At Delacorte, Alison Romig has been promoted to associate editor.
Archives for April 2023
WH Smith Celebrates Only Small Declines at Their Bookstores
With WH Smith’s High Street bookstores in a long, steady decline, the parent company’s earnings report for the first six months shows only light falloff from last year’s comps. Sales of £266 million were down just £4 million from the same period a year ago, with trading profit of £24 million down £2 million. The company noted a “good performance in books, supported by Prince Harry’s autobiography Spare” and “a good performance from Mother’s Day across our stores and digital channels.” There is no expectation of growth; the company has consistently focused on wringing cash out of the bookstore business: […]
Harper to Use Newly-Designed Font for Some Non-English Works
Harper Collins will deploy a newly-commissioned font, Harper Arc, that “was designed to improve readability” while saving space: It “will reduce the amount of paper used per title by up to 20 percent.” Starting in July, they will use the font on select non-English titles published by Harper divisions in Europe and South America. The company is also exploring using the font more broadly, including English-language titles. CEO international foreign language and chief digital officer Chantal Restivo-Alessi says in the announcement, “It promises to deliver on two important initiatives at HarperCollins: improving readability and sustainability. Translations in Europe can be […]
Ask An Expert: Johanna Castillo
Johanna V. Castillo is a Senior Agent at Writers House Literary Agency. A seasoned professional in the publishing industry, Castillo was formerly VP, executive editor at Atria Books/Simon and Schuster and editorial director of Atria Español for nearly 15 years. Her clients include Isabel Allende, Samanta Schweblin, Ana Castillo, Justin Baldoni, Victoria Alonso, Reyna Grande, Armando Lucas Correa, and others. While at S&S, Johanna discovered and edited New York Times bestseller It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, as well as 14 of her other titles. She was featured as a “Mujer on the Move” by Latina magazine, named a […]
People: Harmony and Rodale Expand Leadership Team; Zoro Becomes President
Harmony Books and Rodale Books have announced multiple promotions to expand their leadership team, with Theresa Zoro promoted to president. Penguin Random House Publishing Group president Sanyu Dillon writes in a release, “Theresa is an innovative publishing strategist, and her extensive publicity, marketing, and consumer engagement expertise complements the existing team as we focus on category expansion. Her exceptional leadership, a lifelong passion for health and wellness, and a keen understanding of consumer behavior and community development will provide a fresh perspective, enabling us to reach more readers as we solidify Harmony Books and Rodale Books as the leaders in […]
French Publishing Professional Freed After London Arrest
Foreign rights manager at Éditions La Fabrique Ernest Moret, who was arrested ahead of the London Book Fair for his role in protesting the raised pension age in France, was released after about 24 hours of detainment. Verso editor Sebastian Budgen told PL that Moret’s phone and work computer remain confiscated, with no guarantee when he will get them back, and that he must return to London in mid-May at the request of England’s anti-terrorism unit. Budgen said Moret’s lawyer expects that date to be pushed back and potentially “abandoned, as there’s no real case.” (Moret was released on “police […]