At Grove Atlantic, Peter Blackstock is promoted to vp, deputy publisher, and his new responsibilities including beginning to work with ceo and publisher Morgan Entrekin on matters relating to business and finance. Amy Hundley is promoted to vp, executive editor, while continuing as director of subsidiary rights.
More broadly, the company will raise their starting salary to $40,000 for full-time employees.
A new executive committee has been formed to help with “day-to-day running of the company and larger business decisions.” It comprises Elisabeth Schmitz, Judy Hottensen and Deb Seager, as well as Hundley, Blackstock and Entrekin. Entrekin said in the announcement, “I am happy to be able to bring more voices into the decision-making process for the business and to help train my younger colleagues to ensure a bright independent future for Grove Atlantic.”
Longtime Bloomsbury executive Emma Hopkin, currently managing director of Bloomsbury Consumer Publishing, will leave the company on December 31, “following an assessment of the future business needs of the Consumer division.” Chief executive Nigel Newton said: “I would like to thank Emma for the tremendous drive and ambition with which she grew Bloomsbury’s children’s and adult publishing. She has made a great contribution to Bloomsbury over nine years for which we are very grateful and we wish her well.”
At Knopf Doubleday, Kristin Fassler announced a new marketing operations group that will support the individual imprint teams, and each imprint will have its own marketing director.
Lauren Weber is promoted to director of marketing for Doubleday, and Jess Deitcher is director of marketing for Vintage Anchor.
On the Marketing Operations team, Judy Jacoby is vp and director; creative marketing and advertising services; Laura Crisp is now executive director of marketing operations; Christine Hung is executive director of audience development; and Beth Meister is vp and executive director of sales management & planning.
Terry Kay, 82, author of a book of essays and 18 novels including To Dance With the White Dog, died on December 12 of cancer.
Imprints
Jay-Z and his entertainment company Roc Nation will launch an imprint in partnership with the Random House Publishing Group called Roc Lit 101. One World publisher and editor-in-chief Chris Jackson will oversee the imprint, along with Jana Fleishman, executive vice president of Roc Nation. Launching in summer 2021, among the first titles released will be CC Sabathia’s memoir and music journalist Danyel Smith’s SHINE BRIGHT. Other planned releases include titles by Meek Mill, Yo Gotti, and Fat Joe, as well as “illustrated books and cookbooks; books for children and books that defy genre altogether.”
Jackson says in the release, “Our aspiration for the imprint is to create books that draw from the best of pop culture— its most imaginative and talented storytellers, innovators, and literary chroniclers — to create beautifully written and produced works that will entertain and enthrall readers, but also illuminate critical issues. But the partnership isn’t just about the books – it’s also about audiences: we want to find new voices and new stories, but also new readers.”
Film/TV
CrichtonSun, the late Michael Crichton’s archive, publishing and production company, has paired with Range Media Partners . Together they plan to produce, package and develop a number of projects based properties in the archive, including several TV series and a movie adaptation of an unpublished manuscript.
Sherri Crichton said, “We’re thrilled to have found true creative partners at Range. They share our passion of preserving the Crichton legacy and we look forward to tapping into their imaginative minds and exciting pool of talent to continue bringing Michael’s visions to life for audiences and readers around the world.”
Corporate
Lightning Source UK has been renamed to Ingram Content Group UK. There will no other changes to operations or services.