who wrote The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, among other novels, died on Tuesday in his home in Oscar, LA.

Corporate
Bertelsmann issued its brief third quarter trading update Wednesday. Sales for the quarter were approximately €4.19 billion, up marginally from €4.16 billion a year ago. Regarding book publishing, the press release only notes PRH’s “multiple number-one titles on the New York Times bestseller lists in the first nine months.” CEO Thomas Rabe said, “The business performance in the year to date gives us confidence that we will achieve our targets for the full year 2019…. All divisions are making strategic progress.” CFO Bernd Hirsch adds, “We are pleased with the positive business performance as of the end of September 2019. Against this backdrop, we continue to expect growing revenues, continued high operating profitability, and, once again, a group profit for the full year of over one billion euros.”

Imprints
The University of North Carolina Press has created the Ferris & Ferris Books for high-profile, general-interest books about the American South, publishing two to three titles a year and supported by a new multimillion-dollar endowment from a wide range of donors, and named for Marcie Cohen Ferris and William R. Ferris. UNC Press director John Sherer says in the announcement, “The American South is the ideal canvas on which to create a better understanding of our nation and the world. These funds allow us to commission, acquire, and market books by the nation’s leading authors who share that vision but who require the type of financial support normally out of reach for a university press.”

Distribution
IPG has begun to distribute eight new publishers including: Health Administration Press, distributed by the Academic and Professional program since October 1; G2 Entertainment, Indigo Press, and Scandinavia House Publishing, distributed by Trafalgar Square Publishing since October 1; Wacky Bee Books, Duckbill Books, and Trigger Publishing, which will be distributed by Trafalgar Square Press starting January 2020; Elva Resa Publishing and Vesuvian Media Group, distributed by the IPG line since September 1; Dram Good Books distributed by Midpoint Trade Books since October 1; and Royal Collins Publishing Group, distributed by IPG Art since October 1.

Filed Under: Agency News, Distribution, Free, New Imprints, Obits, Personnel

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