Literary agent Peter Steinberg has joined with former editorial director of Fourth Story Media and Miramax Books editorial director JillEllyn Riley to create Arc & Type — a division of The Steinberg Agency that will package fiction and nonfiction books. United Agents will represent UK/Commonwealth and translations rights for their projects. Most recently, RIley has been writing and editing books, as well as “cultivating stories for other authors.” Steinberg, who will continue his agenting role while “helping to oversee” the new division, says in the announcement: , “JillEllyn and I have been friends through the publishing business for a long time and […]
Bookselling: Diesel Puts Malibu Location for Sale; Bank Street Bookstore Won’t Renew Lease; Marcus Books May Stay Put
Diesel is placing its Malibu location for sale after more than nine years of operation (and five months after opening another store in Larkspur, CA). Co-owner John Evans told the Malibu Times that financial constraints and a need to focus on a growing number of independent shops outside of Malibu necessitated the move. “We’re just struggling to keep the [Malibu] bookstore, to keep people coming.” Evans added he hopes a local buyer will step up: “In general, bookstores are best when local people that own the place and live in the place work in the place,” he said. “I don’t […]
People: Heffernan to Retire from Penguin
Longtime president of adult hardcover and children’s sales for Penguin Dick Heffernan will retire at the end of the year after more than 24 years with the company (and almost 40 years at a company enfolded into Penguin Random House). PRH coo Madeline McIntosh notes with “much regret” after “[trying] very hard to persuade him to change his mind about retiring” that “working together with Dick during these first few months in our merged company has been a terrific experience for me, and for our Random House group, as it has always been for our Penguin colleagues. And with us having […]
More Best Books from NYTBR, Time
The New York Times Book Review published their 10 best books of the year online on Wednesday equally separated between fiction and nonfiction. (Individual critics’ lists are still tk.) Fiction AMERICANAH, Chimananda Ngozi Adichie LIFE AFTER LIFE, Kate Atkinson THE FLAMETHROWERS, Rachel Kushner TENTH OF DECEMBER, George Saunders THE GOLDFINCH, Donna Tartt Nonfiction DAYS OF FIRE, Peter Baker AFTER THE MUSIC STOPPED, Alan S. Blinder THE SLEEPWALKERS, Christopher Clark WAVE, Sonali Deraniyagala FIVE DAYS AT MEMORIAL, Sheri Fink Time also presented its Best of Lists for fiction and nonfiction. Overlapping with the NYT’s selections, Atkinson, Saunders, and Kushner led the otherwise genre-heavy fiction […]
People: Hayes to Retire from Harlequin, and More
Harlequin ceo and publisher Donna Hayes “has decided to retire” at the end of the year, with current Harlequin North America coo Craig Swinwood set to become the new publisher and ceo on January 1 “as part of the succession planning process.” Parent company Torstar president and ceo David Holland says in the announcement: “Donna Hayes has served Harlequin and Torstar with great distinction for the past 28 years. She has led Harlequin from being a series romance publisher to becoming a broad-based publisher of women’s fiction and has demonstrated invaluable foresight in positioning Harlequin for a more digital future.” As for Swinwood, who has […]
People, Etc.
Gina Rizzo has joined Harper Children’s as senior publicist. She was a publicist at Tarcher/Penguin. Gillian Flynn‘s GONE GIRL will finally be published in paperback by Broadway Books on April 22, 2014. Crown says the novel, whose adaptation to film will be released next fall, has sold more than 4 million copies in hardcover and ebook in the US and an additional 2 million copies internationally. Osprey Publishing has acquired British Wildlife Publishing. The company produces field guildes and books on British natural history along with two magazines. Founders Andrew Branson and Anne Branson will leave the business, and the unit […]