Desiree Wilson has joined the Bent Agency as an agent. Wilson was a freelance literary consultant and previously worked as an editor at Oni Press. At Aevitas Creative Management, Karen Brailsford joins as consulting agent and Georgia Frances King as agent. Brailsford has been a writer and editor at People, among other publications. King was most recently ideas editor of Quartz. Morgan LaRocca has been promoted to publicity associate at Graywolf Press. Picks Isabel Wilkerson‘s Caste is the new Oprah’s Book Club selection. Winfrey writes, ““Of all the books I’ve chosen for book club over the decades, there isn’t another that is more essential […]
Archives for August 2020
(Lots of) New Books Publishing August 4
Between rescheduled spring titles and early releases ahead of the presidential election, August is the new September this year. Jeff Kinney’s rescheduled Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure and Stephenie Meyer’s long-awaited Midnight Sun both land today. And so does Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (her first book since the 2010 Pulitzer-winning The Warmth of Other Suns, just named the latest Oprah’s Book Club pick ) and a wave of notable fiction. As in previous weeks, our sample Bookshop and Aerbook store carousels provide easy displays of books publishing today in need of attention and support, featuring: 42 new works of […]
People, Etc.
Mensah Demary has been promoted to executive editor at the Catapult Book Group. Tori Sharp has been promoted to associate literary agent at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. Eugenia Pakalik is joining McNally Jackson Books as general manager at the Prince Street store. Most recently she was director of trade sales at Chronicle Books. Previous manager Douglas Singleton has been promoted to director of McNally Jackson Books. At Yale University Press, Stephen Cebik has been promoted to assistant sales director, head of digital and art sales; Nick Geller is now art book distribution partner coordinator, and Kate Zanzucchi moves […]
Hudson Permanently Lays Off 40 Percent of Staff with Bleak Outlook for Travel
The travel retailer and bookseller Hudson reported earnings for the second quarter ending June 30, 2020, with sales of just $62 million, an 88 percent decline from $510 million a year ago on worldwide airport store closures due to the pandemic. Like-for-like sales were $53 million, a decline of 82 percent. Sales of literature and publications fared even worse, declining 93 percent to $2.6 million, down from $39.9 million last year’s second quarter. In a new “reduction in workforce,” the company has permanently laid off nearly 40 percent of its team, both corporate and field staff, effective July 31. An […]
August Picks
Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Book Club pick for August is Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat. Jenna Bush Hager’s Today Show Read With Jenna book club chose two titles for the month: Ella Berman‘s The Comeback, which “to me…is the perfect summer read,” and R. Eric Thomas‘ Here for It, picked in collaboration with bookseller Noelle Santos, “to promote a book that could continue important conversations happening around the country.” Last Orders by Graham Swift is the Costco Pennie’s Pick. The NYT-PBS NewsHour Now Read This book club chose Daniel Nieh‘s Beijing Payback. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy is Amazon‘s Spotlight Pick for […]