Longtime Harper vp, executive editor Hugh Van Dusen will retire from the company on August 30 “after an astonishing 60 years with HarperCollins.” He first joined what was then Harper & Brothers on June 21, 1956 and helped launch Torch Books, later becoming closely involved with the Perennial paperback imprint and rising to his current position in 1990. Among van Dusen’s authors were Jacques Barzun, Fernand Braudel, Robert Bly, James Hillman, Robert Remini, Trevor Corson, and Harper Lee (including her estate). “It may sound too eccentric or romantic to be believed, but there have been very few mornings in the […]
Quarto Acquires becker&meyer
In advance of its half-year results releasing tomorrow, Quarto announced that it has acquired Bellevue, WA-based publisher becker&meyer! from the McEvoy Group for an initial $9.8 million. The acquisition price may also increase due to a working capital adjustment payment capped at $1m and further deferred contingent consideration of up to $1.25 million, dependent on the performance of becker& meyer’s SmartLabs toy division business in 2018 and 2019. Quarto stated that the acquisition will increase its children’s publishing revenues by more than 30 percent and will bump up Quarto’s US revenue to 45 percent of the company’s overall sales. becker&mayer reported […]
People: Kuyper Exits BISG, and More
Mark Kuyper has resigned as executive director of the Book Industry Study Group, effective immediately, to “explore other areas of interest.” Kuyper joined the BISG just over a year in June 2015, relocating to New York after serving as president and ceo of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. A search is being conducted to find a replacement. “We wish Mark the very best in all his future endeavors,” said BISG board chair Tara Catogge in the announcement. “As a longtime board member and friend of BISG, Mark will be greatly missed.” Kuyper added: “I am proud of what we accomplished during […]
Patchett’s Commonwealth Leads September Indie Next List
Ann Patchett’s new novel Commonwealth is the No. 1 pick on the ABA’s September Indie Next List. Also on the list are Amor Towles’ A Gentleman in Moscow; Little Nothing by Marisa Silver; Nathan Hill’s The Nix; Mischling by Affinity Konar; and The Gentleman by Forrest Leo — all six of which, including the Patchett, are featured as lengthy pre-publication excerpts that you can read right now in Buzz Books 2016: Fall/Winter. Additionally, Colson Whitehead’s Oprah-anointed The Underground Railroad is also an Indie Next Choice for September (the month of its original publication date.) The rest of the list comprises: Leave Me, […]
People, Etc.
At Simon & Schuster, Tracy Nelson has been promoted to director, retail field sales, and Caitlin Nalven has been promoted to national account manager handling Baker & Taylor, Ingram and Perma-Bound for children’s publishing. Hannah Fergesen has joined KT Literary as an agent, representing speculative adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction. Fergesen was most recently a literary assistant at Trident Media Group. In addition, Renee Nyen has also been promoted to agent. At Red Sofa Literary, Laura Zats has been promoted to literary agent. Publishing attorney Susan Spann has joined Donaghy Literary Group as contracts manager. Former Gotham editor Brooke Carey has […]
Briefs: Pocket Constitution Sales Rise After Khan Speech; A Local Line for S&S India; and More
Khizr Khan’s speech at the Democratic National Convention has boosted distribution of the US Constitution. A $1 Pocket Constitution published by The National Center for Constitutional Studies — similar to the one Khan displayed during his speech, but not the same edition — moved 45,000 copies on Amazon between Saturday morning and Monday night, spokesperson Dan Sheridan told the WSJ. After announcing they would give free copies of their pocket Constitution until Election Day, the American Civil Liberties Union says it has received approximately 80,000 orders. Little Brown celebrated the recent launch of James Patterson’s BookShots with a press release declaring he “has ignited a […]