Lance Fitzgerald will move over to Penguin Random House Audio, in the new position of vp, content and business development, reporting to Amanda D’Acierno. He has been vp & director, subsidiary rights at Crown. He will be responsible for growing the list to “include foreign-language publishing, original audio publishing, and to deepen our connection to theatre.”
With Fitzgerald’s appointment, svp and associate publisher Amy Metsch “has decided to leave the company” after 17 years there. Additionally, Catherine Bucaria has been promoted to director, acquisitions & editorial operations, reporting to Fitzgerald.
Laura Schreiber has joined Jimmy Patterson as editorial director. She was previously at Disney-Hyperion.
Clare Mao has joined Europa Content as agent. She was at Janklow & Nesbit.
Anna Watkins will join United Agents in March as a foreign rights agent. She was head of rights at Aitken Alexander.
Co-founder of consultancy Broadthink and romance publisher BroadLit and former longtime Universal executive Nancy Cushing-Jones has launched NCJ Publishing Services. She will provide services ranging from content editing, to brand development and ideas for expanding brands across multiple platforms, working in coordination with Creative Projects Group.
Reese Witherspoon’s company Hello Sunshine says it is looking for a Librarian-in-Residence for Reese’s Book Club. “Each month, the Resident Librarian will talk about our book picks with Reese, speak directly with our authors, and have fun and entertaining conversations with our community.”
Dinah Stevenson, editor-at-large at Clarion Books, retired after 30 years with the company, as of January 10.
Nell Painter, author of The History of White People and the 2018 National Book Critics Circle Award finalist Old In Art School, is The MacDowell Colony’s new chairman of the board. She succeeds Michael Chabon, who has held the position since 2010.
The Paris Review named author Mona Simpson as the magazine’s new publisher. She succeeds Susannah Hunnewell, who died in June 2019.
The National Book Foundation named three new members to its board of directors: Barnes & Noble ceo James Daunt; Ralph Lauren vice president of global communications Kimball Hastings; and Baker & Taylor executive vice president and general manager Amandeep Kochar.
Barnes & Noble ceo James Daunt will keynote the IBPA Publishing University 2020 on April 3 in Redondo Beach, CA.
Ron Shoop, 74, San Francisco Bay Area sales rep for Penguin Random House for 21 years, died on Thursday. President of sales Jaci Updike wrote, “As a colleague, Ron was a true and constant gentleman, ever generous with his time and advice, especially for new reps who were just learning our ropes. There was an ever-present twinkle in his eye, and in difficult circumstances he always knew just what needed saying. His optimism, dry wit, and kindness were a source of comfort and inspiration for many of us, in Sales, as well as on the publishing side.”
Awards
Mystery Writers of America announced their 2020 Edgar Awards nominations, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony on April 30. The nominees for best novel are:
Fake Like Me, by Barbara Bourland (Grand Central)
The Stranger Diaries, by Elly Griffiths (HMH)
The River, by Peter Heller (Knopf)
Smoke and Ashes, by Abir Mukherjee (Pegasus Books)
Good Girl, Bad Girl, by Michael Robotham (Scribner)
Distribution
Albert Whitman will use Baker & Taylor Publisher Services for full-service distribution to select international markets.