Mitchell Ivers is leaving Simon & Schuster on August 31 after more than 21 years at the company, most recently as vp, editorial director of Threshold Editions (though the imprint is not mentioned in the announcement), to write a book “inspired by his recent trip to Israel and Palestine” and to explore publishing opportunities. Ivers joined Simon & Schuster in 1997.
In a note to staff, Jonathan Karp remarked on Ivers’ years of “major bestsellers and consummate professionalism” and his “his open-mindedness and courageous support of writers of all voices.” Including, though also not mentioned, the ill-fated Milo Yiannopoulos project. That leaves Threshold without any leadership, following the retirement of founding co-publisher Louise Burke a year ago. The line was first set up in 2005 as an imprint for Mary Matalin.
But a representative said in answer to our query, “Threshold Editions will continue. At the same time, we will also be putting resources into rebuilding Free Press as an imprint for thought leaders of all kinds, including conservatives.”
Free Press had been dropped as a freestanding line in late 2012 and merged into the Simon & Schuster Publishing Group, and lost its dedicated staff shortly thereafter.
Evan Schnittman has joined online licensing and admissions exam prep company UWorld as vp, sales & business development. Schnittman was ceo and co-founder of start-up OptiQly and before that had been chief marketing and sales officer at Hachette Book Group. Early in his career he had worked at the Princeton Review.
Alexandra Hernandez has joined Macmillan Children’s associate publicist. Previously, she was a publicity assistant at Oxford University Press.
Random House Publishing Group announced a number of recent promotions across various imprints. Quinne Rogers has been promoted to director of marketing, Ballantine Bantam Dell. Barbara Fillon becomes vice president, director of marketing, media coaching, Random House. Andrea Dewerd moves up to associate director of marketing for the Random House, The Dial Press, Modern Library, One World, and Spiegel & Grau imprints. Jess Bonet has been promoted to marketing manager, Random House. Erika Seyfried will lead the newly formed content services team for the group as director, content services. In addition, Danielle Siess joins the content services team as manager, creative content, with a focus on video and visuals for social media and design; and Kesley Tiffey becomes senior manager, consumer insights.
At Kensington, Norma Perez-Hernandez has been promoted to assistant editor.
Booker-longlisted Guy Gunaratne‘s IN OUR MAD AND FURIOUS CITY was bought for US publication by Danny Vazquez at MCD/FSG a few months ago.