Simon & Schuster ceo Carolyn Reidy sent a letter to authors on Monday responding to the “many comments…from authors and readers expressing concern and displeasure” about the house’s forthcoming publication of Milo Yiannopoulos’ book DANGEROUS in March by Threshold Editions. Reidy pledges that “neither Threshold Editions nor any other of our imprints will publish books that we think will incite hatred, discrimination or bullying.” In the letter, first obtained by BuzzFeed, Reidy states: “I want to make clear that we do not support or condone, nor will we publish, hate speech. Not from our authors. Not in our books. Not […]
People: Ball Appointed SVP, Publisher of Putnam Dutton Berkley
Following the announced departure of Dutton publisher Ben Sevier to Grand Central, Penguin Publishing Group president Madeline McIntosh told staff today that deputy publisher Christine Ball is being promoted to senior vice president, publisher, Putnam Dutton Berkley, reporting to Ivan Held. Ball “will now work even more actively and directly with Ivan and the imprint editorial teams under him to shape the lists and the editorial strategy as a whole,” while continuing to oversee the marketing and publicity teams for all three imprints and lead efforts with the sales department. But Putnam editorial director Sally Kim, Berkley editor-in-chief Claire Zion, and associate publisher, paperbacks Ben Lee […]
Colting Sued by PRH, S&S, and Literary Estates Over ‘Kinderguides’ of Classic Novels
More than a decade after being sued over an unauthorized sequel to Catcher in the Rye, Fredrik Colting is the co-defendant in a new lawsuit over turning four classic novels into illustrated children’s books without permission. The complaint, filed in New York federal court Thursday by Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and various literary estates, asserts that Colting and co-defendant Melissa Medina have infringed copyright on Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, On the Road by Jack Kerouac, and 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke. The plaintiffs assert in their 42-page […]
Sevier Joins GCP as Publisher
Ben Sevier will join Grand Central Publishing on February 27 as svp, publisher, reporting to Michael Pietsch. Sevier spent the past decade at Dutton, most recently as vp, publisher, and will join Hachette Book Group’s executive management board. He succeeds Jamie Raab, who is leaving the company at the end of this month. Pietsch said in the announcement: “I have admired Ben Sevier’s work for many years. He is a superb publisher of commercial fiction and nonfiction both, and combines acquisitions acumen with strong marketing, team-building, financial, and leadership skills. I know he will work excitingly with Grand Central Publishing’s […]
People, Etc.
Avideh Bashirrad has been promoted to vp, deputy publisher, fiction at Random House, reporting to Susan Kamil. Kelsey Horton has joined Delacorte Press as associate editor. Previously, she was an associate editor at Katherine Tegen Books. At Doubleday, Michael Goldsmith has been promoted to assistant director of publicity and Mark Lee moves up to associate publicist. Matthew Martin has been promoted to the new position of svp, deputy general counsel at Penguin Random House. Target‘s February Club Pick is All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda. Mystery Writers of America announced the slate of Edgar Award nominees, with the winners to be […]
Competition Comes to Digital Audiobooks As European Investigations Lead to End of Audible/Apple Exclusivity
Both Apple and Audible have agreed to end their worldwide digital audiobook exclusivity agreements following an investigation by the European Commission and the German federal cartel office. The investigations began in November 2015 and were sparked by a complaint from the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, which asserted in their filing that approximately 90 percent of the digital audiobook market was controlled by Audible and iBooks. With the agreement in effect as of January 5, Apple can offer digital audiobooks from other suppliers for sale in their iTunes stores and Audible is free to sell their product through other digital music platforms. […]