T.S. Ferguson, has joined Jimmy Patterson as editor. He was previously editor with Harlequin Teen/Inkyard Press.
Olivia Peluso has joined The Experiment as associate editor. She was previously editorial assistant at Portfolio/Sentinel.
At Sourcebooks, Ashlyn Keil has been promoted to marketing associate, children’s and YA. Katie Stutz has been promoted to author relations associate.
Brittany Russell has been promoted to PR specialist at Amazon Publishing.
Tess Callero has joined Europa Content as agent. She was previously with Curtis Brown.
Film/TV
At the Apple TV+ event on Monday, Oprah Winfrey announced that one of her projects for streaming service would be “the biggest, the most vibrant, the most stimulating Book Club on the planet.” She said, “I want to convene a meeting of the mind connecting us through books,” and that the new show would feature live interviews between her and authors.
Corporate
Pearson chief executive John Fallon received £3.1 million in pay last year, up from £1.8 million in 2017, according to the company’s 2018 annual report. Meanwhile, sales declined 1 percent, with adjusted operating profit of £546 million, in the upper half of guidance. (The company released full 2018 results back in February.) “Pearson returned to underlying profit growth for the first time since 2014, while maintaining progress against strategic goals. Payouts reflect that improving performance,” said the report. Company cfo Coram Williams also received a boost, from £1 million to £1.8 million.
The pay raise contrasts against another year of declining sales – from £4.5 million to £4.1 million – but the board expressed confidence that the company’s long-awaited turnaround was nigh. “Pearson made good progress in 2018,” said Sidney Taurel, Pearson’s chairman, according to the Financial Times. “This continued momentum creates a solid platform for revenue to stabilize in 2019 before returning to growth thereafter.”