Chuck Adams is leaving his full-time position as executive editor of Algonquin Books, after 16 years. He will continue on as editor-at-large for Algonquin, working with authors he has edited in the past. Additionally, he plans to continue developmental and editorial work on a freelance basis.
Maya Fernandez has been promoted to associate editor at Beacon Press.
Kate Johnson will become senior vice president of direct for Harper Christian and Harper Focus.
Michelle Richter has been promoted to senior agent at Fuse Literary.
Rachelle Gardner is launching Gardner Literary, a full-service agency “representing diverse authors at the crossroads of faith and culture.” She was previously at Books & Such Literary Management.
Book Fairs
The Frankfurt Book Fair said in a statement that their “reduction in headcount has largely been concluded,” as has the “restructuring process that involves painful and far-reaching changes.” “Intensive discussions” with exhibitors produced the simple conclusion that “the fair should concentrate on the basics: offering a venue for the international rights and licensing business and facilitating networking within the international book and publishing industry.”
Salaries
HarperCollins Union posted a lengthy thread on Twitter on Tuesday, pointing out that the house has the lowest starting salary of the Big Five. They write, “With the latest salary increase news, Harper is the only Big 5 publisher to not increase entry level pay. Our minimums remain at $36k while the next lowest Big 5 is at 40k.” The thread continues, “Our union contract only sets minimums. Management can’t pay us less, but they have absolute freedom to pay us more at any time. They don’t even need to consult with us to boost our pay. So what are they waiting for?” Additionally, they point out that “fewer than 20 of our union employees have been at Harper more than 10 years,” a statistic they link to pay.
A spokesperson for HarperCollins told PL, “While we can’t comment on union negotiations, we have been having ongoing discussions and are hopeful to have progress in the near future.”
Canceled
Little Brown UK has cancelled Julie Burchill‘s book WELCOME TO THE WOKE TRIALS, which was to be published in April, after she made Islamophobic comments to a journalist on Twitter. Little Brown UK said in a statement on Tuesday, “We will no longer be publishing Julie Burchill’s book. This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We believe passionately in freedom of speech at Little, Brown and we have always published authors with controversial or challenging perspectives – and we will continue to do so.”
Burchill’s Twitter account has now been deleted, but the posts were directed at Novara Media contributing editor Ash Sarkar, and contained graphic and offensive language about Islam. Sarkar posted on Twitter on Monday, “Julie Burchill, who once I suppose was a well regarded journalist, has quite openly subjected me to Islamophobia on here.”
This is not Burchill’s first experience with Internet controversy — her canceled book recounted the backlash of an incendiary article she wrote for the Observer. It was to be a “part-memoir and part-indictment of what happened to Burchill between then and now, as the regiments of the woke took over.” Burchill confirmed her contract has been terminated, telling the Bookseller, “I’ve been cancelled.”