Kathy Belden has been promoted to editorial director at Scribner, announced by editor-in-chief Colin Harrison and publisher Nan Graham: “Kathy’s books and authors have transformed the Scribner list…. This is a reflection of Kathy’s exceptional contributions to the imprint — her advocacy for the books edited by her colleagues; her mentorship of younger staff and counsel to older; her work to make systems better serve our staff and authors; her commitment and leadership in all matters DEI; her nourishing of the community — even and especially now that we are physically apart; her wisdom and grace, generosity and humor.”
Rebecca Suss has been promoted to manager, corporate communications at Simon & Schuster.
Beth Oleniczak has been promoted to associate director of marketing and publishing strategy for Sourcebooks Fire.
Anne Rumberger has been promoted to marketing director at Verso Books.
Sophie Tesluk has been promoted to publicity associate at The Experiment.
Picks
Jess Walter‘s The Cold Millions is Barnes & Noble‘s November National Book Club Selection.
Bryan Washington‘s Memorial is the November GMA Book Club pick.
Bookselling
Customers answered The Strand‘s call for help. Owner Nancy Bass “said the call for help produced a boom in business on Saturday: a single-day record of 10,000 online orders, so many that the website crashed. That day was also the best single day in the month of October that the flagship store, near Union Square, has ever had, and the best day ever at the Strand’s Upper West Side branch, which opened earlier this year. In the 48 hours since the plea went out, the store processed 25,000 online orders, compared with about 600 in a typical two-day period.”
Forthcoming
Random House Children’s will adapt Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House series into graphic novels, written by Osborne and Jenny Laird and illustrated by sisters and comic art team Kelly Matthews and Nichole Matthews. The first adaptation, of Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs Before Dark, will publish May 4, 2021, with new releases planned for every six months thereafter.
Awards
The Andrew Carnegie medals released their longlist, with 46 titles under consideration.